Your Voice, Your Vote: 3% of eligible registered voters cast ballots

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - Saturday, May 3 was Election Day for the May 2025 Uniform Election. Voters were able to cast their ballots in several races for board of trustees in the El Paso, Socorro, and San Elizario Independent School Districts among other area races.

A total of 9,368 votes were cast in this election, that is only 3% of all registered and eligible voters for the area races. There were 8,067 in person votes and 1,322 cast by mail. There was a total of 319,025 registered voters.

The El Paso Independent School District had four seats on the ballot for the board of trustees, with 11 candidates vying for a spot. Among the candidates were four incumbents.

The unofficial final election results show that in District 1, incumbent Leah Hanany took 59% of the votes with 901 votes, followed by Monica Elena Benjamin with 588. Nelson Bank received 35 votes or about 2%.

In District 3, incumbent Jack Loveridge received about 72% of the votes, or 704. John Ponce De Leon received 275 for 28%.

Mindy Sutton in the District 4 race received 657 votes or 63% of the votes cast in that race. Isabel Hernandez received 344 or 33%, and Juan M. Duran rounded out the race with 4% or 42 votes.

District 5 race for EPISD Board of Trustees, Robert Osterland took almost 55% of the votes with 634. Israel Irrobali, the incumbent, came in with almost 31% or 352 votes. Melvin Milton received 169 for almost 15% of the total.

The El Paso Community College Board of Trustees had two seats open. District 4 had a three candidates. Jesus Mendez, the incumbent, took the lead with 51.53% or the votes or 941 total ballots cast. Eduardo A. Flores came in at 32% with 592, and Luther Marcena with 293 votes for 16%. Mendez had been serving an unexpired term after he was appointed to the board on Jun 22, 2024, after then trustee Christina Sanchez resigned after being elected El Paso County Attorney.

EPCC's District 6 had two candidates, in this race Diana Yadira Mooy ended the night with about 60% of voters casting 878 votes for her. Eddie Mena received 589, ending the night with 40%. In District 5, current trustee Carmen Olivas Graham ran unopposed.

The Socorro Independent School District also had 4 seats up for election in their Board of Trustees. The district is under state conservatorship and the incoming board members will need to search for a new superintendent while under the direction of the two state appointed conservators.

In District 2, Ryan Woodcraft took the majority of the votes with 347 or 55%, His opponent, Shawn Ollis received 44% or 277 votes. Cynthia Najera is the current trustee for this district but decided not to run for reelection.

Charles W. Smith received the most votes in SISD's District 3 race. Smith received 190 votes for 54%. Joshua Carter Guerra received 92 votes for 26%, Jose Alonzo Jr. ended the night at almost 13% with 45 votes, and with 25 votes and 7% of the total votes cast was Pablo Caldera Jr. Smith will take over for current trustee Ricardo O. Castellano who was indicted on felony charges for alleged targeting of employees at district schools. He has reportedly missed close to a dozen board meetings since his arrest back in June 2024.

District 4 had three candidates including incumbent and long-serving trustee Paul Guerra. He received 45% of total votes with 253 ballots cast in his favor. Closely followed by Caryn Gonzalez with 185 votes or 33%, and Raul Villalobos with 120 votes for 21.5%.

Manny Rodriguez took 50% of the vote with 630 total votes over in District 5. Cindy Hernandez received 390 or 31% and Gary Gandara got 237 votes or 18.8%. Rodriguez will take over for Pablo Barrera, who along with Trustee Castellano was arrested on felony charges.

San Elizario Independent School District had three places open in their Board of Trustees. Place 1 with Lorenzo Luevano running unopposed. Place 2 with two candidates, Axel Lopez taking 60% with 116 votes to Asael Cardona's 76 votes or 40%. In Place 3, Alexis Ann Tellez took in more than 60% of the vote with 120 total votes cast in comparison to her opponent Michael Martinez's 39% with 79 total votes.

The City of San Elizario had three Alderman Places open, two were uncontested. Hector Ramos who ran uncontested for Alderman Place 1 takes the win. Lorenzo Leyva takes Alderman Place 3 representation. In Place 3, two candidates, David S. Cantu and Tony Grijalva, were on the ballot. Grijalva received 54.44% of the votes with 92 votes and Cantu received 77 votes or 45.56% of the vote. Grijalva will join the uncontested candidates on the San Elizario City council.

The Town of Anthony had 3 seats open in their city government. In the Mayor's race, incumbent Anthony Turner took in 31.5% of the votes, losing to challenger Martin Lerma who took in 42.5%. A third candidate, Rick Villarreal received 1.6% of the total votes cast.

Alderman Place 1 and 2 races were uncontested in the Town of Anthony, Lourdes Garcia and Manny Balderas take over the perspective offices.

The Town of Horizon City had 5 Alderman seats up for election. Charlie Ortega took the lead with 56% in Place 1. Robert Avila took 58% of the vote over Sandra Sierra's 42%. Place 5 and 6 had uncontested races, Katherine Ames and Matthew Gardea won their respective races.

The Town of Horizon also reached out to the voters with Proposition A. It sought the reauthorization of local sales and use tax in the Town of Horizon at the rate of a fourth of a percent for municipal streets maintenance and repair. The proposition received 72% votes in favor.

The Village of Vinton also reached out to the voters for Proposition A, reducing the tax rate for the current year from $0.08 per $100 valuation to $0.68. The measure received 87.5% votes in favor.