Here's what you need to know for the Tuesday primary runoff in El Paso

Adam Powell, El Paso Times

Early voting is a wrap in El Paso's primary runoff.

The five-day early voting session ran from Monday, March 20, through Friday, March 24. As of Thursday, nearly 12,500 El Pasoans has cast ballots either in person or by mail, just under 2.5% of the 507,865 registered voters in the county. Friday numbers were not available at print time.

Democrats widely outpaced Republicans at the polls — 12,297 to 197 — but with four Democratic races and only one Republican race still in limbo, those numbers are no surprise.

The final decision will come Tuesday, May 28, as voters weigh in on which candidate will represent their party on the Nov. 5 General Election ballot. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. at more than 100 voting locations across El Paso County.

Why is there a primary runoff?

El Paso and the rest of Texas originally cast primary ballots on March 5, Super Tuesday, along with 13 other states and American Samoa.

Primary elections determine which candidates will represent their party in the General Election. But with many races featuring a large number of candidates, the primary election ended with candidates in some races not meeting the 50% threshold required to win the election outright.

Campaign signs sit outside the the Marty Robbins Recreation Center voting polls in El Paso on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, primary election day in Texas.
Campaign signs sit outside the the Marty Robbins Recreation Center voting polls in El Paso on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, primary election day in Texas.

In those races, the top two candidates with the most votes advance to a head-to-head runoff. The winner of the runoff will advance to the November election, unless there is no opposition from the other party — in that case, the runoff winner effectively wins the General Election.

Which races are still undecided?

Super Tuesday left five races undecided in El Paso.

Perhaps the two most watched races are the Democratic primaries for El Paso County sheriff and district attorney.

In the sheriff's race, Constable Oscar Ugarte will go up against retired El Paso County Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Robert "Bobby" Flores. The winner will face Republican Minerva Torres Shelton in the General Election.

Oscar Ugarte, candidate for El Paso County sheriff speaks to the media at his watch party at Stiller and Godinez law office in El Pasoas he’s on the lead on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, primary election day in Texas.
Oscar Ugarte, candidate for El Paso County sheriff speaks to the media at his watch party at Stiller and Godinez law office in El Pasoas he’s on the lead on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, primary election day in Texas.

In the district attorney's race, James Montoya, currently a deputy public defender for the county, will go up against Alma Trejo, a former El Paso County Criminal Court judge. The winner will face off against current District Attorney Bill Hicks, a Republican, in November.

Also on the ballot will be the race to replace state Rep. Lina Ortega, D-El Paso, in the Texas House of Representatives. That race will feature former state Rep. Norma Chavez and former El Paso County Commissioner Vince Perez.

With no Republican opposition, the winner of the District 77 runoff will appear unopposed on the November 5 ballot.

The Precinct 1 Constable race between Andrea "Andi" Baca and Frank Almada rounds out the Democratic slate of candidates in the runoff.

The only Republican primary left to be decided is the Texas House District 23 race between incumbent U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, and conservative Youtuber Brandon Herrera. The winner will face Democrat Santos Limon.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Who will survive Tuesday's primary runoff in El Paso?

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