Tuesday, February 17, 2026-In a development that has thrust a once-quiet real estate sale into the heart of a political storm, the sprawling Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County, New Mexico — formerly owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — has been revealed as the property now owned by the family of Texas Republican candidate Donald Huffines.
Huffines, a self-described “Trump Republican” and front-runner in the GOP primary for Texas comptroller, had long kept his connection to the 10,000-acre estate private by purchasing it in 2023 through a limited liability company called San Rafael Ranch LLC. Public records obtained by local media linked the LLC to Huffines’ wife, Mary Catherine, and outlined how the family challenged the county’s initial tax valuation of the property, citing its notorious history.
The revelation comes at a politically sensitive moment, with New Mexico lawmakers launching a bipartisan “truth commission” to investigate allegations of sex trafficking and abuse tied to Epstein’s time at the ranch. Reports indicate the property saw serious allegations — including claims of trafficking and even unverified allegations of bodies buried on the land — which had not previously been the focus of an exhaustive federal or state investigation. State representatives are now demanding full transparency and are expected to issue preliminary findings by mid-2026, intensifying scrutiny of the site’s past and current stewardship.
Huffines’ campaign has responded by asserting that the family’s purchase was made at a public auction, with proceeds directed toward Epstein’s victims, and that they had never visited the ranch before its auction listing. The candidate has pledged cooperation with investigators but has faced mounting criticism from voters and opponents who question his judgment and the optics of owning a property so closely associated with one of the most infamous criminal figures in recent memory. With the Texas Republican primary approaching, this unexpected controversy could shape narratives around leadership, accountability, and political values in the coming weeks.
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