Texas Comptroller candidate Don Huffines entered early voting today with a strong polling lead in the Republican primary race as documents surfaced detailing his family’s 2023 purchase of Jeffrey Epstein’s former New Mexico property, Zorro Ranch.
In a statement posted on X, Huffines said the property had been publicly listed for years before his family purchased it at auction four years after Epstein’s death. He reiterated that proceeds from the sale benefited Epstein’s victims and said any request from law enforcement for access would be met with immediate and full cooperation. Huffines added that the property has been renamed San Rafael Ranch and is being redeveloped as a Christian retreat.
In 2023, four years after Epstein’s death, San Rafael Ranch had been listed on the open market for years and was scheduled for public auction.
At the time of the sale, it was marketed that the proceeds would go to the victims. It has since been confirmed by the estate’s…
— Don Huffines (@DonHuffines) February 17, 2026
Public records first reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican show that a limited liability company tied to the Huffines family acquired the ranch in 2023.
An email published by Current Revolt from Daniel H. Weiner, a partner at Hughes Hubbard & Reed representing the Epstein estate, states that proceeds from the sale “became assets of the Epstein Estate, which subsequently settled over 55 individual claims by women alleging sexual abuse,” in addition to claims resolved through the estate’s compensation program. The email states that it is accurate to say the estate used funds from the New Mexico property sale to benefit victims.
The clarification addresses claims that circulated online suggesting victims did not benefit from the transaction. According to the estate attorney, sale proceeds entered the estate and were later used to resolve abuse claims.
Additional attention followed the release of federal documents that included an anonymous email alleging that two girls “may be buried” near the ranch. New Mexico Chief Deputy Attorney General James Grayson wrote, as reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican, that the allegations appear unsubstantiated and stem from an anonymous individual referencing events allegedly occurring more than six years ago. No public evidence has confirmed the claim.
The New Mexico House of Representatives unanimously approved the creation of a commission to review activities tied to the ranch during Epstein’s ownership, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
“Four years after Mr. Epstein’s death, the Huffines family purchased property in New Mexico listed at public auction whose proceeds benefited his victims. Prior to the auction listing, they had never visited the property,” spokesperson Allen Blakemore said in a statement. “The owners have never been approached by local, state, or federal law enforcement requesting access to the San Rafael Ranch. If they do, of course, they will be granted full and complete cooperation.”
Huffines has also received public backing from supporters and Republican allies in the lead-up to the March 3 primary.
As ballots are cast, estate documentation and public records provide clarity surrounding the 2023 transaction as Huffines maintains his lead in the Republican field.