Campbell voters are slated to choose a fresh councilmember this November, with housing among the top issues.
Two spots are up for grabs on the Campbell City Council in Districts 1 and 2. Candidates Juan Rodriguez and Terry Hines are vying for the open District 1 seat, with Mayor Susan Landry terming out in December. Vice Mayor Sergio Lopez is running unopposed in District 2.
Voters will also be asked to approve Measure K, a 1/2-cent increase in sales tax estimated to rake in about $7 million a year in city revenue. The measure would hike Campbell’s sales tax from 9.375% to 9.875% and help the city’s finances.
Santa Clara County mailed ballots to voters on Oct. 7. Election Day is Nov. 5.
Here are the District 1 candidates:
Juan Rodriguez
Juan Rodriguez immigrated to the U.S. from Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico with his family at age 11. They lived for a few years in Texas, struggling, and Rodriguez was harassed at school by bullies for his accent and difficulty speaking English.
Rodriguez, 24, moved to California as a teen and eventually settled in the Bay Area where his experience influenced him to dedicate his career to public service. Rodriguez lives in Campbell with his partner and 5-month-old niece. He wants the opportunity to represent the community he’s called home the longest.
“There were a lot of challenges along the road, but I did the whole recipe for the American dream — study hard, go to school and then get a job,” he told San José Spotlight. “But along the way I saw a lot of hardships that not only my family but people in my community (went) through.”
Rodriguez works as a legislative staffer for Assemblymember Ash Kalra, a job he landed after studying economics and political science at San Jose State University and completing an internship with Kalra and the Alameda County Social Services Agency.
He’s built his platform on issues important to young people, including housing, the environment, city services and economic development.
He wants to continue the city’s push for housing with more young people struggling to afford rent. Campbell was one of the first cities in Santa Clara County to receive state approval for its housing plan, which requires it to build nearly 3,000 new homes by 2031, with 1,186 designated affordable for low-income residents.
He also wants to maintain city services, while addressing unmet needs such as affordable child care through potential grants or scholarships.
Rodriguez is endorsed by state Sen. Dave Cortese, Kalra and Landry.
Rodriguez also made an impression on lifelong Campbell resident Sophia Commisso, 22, who serves on the city’s Civic Improvement Commission. She endorsed Rodriquez after first meeting him at Orchard Valley Coffee in downtown Campbell a few months ago and plans to canvass for him every weekend up to the election.
“He’s going to be a great representative and really help the council be a really good representation of the whole population, because a lot of people struggling with rent are those families who are just starting out, who are younger,” Commisso told San José Spotlight.
Rodriguez said he’ll bring a fresh outlook to the council.
“I want to do my part to ensure the reality that my generation is experiencing (is represented), the very important perspectives that we bring. It’s personal to us,” he said. “This is about our future. This is about our kids.”
Terry Hines
In most aspects of his life, Terry Hines has gone from big to small. He moved from Chicago to Campbell. He traded in life as an HP sales executive for the life of a small high-tech business owner. And yet, he wants to make a big impact on Campbell.
Hines, 69, said after his wife retired from a career in social services, he decided it was his turn to give back to the community. He was on the Campbell Planning Commission from 2018 to 2020 and has served on the Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee for Measure O since 2022 , a $50 million general obligation bond voters passed in 2018. He sits on the Campbell Chamber of Commerce board as an owner of NovaTech Services.
He unsuccessfully ran for city council in 2020. Hines said since then he’s become more attuned to the community’s needs.
“I love being able to talk to neighbors about the community that we have here and how we can make it better,” Hines told San José Spotlight.
Hines wants to bring his perspective as a small business owner to city government, which he said is missing on the council. If elected, he plans to prioritize small businesses, public safety, city services and smart economic development alongside housing.
He said most issues circle back to Campbell’s economic stability, which has experienced some recent uncertainty. The city managed to balance its 2024-25 fiscal year budget this year in the face of a roughly $5 million deficit according to the mayor, but officials anticipate more shortfalls down the line. Hines wants to support small businesses to bring more sales tax into the city and maintain its small town feel.
He also wants to create conversations between landowners and developers to bring more affordable housing through zoning on empty lots. Instead of accepting campaign donations, Hines is encouraging residents to donate to a cancer prevention nonprofit of their choice as someone whose wife is a survivor.
Campbell Chamber of Commerce Board President Dan Orloff said he endorsed Hines because he’s been impressed by him at chamber meetings. Orloff said Hines often comes in wearing a sport coat, if not a tie, and is usually one of the most prepared board members.
Orloff would like to see a small business representative on the council.
“I’m particularly interested in his stand on economic development measures and how important it is that we have a healthy small business environment that is the lifeblood, not only for employment and services and products that we can consume, but it contributes mightily to our general fund,” he told San José Spotlight.
Hines is also endorsed by the Campbell Police Department Officers Union, former Campbell Mayor Paul Resnikoff and the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors. He said if elected, the Campbell City Council is it for him because he’s sticking around.
“We’ve lived in Campbell 16 years, we’re going to continue to live here for as long as we can,” Hines said. “I’m committed to making Campbell even better than it is.”
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.