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As the ballots pour in, Genny Altwer has emerged as the frontrunner for the San Jose District 9 City Council race, the city’s only open contest this election cycle.
As of 8:10 p.m. Tuesday, Altwer has 2,734 votes or 30.4%. Scott Hughes, chief of staff for Councilmember Pam Foley, is in second place with 21.6% or 1,939 votes. Mike Hennessy, a serial entrepreneur, TV host and civic organizer, is in third with 21.4% or 1,910 votes. In fourth place is Gordon Chester, a longtime city employee in the Public Works department, with 21.2% or 1,908 votes. Seasoned tech worker Rick Ator is in fifth place with 5.4% or 492 votes..
The five candidates are vying to replace Foley who is terming out in December. She represents a largely suburban district in Southwest San Jose that includes the Willow Glen, Hillsdale and Cambrian Park neighborhoods. If no candidate takes more than 50% of the votes, the top two vote getters will proceed to a November runoff.
The closely watched race has centered on the candidates’ competing plans to improve public safety, rein in unsheltered homelessness and address the city’s long-standing affordability crisis. The outcome also has implications for the delicate balance of power in San Jose between the city’s opposing labor and business political coalitions. As a member of the council’s business-aligned majority, Foley has been a consistent supporter of Mayor Matt Mahan’s policy agenda.
A campaign watch party for Altwer supporters held at Jack Holders Restaurant and Bar erupted into cheers when the first round of results came in, showing the candidate had already leapt to a commanding lead in the race.
“It feels exciting,” Altwer told San José Spotlight. “It feels like all the hard work that my team has done is paying off, and it shows in the numbers.”
Altwer said her team of volunteers knocked on more than 20,000 doors over the course of the primary campaign, promising a fresh approach to the city’s long-standing problems, including fully staffing the chronically understaffed police department and addressing the street homelessness crisis.
“These were things that are important to the voters at the door, and I’m the candidate that’s going to deliver that for them. And I think that resonated with them.”
Altwer, 45, previously worked in law enforcement as a sexual assault detective and hostage negotiator. She has made public safety a prime focus of her campaign and said she has a plan to add 100 more officers to the city’s chronically understaffed police ranks. A newcomer to city politics, the Pinehurst neighborhood resident has made the case that her outsider status has prepared her well to offer a fresh pair of eyes to the district’s policy challenges. Meanwhile, Hughes has won support from several current and former councilmembers, including Foley as well as District 10 Councilmember George Casey.
Altwer’s campaign has received an additional boost from the business-aligned Silicon Valley Biz PAC and the San Jose Police Officers’ Association’s political action committee, both of which have spent tens of thousands of dollars to support her election bid.
In contrast, Hughes, 59, has emphasized his 12 years of experience working in the District 9 office for both Foley, who has endorsed him, and her predecessor, former Councilmember Don Rocha. He has promised to continue pressing the policy initiatives he has worked on over that time, which have included expanding homeless shelter options, such as the establishment of the tiny home facility at Cherry Avenue, and fostering community engagement through the creation of the District 9 Leadership Group.
As of 8:40 p.m., Hughes held onto a narrow lead ahead of Hennessy and Chester, both of whom trailed just dozens of votes behind.
“We’re pleased with the results. We knew it was going to be a very tough race. We knew it was going to be close,” Hughes told San José Spotlight. “I think it comes down to the experience and the results that we’ve delivered for our district.”
Hennessy, 70, runs an automotive shop in Santa Clara specializing in classic cars. He describes himself as a fighter who will push hard to reduce street homelessness under a plan that emphasizes the expansion of pre-built modular shelters. The longtime De Voss Leigh neighborhood resident has also focused his campaign on fiscal responsibility, pledging to oppose new taxes until the city takes strides to boost efficiency and budget accountability.
After a day of working at his shop and campaigning, Hennessy awaited the returns at home while enjoying a pizza dinner with wife Susan Hennessy.
“I feel really pretty good about,” he told San José Spotlight. “Of course, I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
Chester, 39, has won the endorsement of the pro-housing development San Jose YIMBY group with a platform that includes support for the expansion of mid-rise developments that combine residential and commercial uses to create more walkable, dynamic neighborhoods. Chester contends his more than decade-long experience as a city employee, including his current role regulating telecom companies, has given him invaluable knowledge about the city’s inner workings.
Gordon Chester with supporters at Stevie’s Bar and Grill. Photo by Keith Menconi.
“It’s just early. We’re gonna let democracy play out and then we’re going to be focused on whatever comes next,” Chester told San José Spotlight.
Chester said giving him confidence as the vote tally continues is the grassroots enthusiasm that rallied to his campaign.
“My vision of safety really came through for a lot of people,” he said.
Ator, 47, has won local notoriety for organizing his neighbors around various causes, including a campaign to oppose a proposed eight-story affordable housing complex set to replace a shuttered strip mall along Hillsdale Avenue. He has promised to leverage his experience working at a series of major tech companies to deliver “data-driven, results-oriented leadership” for District 9 residents.
Altwer has maintained a consistent fundraising lead over the months-long campaign, having raised $106,272, according to campaign filings submitted ahead of a May 21 deadline. Hughes trails in the funding race in a distant second, with a campaign haul of $59,838.42. Hennessy has raised $36,133, Chester $28,395 and Ator $7,313.
This story will be updated.
Contact Keith Menconi at [email protected] or @KeithMenconi on X.
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