El Paso Candidate Who Died of COVID-19 Wins Runoff

It was some really sad news that came down last week that Lillian Blancas had passed away from COVID-19. She passed away back on Monday, December 7th, after being in the hospital since November 9th. Blancas was in a runoff against Enrique Holguin for El Paso Municipal Court 4. The election wrapped up this past Saturday, and Blancas won by a pretty good margin, getting almost 60% of the vote. Do the simple math, and you'll see that Holguin got about 40% of the vote.

So now the big question you might have is, "Who takes the seat that Blancas was supposed to fill?" The answer is the El Paso City Council will now vote to appoint the seat.

Blancas worked for several years for the El Paso County Public Defender’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office before opening her own practice last year. Leading up to the election, Blancas spoke about why she was running, saying:

I believe El Paso deserves a knowledgeable and experienced judiciary. I have knowledge of the law, the courtroom and legal experience, and a well-rounded perspective to be a balanced, fair, and impartial judge.

A close friend of Blancas, Assistant District Attorney Amanda Enriquez said:

My heart breaks for all those who loved her.vShe was an amazing human being, a dedicated public servant, and a tireless advocate for her clients and our community. Her personality and laughter filled up every room she entered and she was the most selfless friend I could have ever asked for. I will miss her so very much.