Matthew James Kozik ran for City District 1 and got 19.6% of the vote, only 66 votes less than Dr. Sam Armijo. He just sent out a letter supporting Armijo against the incumbent Alejandra Chavez. We publish his letter below in full:
“One cannot have a campaign sign reading ‘A Veteran Representing Veterans’ and then not support the remaining Veteran in the District 1 race, Mr. Sam Armijo. Those who have served understand we have been taught leadership, selflessness, dedication, and what ‘right’ looks like. We understand the importance of ethical and principled leadership, for if we fail to meet that standard, our mission, be it in combat or garrison, will be compromised.
Maintaining those principles as a city representative for District 1 is no different. To be clear, Mr. Armijo and I do not agree on every way forward, and those disagreements remain. However, after many conversations, he has agreed and continues to agree that we should hold Meta accountable, stop record utility rate increases, and ensure our tax dollars are used wisely. Mr. Armijo has promised that he will always listen to suggestions from me and those who voted on my behalf. Mr. Armijo knows what principled leadership looks like, which is not what we currently have in District 1. The incumbent, who is responsible for protecting our utility costs, has accepted thousands of dollars in donations from leaders at El Paso Electric and El Paso Water. Our bills suggest her donors, not us, have been protected. Ms. Chavez allowed the City of El Paso to spend thousands of dollars on litigation to fight an El Paso resident who was trying to lower our water bill. Take a moment and think: our elected representative had no problem spending our tax dollars to try, unsuccessfully, to stop our bills from going down, but when it comes to protecting our interests, the vote is always a reliable no – no to you and I.
Some may not know this, but during our conversations, Mr. Armijo showed me his old California Democratic Party membership card; he shared stories about working directly with Cesar Chavez in California to support and demand workers’ rights. He shared with me his humble upbringing and why he started a scholarship fund for UTEP students. Like me, he understands how to run a successful business and has led in both the public and private sectors. The incumbent, on the other hand, grew up with a silver spoon, attending one of the most expensive private schools in the city, and despite receiving thousands of dollars from her parents to start her business, she still had to declare bankruptcy while failing to pay her staff a living wage. Those are two different backgrounds, and only one knows what it’s like to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.
Results matter, and the incumbent voted just months ago to raise our property taxes to the highest in Texas while voting against stopping Meta and their 80% tax cut. Disagreements remain between Mr. Armijo and I, but unlike the incumbent, he has been eager to listen and is dedicated to changing the direction of our city to our benefit. I am eager to work with him and make sure those who supported me have a seat at the table. Ms. Chavez never cared to be bothered by the rest of us.
Sincerely,
Matthew James Kozik, Esq.”