El Paso voters in City Council District 8 will have to wait a bit longer to find out who represents them, after incumbent Chris Canales fell short of the majority needed to win outright in a five-candidate field. Canales led the pack with 35% of the vote, while challenger Matthew Guzman trailed in second with 25%, setting up a runoff between the two.
According to KFOX, Canales was seeking another term against Guzman, Arturo Alluin, Laura Ochoa-Todd and Johnny Gonzalez in a district that covers parts of Downtown and West El Paso. Since no candidate reached 50% of the vote, the station reported, the race will head into a runoff election. Canales and his supporters gathered earlier in the night at Verso Coffee in West El Paso to watch the results come in, the station noted.
Early-voting figures reported separately by El Paso Matters showed a similar order, with 34-year-old Canales, who is seeking a second term, leading with 35% of early votes. Guzman, a 41-year-old nonprofit executive, followed with 25%, while 70-year-old retiree Laura Ochoa-Todd trailed with 21% of early votes, the outlet reported. Those early-vote numbers are distinct from the unofficial results and should not be read as final totals. Arturo Alluin and Johnny J. Gonzalez received 12% and 8% of early votes, respectively, per the same outlet's reporting.
Conflicting Accounts of the Runoff Rules and Date
The two outlets differ on exactly how and when the runoff will happen. KFOX reported that since not one candidate got 50% of the vote, the race heads to a runoff, and said that election is expected to take place on Saturday, December 12. El Paso Matters, meanwhile, reported that a candidate must receive more than 50% of votes to win outright, and if not, the top two finishers meet in a December runoff — specifying that runoff elections are scheduled for December 14. Hoodline could not independently confirm which date is correct and is presenting both as reported.
District 8's contest was one of several being closely watched across the city. El Paso Matters reported that three El Paso City Council races appeared headed to runoffs based on early-voting results, while Ivan Niño in District 5 was positioned to win his race outright.
Affordability and the Downtown Deck Plaza Take Center Stage
Guzman made affordability central to his campaign, telling KFOX that he thinks everybody feels the pinch of high taxes and high housing costs, and that the city needs to start building more housing. He has also said the city needs the right mix of zoning and land use for apartments to increase the required number of units.
The tax burden has been a point of broader scrutiny in El Paso. A separate report from El Paso Matters found that the city's high property tax rates are offset by comparatively low home values, leaving residents with a smaller average tax burden than most Texans in major metropolitan counties.
Housing and development questions extended to the proposed Downtown Deck Plaza, a flashpoint among the District 8 candidates. According to the El Paso Times, Canales said he does not support moving forward with the proposed Downtown Deck Plaza under present circumstances, while Guzman supported it as a catalyst for housing and economic development. Alluin favored private investment and voluntary contributions rather than public funds, the paper reported.
Candidates Faced Off Before Election Night
The candidates aired these differences ahead of the vote during a debate hosted by KVIA, where ABC-7 Xtra host Andrew J. Polk questioned Guzman, Alluin, Canales and Ochoa-Todd on top issues and qualifications for office. Johnny J. Gonzalez was also invited to the debate but did not attend, according to the station.
Canales told KFOX he was very happy with the early voting results and expected the crowded-field election to go to a runoff. He said he was trying to do a good job in office, respond to residents' interests, and continue doing the same. Guzman, for his part, said his campaign aimed to reach a runoff and told the station he felt good about the campaign, describing it as clean and built on door-to-door outreach to hear residents' concerns.
