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El Paso Matters, which we contend is a political machine more than a journalistic media outlet, published a hit piece targeting Arturo Alluin, candidate for City District 8: https://elpasomatters.org/…/el-paso-elections-arturo…/
If one reads Totiyapungprasert’s screed with a critical eye, it is clear that El Paso Matters has targeted Alluin, much as they did Brian Kennedy during the last mayoral election.
Although we feel there are legitimate questions about the use of campaign funds to purchase clothing (Alluin has since modified his campaign finance report to exclude the purchases), there is absolutely nothing wrong with his holding campaign events at his own businesses.
El Paso Matters goes after Alluin with everything they can think of, even questioning how he budgets for haircuts, yet they did not examine Renard Johnson’s campaign finance reports and those of other “Escobar candidates” with the same scrutiny.
Alluin faces incumbent Chris Canales and tax-and-spend candidate Matthew Guzman in the November 3 General Election. We have not made an endorsement for this race.
At our invitation, Alluin texted us a response to El Paso Matters and we have appended it below without making any edits:
Transparency Requires More Than Filing a Report
Over the past few days, questions have been raised about my campaign finance report, including allegations that campaign funds were improperly spent at my own businesses, on clothing, and on other personal expenses. I believe the people of El Paso deserve facts, context, and transparency, so I want to address those questions directly.
First and foremost, my campaign filed its report on time. After identifying several clerical errors, we promptly corrected them through the proper amendment process. That’s exactly how Texas campaign finance reporting is designed to work. Mistakes should be corrected openly, quickly, and transparently—not ignored or hidden.
What I’m most proud of is not that our report was perfect—it wasn’t. I’m proud that, in my opinion, we filed one of the most extensive and detailed campaign finance reports this city has ever seen—likely one of the most comprehensive to date. We disclosed more information than was required, including campaign-related expenses that were actually paid from my personal account and for which I am not seeking reimbursement.
I began campaigning in February, nearly six months before most campaigns traditionally begin. During those first four months, before receiving a single campaign contribution, I personally covered every campaign expense because I believed in this campaign and wanted to build it the right way from day one. Those were my investments—not my donors’.
I chose to disclose those personal expenditures because I wanted the public to have the fullest picture possible. To me, transparency isn’t about disclosing the minimum required. It’s about earning the public’s trust.
Allegation: I used campaign funds at my own businesses
Fact: Yes, campaign meetings have been held at restaurants I own, just as they have been held at neighborhood coffee shops, other local restaurants, offices, and community spaces throughout District 8. Those expenditures were fully disclosed in our campaign finance report. There was no attempt to conceal them, and no law prohibits a campaign from purchasing legitimate goods or services from a business owned by a candidate, provided those expenditures are lawful and properly reported.
I’m proud of the businesses I’ve spent years building and of the more than one hundred local men and women whose livelihoods they help support. When supporters wanted to meet at my restaurants, I was proud to support my team, my employees, and the local economy. Supporting local businesses—including my own and many others across our community—is entirely consistent with who I am and what I’ve done throughout my career.
I’ve also heard the suggestion that I’m somehow “the business community’s candidate.”
To that I say: absolutely. Because the business community isn’t separate from the people—it is the people.
More than 98% of employer businesses in the El Paso region are small businesses. They employ roughly two out of every five workers, and more than half are minority-owned. Those aren’t giant corporations. They’re families. They’re veterans. They’re immigrants. They’re entrepreneurs. They’re neighbors.
Supporting small businesses means supporting working families. It means supporting jobs, opportunity, and the local economy.
So yes, I’m proud to have earned the support of the business community, because supporting the business community means supporting the people who make El Paso work every single day.
Allegation: Thousands of dollars were spent on clothing
Fact: Some expenditures have been characterized publicly in a way that lacks important context. The campaign finance report reflects campaign-related expenditures as they were reported. After identifying clerical reporting errors, we amended the filing through the proper legal process to ensure the report accurately reflected those transactions. I encourage anyone with questions to review the amended report in its entirety rather than rely on incomplete or misleading descriptions.
Allegation: The amended report proves something improper Occurred
Fact: It proves the opposite.
Campaign finance laws specifically provide a process for candidates to amend reports when clerical or reporting errors are discovered. That’s exactly what we did. Correcting mistakes voluntarily is evidence that the reporting system worked as intended—not evidence that anyone was trying to hide information.
Some have also questioned meetings held in Ciudad Juárez.
Anyone who has lived on the border understands that El Paso and Juárez share families, commerce, culture, and one regional economy. Meeting with business owners, professionals, and community leaders throughout our border region reflects the reality of where we live and the relationships that help strengthen El Paso.
Having lunch or holding a meeting in Ciudad Juárez doesn’t automatically mean you’re meeting with a foreign national—just as meeting in El Paso doesn’t automatically mean you’re meeting with an American. That’s simply not how life works in our border community. People live, work, own businesses, and build relationships on both sides of the border every single day. Cross-border collaboration isn’t a weakness; it’s one of our region’s
greatest strengths.
At the end of the day, this campaign isn’t about a campaign finance report. It’s about the future of El Paso.
I wasn’t born into politics, and I wasn’t looking for a political career.
I was given the opportunity to pursue the American Dream, and this community changed my life. It allowed me to build businesses, create jobs, raise a family, and invest in the city that has given me so much.
There comes a point where you stop asking, “Why doesn’t someone fix this?”
And you start asking, “Why not me?” – that’s the moment I decided to run.
Because I believe El Paso deserves better.
I also want to address one final point.
I do believe my campaign received a level of scrutiny that was not equally applied to every candidate in this race. If campaign finance transparency is important—and I believe it is—then every candidate should be held to the same standard. Equal accountability should mean equal accountability for everyone.
That said, I have no interest in engaging in personal attacks or allowing this campaign to become consumed by political distractions. The people of El Paso deserve conversations about the future of our city—not endless debates over headlines. I welcome scrutiny because I have nothing to hide.
I simply ask that scrutiny be applied fairly, consistently, and equally to every candidate seeking public office.
The support we’ve received throughout this campaign has been overwhelming, and it has reminded me of something important: Support will always be stronger than hate.
I refuse to let negativity distract me from why I entered this race in the first place. I will continue listening to our neighborhoods, meeting with residents, earning their trust, and presenting practical solutions to the challenges our city faces. That’s what this campaign has always been about.
And that’s exactly what it will continue to be about.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to ask questions, challenge me, encourage me, and support this campaign. I don’t take any of it for granted.
I will continue conducting this campaign with openness, accountability, and transparency because those aren’t just campaign values—they’re leadership values. And if the people of El Paso entrust me with the opportunity to serve them, those are the same principles I’ll bring to City Hall.
Sincerely,
Arturo R. Alluin
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