Bernardo Cruz
Bernardo Cruz (Democratic Party) is running for election for judge of the Texas 168th District Court. Cruz is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.[source]
Cruz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Bernardo Cruz earned a high school diploma from Cathedral High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2009, and a law degree from the Seattle University School of Law in 2016. Cruz's career experience includes working as an attorney.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in El Paso County, Texas (2026)
General election
The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Texas 168th District Court
Bernardo Cruz (D), Enrique Holguin (D), and Robert J. Perez (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Texas 168th District Court on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Bernardo Cruz  | |
| Enrique Holguin | ||
| Robert J. Perez | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for Texas 168th District Court
R. Wayne Pritchard (R) is running in the Republican primary for Texas 168th District Court on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| R. Wayne Pritchard | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Bernardo Cruz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cruz's responses.
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I initially practiced law in Washington State before coming back to my home-town. I first worked at a non-profit plaintiff law firm in Yakima, Washington representing farm workers in complex trial and appellate litigation, class actions, and legislative advocacy focused on civil rights and employment law. I returned to El Paso in 2018 to work for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas (ACLU of Texas) as an attorney focusing on the constitutional rights of immigrants and border communities. In this role, I developed and litigated state and federal civil rights cases.
I am currently the only affirmative litigation attorney at the El Paso County Attorney’s office, a role in which I represent the rights and interests of the County and El Paso residents through litigation and public advocacy.- I am running to be a judge because I believe a judge is, above all, a public servant—one who applies the law fairly, treats every person with dignity and respect, and ensures that the judicial process is impartial and accessible to all. I believe that integrity, diligence, honesty, and sound judgment are essential to fulfilling the responsibilities of the bench. These values were instilled in me by my parents, and they have guided both my life and my legal career.
- My decision to seek judicial office is informed by the breadth and depth of my legal experience in public service. I have dedicated my career to serving the public interest, first as a plaintiffs’ attorney at nonprofit law firms and now as an attorney for local government. I have represented individuals and communities from diverse backgrounds, including unionized farmworkers in rural Washington and undocumented migrants along the U.S.–Mexico border. These experiences reinforced for me the importance of judicial neutrality, careful decision-making, and equal treatment under the law.
- I have represented clients from all walks of life, from farm workers to local government, in matters involving complex constitutional rights. My practice includes complex legal issues involving civil rights, public interest law, government law, and employment law.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate Texas 168th District Court |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 11, 2026
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas
State courts:
Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts
State resources:
Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas
