Elva Abundis-Esparza has more than three decades of experience in the legal field, working for private firms and in various roles in the District Clerk’s office.
Hear from the candidate
1. Please tell voters about yourself.
My name is Elva Abundis Esparza. I was born and raised in San Antonio and I attended St. Francis Academy and St. Edward’s University. I began my career in 1979 as a legal secretary and office manager for the Law Offices of Rivera & Ritter, Offices of Kaplan & Petty, L.L.P., and Jackson Walker L.L.P.
In 2003 through 2010, I served as Chief of Administration and Public Information and Chief Deputy under former District Clerk, Margaret G. Montemayor. In 2019 through 2022, I served as Chief Deputy for former District Clerk, Mary Angie Garcia. In between that time, I also worked for Councilwoman Shirley Gonzalez and County Commissioner Chico Rodriguez as Director of Constituents Services. Presently, I am the Justice Court Manager for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1.
My greatest accomplishment was raising my two sons as a single parent. My son, Victor Abundis, attended Central Catholic High School, Middlebury College in Vermont, St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri and presently teaches at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri and part-time professor at Maple Woods Community College.
My son, Christopher Abundis, is a graduate from Central Catholic High School, Texas A&M University at College Station, and South Texas School of Law and recently retired as Vice-President of Swift Energy Company in Houston. He is an entrepreneur as part owner of Royal Albartross. Chris is married to my wonderful daughter-in-law Jeanne Marcantel Abundis and has made me a proud grandmother to Sidney Wayne Abundis and Camille Juliet Abundis.
Life has blessed me with a wonderful husband, Ramon Esparza.
2. Please describe the relevant work experience you bring to this job, and how you would approach the role.
With over 41 years in the legal profession, including 14½ years with the District Clerk’s Office, I bring the experience, leadership, and dedication necessary to proudly serve the constituents of Bexar County.
The District Clerk’s Office plays a critical role in the day-to-day operations of county government, with a primary responsibility of maintaining the custodial care and safekeeping of all civil and criminal District Court files.
During my tenure, I served in multiple leadership roles, including as Chief Deputy for former District Clerks Margaret G. Montemayor and Mary Angie Garcia. In that capacity, I managed an office of more than 200 employees and oversaw a $6.5 million budget. I was directly responsible for implementing office policies and daily operations.
I was influential in implementing the first ever case numbering system for cases filed, a Collections Department where they collected administrative fees for the District Clerk’s Office which brought over one-million dollars its first year of impletion.
One of our most impactful accomplishments was implementing Bexar County’s first paperless filing system — now in its 20th year — which continues to save the county millions. I also helped launch the Civil Litigant Search feature, providing public access to case information through the District Clerk’s website.
In 2007, following Bexar County’s assumption of responsibility for the Central Magistrate Department, I led the launch and operations of the District Clerk’s first Central Magistrate Office, ensuring its successful staffing and management during a time of rapid population growth at the Adult Detention Center.
3. Why did you decide to seek this office? And why did you decide to run under the party affiliation that you chose?
After 14 ½ years with the District Clerk’s office and having been gone for 3 years, I feel
that there is so much more that I can accomplish if I was elected District Clerk. I will focus on modernizing and streamlining the District Clerk’s office so court records are accurate, timely, and easily accessible to the public and legal community. By improving internal processes and strengthening electronic filing and records management, we can reduce delays, improve transparency, and better serve residents, attorneys, and the courts and who better than someone that has the experience and institutional
knowledge.
I have family members that are both Democrats and Republicans, but we all vote. My mother was an advocate for voting rights. I can remember as a young girl watching her attend various voting rallies. She was a Democrat and I followed.
4. How would you (or how do you, if already elected) solicit input and feedback from constituents?
I am presently working as Justice Court Manager for Precinct 1 and myself and my staff work hard to service the public. We listen to the needs of our constituents and provide excellent customer services. We visit our Senior Centers and attend Neighborhood Associations Meeting to inform them of all our services. We try to meet the needs of every constituent that voice their concerns or come before our court.
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