El Paso County Court-at-Law Judge – Court 1
Court 1, El Paso County, TX
Current Incumbent
Ruth Reyes
Democratic
In office since January 2023
Next Election
Nov 3, 2026
Filing Window
ClosedMar 4, 2026 - Apr 2, 2026
Term Length
4 years
Number of Seats
1
About this position
The legal jurisdiction of the special county-level trial courts varies considerably and is established by the statute which creates the particular court. The jurisdiction of statutorily-created county courts at law may be concurrent with the jurisdiction of the county and district courts in the county. The civil jurisdiction of most county courts at law varies but is usually more than that of the justice of the peace courts and less than that of the district courts. County courts at law usually have appellate jurisdiction in cases appealed from justice of the peace and municipal courts.
Eligibility requirements
- Candidate must be a citizen of U.S., age 25 or older; a resident of the county for at least 2 years; and a licensed attorney who has practiced law or served as a judge for 4 years.
Filing information
Elections office
1401 E. Montana Ave, Suite C, El Paso, Texas 79902 (Democrats); 120 Paragon Ln, Suite 120, El Paso, Texas 79912 (Republicans); 500 E. San Antonio, Suite 301, El Paso, Texas 79901 (Independent)
Phone: 915-239-3077 (Democrats); 915-219-9045 (Republicans); 915-546-2098 (Independents)
Fee & signature requirements
Major party-affiliated candidates should file an application for a place on the ballot to their respective county party chair. This should be accompanied by a filing fee of $1,500. The filing fee may be waived if the petition has been signed by at least 500 valid electors. Candidates in Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Tarrant Counties have a higher filing fee of $2,500 and must also receive 250 petition signatures (or 750 signatures in lieu of a filing fee). Minor party candidates should consult with their respective party chair to determine requirements. Independent candidates should file a Declaration of Intent to Run as an Independent Candidate during the primary filing period. In addition, independent candidates will need to collect a number of signatures equal to 5% of the number of votes cast within the district in the most recent gubernatorial election (or 500 signatures whichever is lower) in support of their application for a place on the general election ballot and submit these to the county judge. All forms can be found on the Texas Secretary of State website.
Filing instructions
Submit paperwork to the office of the county party chair; Independent candidates must submit paperwork to the county judge's office.