U.S. House, Texas 16th Congressional District · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in Texas's 16th Congressional District?
Veronica Escobar has the strongest record in Texas's 16th Congressional District. Veronica Escobar scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Adam Bauman at 50, as of October 6, 2026. Veronica Escobar's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Adam Bauman
On the ballot as ADAM BAUMAN
50 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Veronica Escobar
On the ballot as VERONICA ESCOBAR
65 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 56
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Adam Bauman
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Veronica Escobar
- On the record2021-01
Voted Nay on both objections to state electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- On the record2021-04-07
Joined a federal lawsuit by House members accusing Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani of inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot under the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act.
Source: Texas Tribune, April 7, 2021
- Credit2022-12-23
Sponsored H.R. 7930, the Military Spouse Entrepreneur Reimbursement Act; its provisions were enacted in the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act, signed Dec. 23, 2022.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Adam Bauman. Registered with the FEC in Oct. 2025 and told the FEC in July 2026 that his campaign had not reached the $5,000 reporting threshold, so no financial reports were due. No FEC fine or Texas Ethics Commission order found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC electronic filings list, committee C00923532, FEC Form 99 from the committee, July 15, 2026, El Paso Matters, July 17, 2026, FEC administrative fines search
Veronica Escobar. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed May 10, 2026, before the May 15 deadline. No House Ethics Committee matter naming her as respondent and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk annual financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076181, House Committee on Ethics site search for Escobar, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Adam Bauman. No public record found.
Veronica Escobar. Voted against the GENIUS Act (2025), against tabling an impeachment resolution (2025) and against a 2026 appropriations bill, and for a 2026 war powers resolution, each opposite the votes of Democratic leaders Jeffries and Clark.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 200, July 17, 2025, GENIUS Act, House Clerk Roll Call 175, June 24, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 28, Jan. 14, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 201, June 4, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Adam Bauman. No public record found.
Veronica Escobar. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Adam Bauman. Navy veteran and retired Border Patrol agent who has run a canine detection business since 2020. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: El Paso Matters, Feb. 16, 2026, El Paso Matters, May 18, 2026
Veronica Escobar. El Paso County commissioner, county judge for six years and in Congress since 2019. No censure, reprimand or ethics conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Veronica Escobar, GovTrack, Texas 16th District, House Committee on Ethics site search for Escobar
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Adam Bauman. Served in the Navy and as a Border Patrol agent; no official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: El Paso Matters, Feb. 16, 2026
Veronica Escobar. Served as El Paso County commissioner and county judge and in Congress since 2019; voted Nay on both Jan. 2021 objections to state electors. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Veronica Escobar, House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Adam Bauman. Navy veteran (he says a Special Warfare Combatant Crewman), retired Border Patrol agent (he says on its BORTAC tactical team) and owner of a canine narcotics detection business. Has not held elected office.
Sources: El Paso Matters, Feb. 16, 2026, Campaign site
Veronica Escobar. In the U.S. House since Jan. 3, 2019, seeking a fifth term; earlier El Paso County judge (2011 to 2017) and county commissioner.
Sources: GovTrack, Texas 16th District, Ballotpedia, Veronica Escobar
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Adam Bauman. Campaign site lists general positions on property taxes, small business, border security, veterans and Social Security.
Source: Campaign site
Veronica Escobar. Serves on the Appropriations Committee and the Budget Committee; primary sponsor of two enacted bills per GovTrack. No chair or ranking post.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Adam Bauman. Publishes issue positions on his campaign site; did not answer the El Paso Matters or El Paso Times candidate questionnaires.
Sources: Campaign site, El Paso Matters, April 22, 2026, El Paso Times voter guide, Oct. 1, 2026
Veronica Escobar. Offers a newsletter and issue pages, answered the El Paso Times 2026 candidate questionnaire and held an El Paso town hall aired by C-SPAN. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, El Paso Times candidate questionnaire, Oct. 5, 2026, C-SPAN program page, Ballotpedia, Veronica Escobar
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Adam Bauman. Lives and runs a business in El Paso; the district covers most of El Paso County. No in-state contribution share: his committee has reported no contributions.
Sources: El Paso Matters, May 18, 2026, KVIA, May 27, 2026, FEC Form 99 from the committee, July 15, 2026
Veronica Escobar. Born in El Paso and a third-generation El Pasoan who served as county commissioner and county judge. FEC by-state totals show about 85 percent of itemized individual contributions from Texas.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Veronica Escobar, El Paso Times candidate questionnaire, Oct. 5, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Adam Bauman. Has run a registered canine detection business since 2020; FEC filings are current for a committee under the reporting threshold, with no administrative fine.
Sources: El Paso Matters, May 18, 2026, FEC Form 99 from the committee, July 15, 2026, FEC administrative fines search
Veronica Escobar. FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026, each filed by its due date, and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Adam Bauman. No public record found.
Veronica Escobar. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.116 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.530, below expectations. Raised to 2 under E14: her military spouse business reimbursement bill was enacted in the FY2023 NDAA.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 7930 (117th Congress)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Adam Bauman. No public record found.
Veronica Escobar. Missed 76 of 3,869 roll call votes, 2.0 percent, from January 2019 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Adam Bauman. No public record found.
Veronica Escobar. Lists an El Paso district office and publishes casework totals: 7,626 constituent cases completed and $19.3 million returned to constituents.
Source: Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Adam Bauman. No public record found.
Veronica Escobar. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.25608 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 382 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Adam Bauman. No public record found.
Veronica Escobar. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Texas's 16th Congressional District?
Veronica Escobar has the strongest record in Texas's 16th Congressional District. Veronica Escobar scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Adam Bauman at 50, as of October 6, 2026. Veronica Escobar's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Texas's 16th Congressional District in 2026?
ADAM BAUMAN (Republican), VERONICA ESCOBAR (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Adam Bauman a good candidate for Congress?
Adam Bauman scores 50 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 50 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Veronica Escobar a good candidate for Congress?
Veronica Escobar scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 56 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Texas race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Texas 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.