Senate confirms former El Paso DA Jaime Esparza as US attorney for Western District of Texas

El Paso Times

The U.S. Senate has confirmed longtime El Paso resident and former El Paso District Attorney Jaime Esparza to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas.

Esparza served as the district attorney for the 34th Judicial District of Texas, which includes El Paso, Hudspeth and Culberson counties, from 1993 to 2020.

Tuesday's confirmation from the Senate prompted U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, to release a statement.

“I am proud to announce that El Pasoan Jaime Esparza has been officially confirmed as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas. Having lived and worked in El Paso for most of his life, Mr. Esparza will no doubt bring a valuable local and regional perspective to this prestigious role.

“Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have advocated for outstanding El Pasoans to serve in important government positions, and Mr. Esparza is no exception. I have full confidence in his ability and have no doubt he will be deeply committed to this new position in his long public service career.”

El Paso County District Attorney Jaime Esparza announced Tuesday, July 9, 2019, that he will not seek re-election. Since he first ran for office, Esparza has focused on stopping domestic violence, preventing drunken driving and improving the handling of cases in the District Attorney's Office.

Escobar recommended Esparza's nomination in January 2021 in a letter to President Joe Biden and gathered additional support from national and Texas-based organizations, including the League of United Latin American Citizens.

Biden nominated Esparza for the position on Oct. 14. Esparza was not immediately available for comment.

For El Paso County Democratic Party Chair Michael Apodaca, Esparza's ascent to the U.S. Attorney's Office is evidence of his strong legacy in El Paso.

"As El Paso Democrats, we are proud to see our former (District Attorney) Esparza confirmed as our next federal attorney for the Western District of Texas," Apodaca said in a text message. "Mr. Esparza already had a legacy with providing fair and equitable justice in the 34th District for decades and President Biden recognized this by his nomination. We congratulate him on this next step of continued service of El Paso and West Texas."

The Senate’s confirmation vote now sends Esparza’s nomination for the president’s signature.