The deadline has passed for candidates to enter the race to replace disgraced former District 3 San Jose Councilmember Omar Torres – and several notable names are on the ballot.
Seven people — including past candidates, City Hall employees and well-known community organizers — have qualified to run for the open San Jose City Council seat as of Jan. 10. This includes San Jose Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez, mayoral staffer Matthew Quevedo, financial analyst Irene Smith, retired family counselor Tyrone Wade, retired sheriff Lt. Adam Duran and Philip Dolan, a knife sharpener salesman.
The candidates will compete in a special election set for April 8, with a June 24 runoff if necessary. The seat representing downtown San Jose is open following Torres’ resignation and arrest last year for alleged child sex abuse.
Tordillos is a software engineer for YouTube whose priorities include affordable housing and he touts helping San Jose achieve a compliant housing element, which designates every eight years how the city will meet state housing goals to account for population growth and other community needs. His website lists endorsements from South Bay YIMBY and the Housing Action Coalition.
“Now that I’m on the ballot, I’m looking forward to running a grassroots campaign focused on innovative solutions for District 3’s most pressing problems,” Tordillos told San José Spotlight. “Voters are tired of the same old special interest battles. They want a councilmember who will deliver for them, and that’s what I’m running to do.”
Chavez-Lopez lists priorities including street cleanliness and simplifying permitting for market-driven affordable housing and mixed-use housing. She nabbed an impressive endorsement from one of the most powerful people in the State Capitol: Democratic California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas.
“As someone who’s lived and worked in downtown San Jose for decades — as a mom and an employer — I know how much this community means to all of us,” Chavez-Lopez told San José Spotlight. “I’m ready to tackle the big challenges like homelessness, public safety and making our neighborhoods cleaner and more welcoming.”
Quevedo is deputy chief of staff for Mayor Matt Mahan, and has Mahan’s endorsement in the race. Quevedo helped District 3 residents launch a recall initiative as Torres — before his arrest — refused to resign. Leading neighborhood outreach in Mahan’s office, Quevedo has worked on issues related to blight, homelessness and public safety — all likely to be core issues for downtown residents.
“We must reject all political excuses and require every homeless neighbor to come indoors as soon as shelter becomes available. We need more police on our streets and more proven programs that keep our kids on the right track. It’s time for a housing revival downtown which will put more affordable housing where it makes the most sense,” Quevedo told San José Spotlight.
Smith is reemerging to try again for the downtown seat after losing a prior election bid to Torres in 2022. Also a pro tem judge for Santa Clara County and self-described independent, Smith said she’s prioritizing four policies: fiscal accountability, more cost-effective and large-scale homelessness solutions, downtown business incentives and a better public input processes.
“The people’s voice and D3 needs to be heard,” Smith told San José Spotlight.
Wade is another name on the ballot that may be familiar: he unsuccessfully challenged Mahan for the mayor’s seat last year and former Mayor Sam Liccardo in 2018. Wade lists housing, public safety, economic opportunities and environmental sustainability as his priorities.
In Duran’s candidate statement, he describes himself as having 29 years of experience managing budgets and supervising staff at the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. His priorities include combatting downtown crime and restoring integrity to City Hall in the fallout of the Torres scandal.
Dolan did not submit a candidate statement, but qualified, according to city paperwork.
Temporary appointment candidates
In the lead-up to the April election, councilmembers need to select someone to hold the vacant District 3 seat and help city business push on in the interim.
Eleven people have filed and completed paperwork for the temporary appointment, including Caltrain Government Affairs Officer Balthazar Lopez, engineer Carl Salas, retired county policy director Danielle Christian, former downtown councilmember and prosecutor David James Pandori, San Jose State University Director of DEI Partnerships Jahmal Williams, insurance agency manager Jeff Tang, County Registrar of Voters Election Specialist Jose Posadas, Primrose Evergreen preschool teacher Kathryn Bell, land use and development consultant Bob Staedler, aerospace engineer Syna Saberi and individual with no listed last name, referred to only as “Roxanne.”
Staedler, a principal at San Jose-based land use and development consulting firm Silicon Valley Synergy and former San José Spotlight columnist, said he provides decades of proven leadership and experience to watch over the seat for its permanent holder.
“My track record of building consensus, driving impactful initiatives, and understanding the unique challenges and opportunities of our diverse neighborhoods makes me uniquely qualified to deliver results for our residents from day one,” Staedler told San Jose Spotlight.
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X.
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