Hidalgo County voters are choosing between two attorneys with very different pitches for how to run the district attorney's office, as challenger Lydia Elizondo pushes a cold-case review unit and accuses the office of a leadership problem while incumbent Terry Palacios points to diversion programs and a hands-on management style he says is already working. The contest has turned into a debate over experience, accountability and the future of criminal justice in the county.
Elizondo, a Weslaco native with 28 years of legal experience, has spent most of her career as a defense attorney and has also worked as a prosecutor, according to KRGV. She is running as the Republican challenger to Palacios, the Democratic incumbent seeking another term after four years as district attorney. Before that, Palacios served 27 years as an Edinburg municipal judge and started practicing criminal law in 1992, per the same KRGV report.
Elizondo has described prosecutors cycling through what she calls a revolving door, saying retention problems trace back to leadership and management, and arguing the office needs a change at the top, according to ValleyCentral.com. Palacios has pushed back on that characterization, saying he takes a hands-on approach by checking on prosecutors daily and helping with paperwork when needed, and that nothing is above or below him when it comes to supporting his staff, the outlet reports.
Staffing Numbers Don't Quite Match Up
Just how big the district attorney's office actually is depends on who you ask. KRGV reported that Palacios oversees a team of 82 attorneys, while he told MyRGV.com he has fewer than 80 prosecutors handling criminal cases alongside civil matters, child protective services and child welfare work. Speaking to the Rio Grande Guardian, Palacios put the number at roughly 80-plus attorneys. ValleyCentral.com, meanwhile, reported the office has about 85 prosecutors. Despite the discrepancy, Palacios and Elizondo do agree on one point: Hidalgo County needs more prosecutors as its population keeps growing, according to ValleyCentral.com's reporting.
That staffing crunch comes against a backdrop of a heavy trial docket. Palacios told MyRGV.com his office tried about 26 cases in 2025 and had already reached 42 cases by the time of that report, with six to eight murder and manslaughter trials expected within the following two to four months. “Right now we're not there, but we're still trying to recruit more prosecutors,” Palacios said, per the same account.
Elizondo's Pitch: Cold Cases, Corruption and a Database
Elizondo has made reopening unsolved cases a centerpiece of her campaign, saying she wants to create a unit dedicated to reviewing cold cases using modern investigative technology. “Victims and families deserve a day in court,” she has said, arguing that technology is far more advanced than it was 10 or 20 years ago and that families deserve another opportunity for justice, according to ValleyCentral.com. KRGV separately reported she wants a unit put together to look at cold cases to see whether modern technology can bring perpetrators to justice.
Beyond cold cases, Elizondo has said she wants to focus on domestic violence, financial scams and animal cruelty cases, calling for more transparency and accountability inside the office, per KRGV. She has also proposed establishing a database to track animal abusers and says her campaign is centered on fighting corruption and favoritism within the justice system, according to ValleyCentral.com. To pursue public-corruption cases, Elizondo says she wants to work with the Texas Attorney General's Office, the outlet reports. Her candidacy was first formally announced in coverage describing her focus on tackling corruption and rebuilding public trust, according to ValleyCentral.com's earlier report.
Palacios Points to Treatment Programs and Crime Prevention
Palacios has leaned into his record of expanding diversion and treatment options. His office launched a mental health diversion program with Tropical Texas Behavioral Health that helps eligible people accused of minor offenses get treatment instead of straight prosecution, KRGV reported. He has also said his office has focused on addressing case backlogs, easing jail overcrowding and expanding programs for residents, arguing that prosecuting is not the only priority and that the office should pursue funding and programs for youth and mental health patients, according to ValleyCentral.com.
On addiction treatment specifically, Palacios told KRGV that getting help for drug addiction can currently mean traveling to other parts of Texas, and he wants to change that if reelected. He has said he hopes to secure funding for a local detox and rehabilitation center, describing a vision in which a local sobriety home could house people, provide treatment and eventually help them get back to work. Speaking to the Rio Grande Guardian, Palacios described wanting something local like a detox center followed by a sobriety house, and said the office needs specialized units for major crimes, public corruption and white-collar crime.
Palacios has also prioritized establishing what he calls an integrity center aimed at fighting corruption, alongside a more proactive approach to crime prevention, according to ValleyCentral.com. Part of that prevention strategy involves schools: Palacios has said prosecutors should work with schools to educate students about the consequences of criminal offenses, including those involving vape pens, and that schools should be visited directly to inform students before trouble starts. Separately, the DA's office and South Texas College announced a partnership intended to expand educational opportunities for people in the criminal justice system, aiming to give eligible participants a second chance, according to ValleyCentral.com.
Election Night Plans
As results come in, the two candidates plan to watch from different corners of the county. Elizondo plans to be at Republican headquarters in McAllen on election night, while Palacios plans to hold his watch party at the Memorial Event Center in Edinburg, according to ValleyCentral.com's reporting on the race.
