Raul Castaneda
Raul Castaneda (Republican Party) (also known as Bullet) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 16th Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.
Castaneda completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Raul Castaneda served in the U.S. Navy for over 23 years. He earned a high school diploma from Austin High School. His career experience includes teaching basic electricity and electronics at Bernalillo High School and as a project manager for the Omega Train Group.[1][2]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas' 16th Congressional District election, 2026
Texas' 16th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 26 Republican primary runoff)
Texas' 16th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
Texas' 16th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for U.S. House Texas District 16
Incumbent Veronica Escobar (D) and Adam Bauman (R) are running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 16 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Veronica Escobar (D) | |
 | Adam Bauman (R) | |
| ||||
 = 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. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Rene Fierro (Independent)
Republican primary runoff
Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 16
Adam Bauman (R) defeated Manuel Barraza (R) in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 16 on May 26, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Adam Bauman | 68.5 | 7,752 |
 | Manuel Barraza | 31.5 | 3,557 | |
| Total votes: 11,309 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 16
Incumbent Veronica Escobar (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 16 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Veronica Escobar | 100.0 | 54,031 |
| Total votes: 54,031 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Arturo Andujo (D)
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 16
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 16 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Adam Bauman | 23.9 | 4,738 |
| ✔ | | Manuel Barraza | 18.1 | 3,577 |
 | Ruben Rios | 14.5 | 2,868 | |
 | Hector Cabildo | 14.3 | 2,821 | |
 | Raul Castaneda | 11.8 | 2,337 | |
| Marisela Chavez | 9.4 | 1,860 | ||
 | Deliris Montanez | 8.0 | 1,591 | |
| Total votes: 19,792 | |||
| = 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
- See also: Our approach to covering endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements and voter guide recommendations. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Raul Castaneda completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Castaneda's responses.
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.
Campaign website
Castaneda's campaign website stated the following:
Veterans’ Support and Advocacy
As a veteran, Raul Castañeda understands the challenges faced by servicemembers and is uniquely qualified to serve on the Armed Forces Committee. His core commitment is to ensure those who served receive the benefits they earned.
Enhance Disability Claims: Raul plans to enhance veteran claims to ensure veterans acquire the disability benefits they deserve.
Address System Failures: The current process has issues obtaining and approving disability claims. Raul will fight to streamline and fix this system.
Civilian Infrastructure and Job Security
Raul Castañeda is focused on bringing high-quality, permanent employment opportunities to District 16.
High-Paying, Permanent Jobs: As Congressman, Raul will work to bring the job industry into District 16 , securing permanent jobs that pay $30 to $40 an hour.
Industry Partnership: This requires communicating with industries to build good industries in the district.
Border Binational Issues and Quality of Life
The working and retired families of the border region deserve better. Raul’s plan is centered on improving the daily lives, safety, and efficiency for all citizens living near the border.
Better & Safer Quality of Life: Citizens deserve a better and safer quality of life , regardless of whether they cross the border for affordable healthcare or strong family ties.
Efficient Crossings: The current system causes extreme long lines daily for students, parents, and retired citizens.
Action Plan: Raul will address this issue by moving agents and channels to quicker cross lines without compromising national border security. More agents and efficient wait times are needed.
Education: The Key to Success
Raul, a former educator, believes that Education is the key to success. He is committed to creating a more supportive environment for both students and teachers.
Support for Students and Educators: He plans to create a more successful environment for both students and educators.
Programs and Scholarships: Raul will bring more programs and scholarships for our students in El Paso.
Lottery Funding Utilization: He will use lottery funding to accomplish continued education and scholarship opportunities for students who have at least a C average.
— Raul Castaneda's campaign website (February 11, 2026)
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from the Federal Election Commission. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Bullet Raul Castaneda Congress District 16, "About," accessed February 11, 2026
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 11, 2026
