Two contested races for El Paso district court judge in November election

El Paso County voters will choose judges in two contested district court races on Nov. 3, marking the first such electoral matchups since 2008, according to El Paso Matters.

The 120th District Court race pits Republican incumbent Ben Ivey against Democrat Chris Anchondo. Ivey, 52, was appointed to the bench in February 2025 by Gov. Greg Abbott, replacing Maria Salas-Mendoza, who was elected chief justice of the El Paso-based Eighth Court of Appeals in 2024. Anchondo, 45, won the Democratic primary in March, defeating attorney Leonard Morales.

For the 168th District Court, Democrat Bernardo Cruz faces Republican R. Wayne Pritchard.

Ivey grew up in Tornillo and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural economics before earning an MBA from Texas Tech and attending law school there. He worked as a prosecutor in the El Paso District Attorney's Office starting in 2001, then spent 20 years in private practice handling criminal, family law and civil cases. Ivey said he favors judges who allow attorneys to manage cases without excessive judicial interference, an approach he credits with clearing past cases faster than new ones arrive.

Anchondo practices law with his father, Daniel Anchondo, a former El Paso County attorney and county court judge. His uncle, Robert Anchondo, serves as a county court judge. He holds degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso and Penn State University law school, licensed since 2008. Anchondo has conducted more than 100 jury trials as a criminal defense attorney handling both criminal and civil matters. He emphasized the importance of judicial temperament, saying judges must remain level-headed and impartial despite the adversarial nature of courtroom proceedings.

Both contested races involve judges hearing civil and criminal cases. Winners will earn $193,000 annually. In seven other district court races, Democratic candidates are running unopposed.

In Texas, district judges serve four-year terms and are elected in partisan races. Early voting runs Oct. 19-30, with Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.