Outside the rotunda at San Jose City Hall
San Jose City Hall is pictured in this file photo.

San Jose officials are at a crossroads over how to fill the City Council seat left vacant by Omar Torres’ stunning Election Day arrest and resignation — and several potential contenders want to take his place.

City leaders in the next several weeks will decide whether to replace Torres in a special election or appointment, the latter of which would be voted in by the council majority. Either route could tip the scales of power in a city balancing labor and business interests.

While the city hasn’t officially opened a nomination period, several residents are considering the open District 3 seat to represent the downtown core, including Mayor Matt Mahan’s Deputy Chief of Staff Matthew Quevedo, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabriela Chavez-Lopez, Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos, engineer Carl Salas, attorney Irene Smith and County Housing Policy Analyst and longtime politico Aimee Escobar.

Chavez-Lopez, Smith, Tordillos and Escobar have confirmed their intention to run. Salas and Quevedo are considering it.

Chavez-Lopez said she was inspired to run after seeing the Torres scandal — and this week’s national election results — jolt her neighbors.

The criminal investigation into Torres first surfaced in early October, when police detained and released him after confiscating his electronic devices and searching his home and car. He called the investigation “political retaliation” and maintained he was a victim. A week later, a police affidavit revealed he sent lewd texts about minors with a Chicago man allegedly extorting him. Torres dismissed the texts as role-play and fantasy. But the affidavit prompted a relative to come forward to police with new allegations that Torres molested him while he was a minor in the 1990s. Torres resigned on Election Day just hours before his stunning arrest.

His initial refusal to resign sparked weeks of employee unrest and scrutiny over the city charter.

“It’s really inspired me to focus and see the importance of local politics and the importance of local policy and so I am 100% committed to moving forward in this process, whatever it’s determined to be,” Chavez-Lopez told San José Spotlight.

She said she doesn’t have a preference toward a council appointment versus a special election.

Her priorities include economic mobility, supporting Latina-owned small businesses, balancing equitable development with density and smart land use, homelessness, affordable housing and the safety of downtown visitors and residents.

“I think it’s time we turn the page on a really dark chapter in our district’s history,” Chavez-Lopez said. “We’re going to need strong leadership.”

Smith, a pro-tem judge for Santa Clara County, has been outspoken in her calls for a special election.

“With Omar Torres’ resignation, we need to come together as neighbors, friends and colleagues and rebuild our shattered … unity. That means one thing, and one thing only: We need to demand an election. By D3. For D3. Focused only on D3,” Smith wrote in a letter to neighbors. “And don’t try to sell us a temporary appointment decided by councilmembers who do not even live in D3.”

Smith lost to Torres in the 2022 election. At the time, Smith ran as an independent with support from the Silicon Valley Business PAC, Santa Clara County Association of Realtors, and elected officials such as Councilmember Dev Davis and former Councilmember Johnny Khamis.

“District 3 can no longer tolerate being the junkyard for San Jose or the county. I am running as a lifelong independent, unaffiliated with major parties and City Hall cabals,” Smith told San José Spotlight.

She said her priorities include refocusing the city’s homelessness strategy on core services, forming an office of “public outreach and community inclusion” and working to give councilmembers more say over how resources are allocated to their districts.

Tordillos, who lives in D3 with his husband, said he’s running because the circumstances of the race are “deeply personal”.

“In the weeks since the scandal broke, we’ve already seen some point to Omar Torres’ horrific actions in an attempt to demonize our broader LGBTQ community,” Tordillos told San José Spotlight. “As the first openly gay chair of the San Jose Planning Commission, I believe I am well situated to push back against this hateful rhetoric, to work to repair the damage that has been done to our community and to serve as an example of the positive impact our community can have in San Jose.”

He has not taken a stance on favoring a special election or appointment — saying there are “pros and cons” to both options. He lists priorities that include creating new housing across all levels of affordability, addressing the dual crises of street homelessness and mental health care, promoting economic development and supporting small business owners and removing blight from streets.

Salas, an engineer who worked for General Electric’s Nuclear Energy Division in the 1970s and later founded his own engineering consulting firm, hasn’t yet leaped toward a formal candidacy. But he’s seriously considering it.

“A number of people have called me about running,” Salas told San José Spotlight. “It’s terrible that District 3 is not represented right now and so much needs to be done in this city. I’ve got the background and time and passion and I’ve lived here for 50 years — raised my family here — so I’m seriously considering it.”

He said he doesn’t have a preference toward an appointment versus a special election. He summed up his priorities succinctly: Seeing a “safe, clean and efficient” downtown.

Escobar confirmed she’ll seek the downtown council seat, and hopes her candidacy will help restore integrity to the office.

“Our current disposition does not reflect who we are as a district. I believe we can restore the shine to District 3 — bringing back vibrancy, inclusiveness and good government to its residents, business owners and visitors,” said Escobar, who’s lived in the district for two decades.

She said her background in land use, urban planning and government will be an asset.

“Remaining cognizant of the troubles we face but standing in a place of confidence and experience puts me in the position to lose no time in addressing the mountainous issues we face,” she added.

Quevedo helped District 3 residents launch a recall initiative last month as Torres — before his arrest — refused to resign.
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As the mayor’s deputy chief of staff in charge of neighborhood outreach, Quevedo has worked on issues related to blight, homelessness and public safety — all likely to be core issues for downtown residents.

Quevedo is still considering a run.

“A number of neighbors and community leaders put their trust in me to represent them as we launched the recall campaign. Many have asked that I continue to represent them by running for the seat,” Quevedo told San José Spotlight. “While I have not made a final decision, I’ve loved and lived in District 3 neighborhoods for over a decade. It’s the place my wife and I have chosen to raise our family. I know the challenges we face, and I am committed to working to address them — whether I run for office or not.”

He said he’s in favor of a special election.

“I’ve talked to dozens of residents throughout downtown and it’s clear that a majority want to have a say in who will be their next Councilmember,” Quevedo told San José Spotlight.

Mayor Matt Mahan also strongly supports a special election. But Councilmember Sergio Jimenez is requesting an appointment as soon as next month. The council will discuss the issue at its Nov. 19 meeting.

Labor interests held a narrow council majority with Torres in power and would have continued to, even after Election Day, had he not been arrested.

Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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