New San Jose business PAC announces endorsements in council races

A San Jose business-backed political action committee announced three endorsements on Friday in the 2020 City Council races.

The Business San Jose Chamber PAC, which was formed last summer after members of the PAC for the silicon valley organization (the former chamber of commerce) broke away amid division on the panel, is backing Republican Jonathan Fleming in his race to unseat Democrat Sergio Jimenez in San Jose’s District 2 and a dual endorsement for Republican Helen Wang and Democrat Matt Mahan for an open seat in District 10.

“All of these candidates have demonstrated a commitment to making San Jose a better place to live and do business,” said Tracey Enfantino, chairperson of the Business San Jose Chamber PAC. “We are proud to endorse them because of their strong commitment of cutting red tape, overseeing our tax dollars, and working to ensure employers can continue to
grow their businesses in San Jose.”

San Jose’s five even-numbered City Council seats are up for election next year. Incumbents Jimenez, District 4 Councilmember Lan Diep, District 6 Councilmember Dev Davis and District 8 Councilmember Sylvia Arenas are running for re-election. Arenas is the only lawmaker who hasn’t drawn a challenger yet, and District 10 Councilmember Johnny Khamis is termed out.

The business PAC in June endorsed Diep and Davis, who each face challengers in their re-election bids, and have traditionally aligned with business interests.

The PAC’s goal, according to its mission statement, is to make “San Jose the best city in the country to start and grow a local business.”

“We’re the only San Jose-based political action committee focused exclusively on improving the business climate for small and medium enterprises, and the only one 100% founded and run by local businesspeople,” according to the statement.

The group plans to reach that goal by streamlining permitting and regulatory processes for businesses, reducing  tax and fee burdens on small and medium businesses and creating a “welcoming environment” for new workers and entrepreneurs.