Two candidates are headed to a June runoff election to decide who will represent downtown District 3 on the San Jose City Council — and Mayor Matt Mahan’s pick has been shut out.
Santa Clara County elections officials certified results from the April 8 special election this afternoon, with Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez and San Jose Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos placing first and second, respectively. Razor-thin margins for second place prompted an automatic recount, which knocked Matthew Quevedo, Mahan’s deputy chief of staff, out of the running – despite raising the most campaign cash.
The outcome of the race could tip the scales of power at a time where Mahan needs council support to push a controversial arrest-the-homeless agenda that’s made national headlines.
Tordillos and the mayor look to be finding common ground — especially now that Chavez-Lopez is a mutual rival.
“Mayor Mahan and I don’t agree on every issue. But coming from the world of tech, we share a belief that data should drive policy discussions, and elected officials should be evaluated by the results they deliver on housing, homelessness and crime,” Tordillos told San José Spotlight. “This election was not a referendum on the Mayor or any given policy. If anything, it was a referendum on politics as usual. I’m glad that our message of real solutions on housing, homelessness and public safety cut through the noise of hundreds of thousands of dollars in special interest spending by Big Oil and PG&E.”
Chavez-Lopez said she’s focused on building a broad coalition rooted in “real community leadership.”
“I see this race as a clear reflection of District 3’s desire for real solutions that work — not slogans or shortcuts,” Chavez-Lopez told San José Spotlight. “District 3 deserves a representative who knows the neighborhoods, understands the challenges firsthand and has a track record of delivering real results. I’m going to continue to meet voters where they are, listen to their concerns, and offer the proven leadership they’re looking for.”
Tordillos declared victory for second place over the weekend, after the one-day recount affirmed his six vote lead. A total of 9,105 ballots were cast in the special election.
It’s the fourth San Jose race to trigger a recount in eight years — highlighting the unique political environment around the nation’s tech capital, which has become a microcosm for American politics in the digital age and heated issues such as homelessness and affordable housing.
The outcome of the June 24 runoff could impact Mahan’s agenda to end homeless encampments and appeal to California’s moderate and more conservative political spheres. But his efforts hinge on the city council’s help to pass his policies and some question whether Quevedo’s elimination has exposed cracks in that support.
Mahan said he’s not letting up on his platform and he’ll be watching the race to see whose ideas align with his.
“The people have told us again and again — the status quo on homelessness is failing. Anyone who has run for office knows that and it is their duty to respond and offer concrete solutions for change,” Mahan’s spokesperson Tasha Dean told San José Spotlight. “Mayor Mahan has met with all major candidates in this race, including Anthony Tordillos, and will continue listening to debates and forums to determine who has the best ideas for making District 3 safer and ending our era of encampments.”
Meanwhile, Chavez-Lopez and Tordillos have the backing of Mahan’s critics in the Democratic Party. Some say it signals voters’ repudiation of the mayor’s promises to arrest homeless people and divert affordable housing money toward temporary shelter. Mahan has denied the notion, arguing that his pick fell behind because of Chavez-Lopez’s special interest backing.
Quevedo raised $271,000 heading into the April election, according to campaign filings, while Tordillos raised $163,000 and Chavez-Lopez raised $151,000. But Quevedo and Chavez-Lopez also had hundreds of thousands of dollars from special interests independently spending in support and opposition to each other. The biggest spender has been the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council Committee on Political Education Sponsored by South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council, which has spent more than $424,000 to support Chavez-Lopez.
Common Good Silicon Valley, a PAC created in 2021 by freshman Congressmember and former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, has spent more than $77,000 on digital ads, literature and text campaigns to support Quevedo. The California Association of Realtors and Silicon Valley Biz PAC both spent $175,000 opposing Chavez-Lopez.
Story updated April 28 at 3:06 p.m. Original story published at 2:52 p.m.
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X.
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