About Selena

Over two decades of experience in the courtroom as a criminal defense attorney have taught Selena Alvarenga what’s working in the Travis County justice system and what isn’t. Selena knows people shouldn’t be sitting in jail waiting months for a trial. She has and will continue to work to reduce pretrial detention, run a court that is fair and equitable, and strengthen alternatives to incarceration.

Selena’s life story is not that of your typical political candidate. She made history when elected Travis County’s first openly gay Latina immigrant judge.

Selena grew up in San Salvador, El Salvador in the 1970s. She was an only child whose mother died when she was eight, and at 13, Selena and her father were forced to flee country at the outbreak of the Salvadoran Civil War. When they arrived in the US, Selena did not speak English. Her father, who had been a computer programmer at a bank in El Salvador, could only get work serving fast food. When he finally did find a job in his field, it was in Alaska. Selena was one of three Latin American immigrants in her class.

Like many of us, but unlike most judges, Selena began higher education at a community college, before receiving her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Selena always knew she was called to a career that would allow her to help others. A law degree was a good way to be helpful. While she was in law school, Selena became a US citizen.

A passionate and dedicated advocate, Selena has been a criminal defense attorney since she became a member of the Texas Bar in 1996. She was elected to the bench of the 460th District Court in 2020.

Since her swearing-in just four short years ago, Judge Alvarenga has accomplished quite a bit from the bench of the 460th. Her decision in the Faircloth case marks the first time a defendant has been released due to improper handling of DNA evidence by APD's DNA Lab, issues which were first raised all the way back in 2015. Judge Alvarenga presided over the first in-person jury trial after COVID lockdown was lifted, demonstrating that even after a year & a half, she and her staff were prepared & provisioned to dispense justice. The judge remains actively involved in ongoing community conversations on expansion of diversionary programs for individuals confronting substance abuse & mental health issues, and has entered her 3rd year as a Board Member of the Travis County Sobering Center, in which she takes tremendous pride. And true to her promise on the campaign trail, Judge Alvarenga has prioritized cases wherein defendants have already been held in custody awaiting trial for extended periods. If re-elected, Judge Alvarenga will continue to address the structural issues affecting our criminal justice system while administering her court efficiently, fairly, & in strict accordance with the law.