Questions Emerge Over San Elizario Mayor’s Eligibility to Hold Office

Documents obtained by El Paso Politics Blog are raising significant questions about whether San Elizario Mayor Miguel Chacón lawfully meets the requirements to hold office in the Type A municipality.

Under Texas Local Government Code §22.032, the eligibility standards for mayor in a Type A city are clear. A candidate must:

1. Be a registered voter, and

2. Have resided within the municipal limits for at least 12 months preceding election day.

The statute does not explicitly state whether voter registration must also be held within the same municipality for the full duration of the residency requirement, creating a potential interpretive conflict for the City of San Elizario.

A document reviewed by this publication (from the above linked documents)- specifically, a screenshot reflecting the mayor’s most recent voter registration - shows that Mayor Chacón registered as a San Elizario voter in March 2024, just two months prior to the May 2024 municipal election in which he was elected.

The timeline places city officials and their legal counsel in a challenging position. They must now determine whether the statute requires:

• A candidate to merely be a registered voter anywhere in Texas or the United States at the time of    

                candidacy filing, or

• A candidate to have been registered within the municipality itself for the same 12-month 

                residency period required by law.

The distinction is critical. If the law is interpreted to require municipal voter registration for the full twelve months, Mayor Chacón’s March registration date would fall short of the statutory requirement.

Complicating the matter further is the question of whether the mayor actually resides at the address listed on his voter registration. A search of the Central Appraisal District (CAD) records indicates that the property is owned by another individual reportedly identified as his mother (Screenshot below). Sources familiar with the situation assert that the mayor does not live at that location, raising additional concerns about whether his stated residence meets the legal definition of domicile for election purposes.

Determining residency in Texas political law can be complex, often involving factors such as intent, physical presence, and continuity. But even with those nuances, the discrepancy between the mayor’s claimed address and CAD ownership records introduces yet another layer for city attorneys to evaluate.

As the city seeks legal clarity, the issue has opened a broader debate about election compliance, statutory interpretation, and the responsibility of municipalities to ensure officeholders fully meet eligibility requirements before assuming public office.

Additional records indicate that Chacón did not vote until 2016, in which Chacón voted in the Republican Primary. When asked about why he voted in that Republican Primary, Chacón indicated, "I voted for Donald Trump. I supported him because he was not a politician." 

City officials have not yet released a formal statement on the matter. Further updates will be shared as more information becomes available.