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The pursuit to find who will fill two San Jose City Council vacancies is on, and time is short. Councilmembers are tasked with appointing two people to fill the Districts 8 and 10 seats by the end of January. Applications for the seats will open this week, and those appointed will serve until the end...
Santa Clara County official raises six figures to run for Congress—someday
It’s no secret Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian has long considered a congressional run. But just because he isn’t running right now doesn’t mean he isn’t preparing. Simitian has collected roughly $600,000 in donations through his congressional campaign committee, Friends of Simitian, over nearly 14 years. The committee currently has about $500,000 on hand after...
With one election over, San Jose politicos look to the next
It’s deja vu in San Jose politics. As elected leaders on Monday settled a political fight over filling two upcoming vacancies on the San Jose City Council, some former politicos are eyeing a return to their old posts. The council voted just before midnight to appoint successors to two soon-to-be-vacant seats in Districts 8 and 10....
UPDATE: San Jose council to appoint two members amid backlash
Cheers, boos, middle fingers and the banging of a gavel filled the San Jose City Council chambers on Monday night as officials decided how to fill two vacancies. After five hours of heated public comment from more than 500 people, councilmembers voted 7-4 late Monday to fill the vacancies through an appointment process by the...
Should San Jose appoint councilmembers or hold a special election?
Two seats will soon be vacant on the San Jose City Council—and those in power are debating how to fill them. Matt Mahan, who represents District 10, is leaving the seat after winning his bid for San Jose mayor. District 8 Councilmember Sylvia Arenas is also leaving her post after winning the District 1 Santa Clara...
How Cindy Chavez lost the San Jose mayor’s race
A veteran public official with a long list of endorsers and major financial backing had almost every South Bay politico betting on her securing the mayoral seat in the 10th largest U.S. city. Then, she lost. Days after the November election, it became clear Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez had no chance of winning,...
New San Jose mayor must work with an opposing majority
After a hard fought election, San Jose Mayor-elect Matt Mahan now faces another daunting task with his new job: working with people who didn’t think he could lead. Mahan, first elected to the council in 2020, won his bid to become the 66th mayor of San Jose last week after more than a year of campaigning....
Reader Panel: San Jose voters surprised with election outcomes
In the final San José Spotlight reader panel of the 2022 election season, voters offered their views on what outcomes surprised them in local races, special interest spending and low voter turnout. Six of the seven voters from the panel participated in a conversation on Nov. 16. One race that drew the most interest was the...
Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor declares reelection victory
Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor will retain her seat for another term, after again beating back a challenge from first-term Councilmember Anthony Becker. Gillmor declared victory Wednesday night, with 91% of ballots counted and just 687 votes separating the two. “I thank Santa Clarans who gave me their vote and sent a message that our...
East San Jose councilmember ousted by newcomer
Challenger Bien Doan has claimed victory in the San Jose City Council District 7 race, unexpectedly defeating incumbent Councilmember Maya Esparza. Doan finished the race with 53.7% of the vote, or 9,004 votes. Esparza trailed behind, finishing with 46.2% of the vote, or 7,748 votes. The challenger won by a margin of 1,256 votes, with...