El Paso political pioneer and first woman El Paso County Judge Alicia R. Chacón died at the age of 87, her family told the El Paso Times.
Chacón, who turned 87 on Nov. 11, was a historic figure in the El Paso community that she loved and served her entire life. She was the first woman to serve as El Paso County judge and the first Hispanic in more than 100 years when she was elected to the seat in 1990.
In Texas, the county judge is the county’s top elected executive officer, similar to being the mayor of the county.
Former President Jimmy Carter also appointed her as regional director of the Small Business Administration in 1978.
Chacón described herself as an ordinary person who has taken advantage of extraordinary opportunities in a 2013 El Paso Times profile on the prominent leader.
“I’m humble and proud,” Chacón said of receiving the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Valerie Kantor Award for Extraordinary Achievement in 2013. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund is the largest Latino legal civil rights organization.
Chacón served two terms as a city representative on the El Paso City Council in 1983. She was elected county judge in 1990. She served in that role until 1994.
Chacón also served on the El Paso YWCA board, ensuring community members received the help they needed. As a city representative, she successfully secured funding from Community Development Block Grants to purchase the YWCA building in Ysleta.
“I have always been a strong supporter and believer in the values and programs of the YWCA,” Chacón said in 2013.
Chacón leaves a legacy of bettering her community and inspires future generations, Texas Senator César J. Blanco, D-El Paso, said in a statement.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Alicia R. Chacón,” Blanco said. “Her tireless work and trailblazing spirit changed El Paso for the better. She paved the way for so many while serving on the Ysleta School Board, City Council, and as County Judge, and always prioritized putting community first. I join her family and all who loved her in mourning and in gratitude for her decades of service.
“Her legacy, from education to public service, will continue to inspire generations.”
El Paso City Rep. Lily Limón said she is going to miss her friend who was a model of a selfless leader.
“Alicia R. Chacon was a trailblazer and dynamic leader who ascended to the highest levels of Democratic Party leadership but never forgot her faith, family and people she represented. Above all, she was my friend and greatest inspiration,” Limón said. “She will be deeply missed, but she left us treasured memories and the comfort her legacy will live on forever in the community she served.”
Ysleta Independent School District named one of its elementary schools after her in 1995 — the Alicia R. Chacón International School. The El Paso County Commissioners Courtroom was also named in her honor in 2022.
Chacón was born in Canutillo and raised in the Ysleta area in El Paso’s Lower Valley. She graduated from Ysleta High School in 1957.
El Paso leaders react to Chacón’s passing
As word of Chacón’s passing spread through the community, prominent El Pasoans took to social media to express their grief and admiration for the legendary political leader.
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said Chacón was “a strong advocate for farmworker rights, bilingual education and immigrant rights.”
“It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge the passing of a remarkable individual who served as a champion not only for women but for our entire community,” Samaniego said in a statement. “As county judge, I am honored to strive to uphold the legacy she established during her time as the first woman to hold the esteemed position of El Paso County Judge.”
El Paso County Commissioner Iliana Holguin said Chacón created the groundwork for women to play a major role in El Paso politics.
“Today, we lost an incredible community leader and political trailblazer,” Holguin said in a post on Facebook. “Judge Alicia R. Chacón fought to open the doors so that women like me and so many others could run for office and serve our communities. I am incredibly proud to have known her and followed in her footsteps.
“Thank you, Judge Chacón, for always watching over our community and working to ensure that El Paso was the best that it could be. You will be missed but your legacy will always live on.”
El Paso County Democratic Party officials called Chacón a trailblazer.
“We are heartbroken to hear the passing of the legendary County Judge Alicia Chacón,” El Paso County Democratic Party officials said in a Facebook post. “She was a trailblazer. From her humble beginnings participating in her local PTA, running for the YISD school board, and becoming our first Mexican American woman County Judge, she laid the foundation for several leaders and served as a mentor to many in our community.
“She was the first at every level of elected leadership and within our own El Paso County Democratic Party. Our thoughts go out to the Chacón family.”
The El Paso Museum of History officials highlighted Chacón’s lasting impact on the community.
“Alicia R. Chacón helped pave the way for El Paso women and Mexican-Americans to get involved in politics not just at the local level but on the national level,” museum officials posted on social media. “Her impact is still seen today and will continue to inspire the next generation.”
County Judge Alicia Chacón leaves a lasting impact on El Paso politics
Chacón began her political career when she rallied Ysleta parents to demand better conditions in schools. Shortly after, she ran for the Ysleta Independent School District Board of Trustees in 1970 and served two terms, the El Paso County website states.
“From 1974 to 1978, Judge Chacón broke barriers becoming the first woman to serve in local government in El Paso as the County Clerk of El Paso County,” the website states. “She also became the first El Pasoan to be elected to the Democratic National Committee (DNC); in which during this time she will also become the first woman to accept an appointment by President Jimmy Carter to serve as Regional Director of the Small Business Administration.”
She won numerous awards throughout her lifetime, including induction into the Texas Woman’s Hall of Fame in 1986.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on X/Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso political pioneer, first woman County Judge Alicia Chacón dies at 87
Reporting by Aaron Martinez, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
