Voters reelect longtime District Attorney Jaime Esparza after tight race

Longtime District Attorney Jaime Esparza is keeping his job.

In El Paso county, Esparza received 8,374 or 51 percent of the vote compared to challenger Yvonne Rosales’ 7,949, or 49 percent. Voter turnout was less than 5 percent.

Election results from Hudspeth and Culberson counties were unavailable, but Esparza told ABC-7 he won Culberson county.

This marks the first time Esparza faced a challenger in a runoff election in more than two decades.

“I gotta tell you, the message of experience matters that the leadership I provided made a different, if you look around this room, I had a lot of help to spread that message,” Esparza told ABC-7 during his campaign watch party.

Rosales is one of Esparza’s former prosecutors. She received the endorsement of former D.A. candidate Leonard Morales, eliminated on the primary election.

Esparza was endorsed by Sheriff Richard Wiles and County Attorney Jo Anne Bernal.

Rosales attacked Esparza for not doing enough to curb El Paso County’s DWI problem during his 22 years in office. She also said El Paso County “has the one of the highest criminal case backlog index in the state.”

According to Rosales’ website, “the larger the index, the more time alleged criminals are back on our streets while they wait for their day in court.”

Esparza defended his record and touts his experience as district attorney for the 34th Judicial District.

Esparza said the “Victim’s Assistance Program” has assisted more than 21,000 victims of crime.

During the campaign, Esparza has repeatedly brought up the “Out for Blood” DWI program, which allows officers to obtain a blood sample of suspected drunk drivers who refuse a breath sample. Esparza said the program has made our streets safer.

There is no Republican challenger in the November election.