District 15 state Senate candidates Ann Ravel and Dave Cortese each boasts a long list of high-profile endorsements. None may be bigger than the backing Ravel received from former President Barack Obama. And she wants Cortese to stop misleading voters by implying that the 44th commander-in-chief endorses his candidacy after Cortese produced a campaign mailer...

More than 55,000 people — many of them people of color and women whose voices have been silent — would join the ranks of California voters if Proposition 17 passes in November. The measure would restore voting rights to all Californians who have completed their prison terms. But that’s just the start, according to Prop. 17 campaign...

Alex Lee says working in politics has always been about helping people. “It wasn’t really my dream to become an elected official or anything,” Lee said. “I think it started as early as when I applied to college, and that was during the election campaign of Barack Obama.” That year, 2008, was also the year...

Kansen Chu’s campaign to replace Dave Cortese on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is a homecoming of sorts. The veteran lawmaker has spent the past six years commuting to Sacramento where he represents parts of Silicon Valley and the East Bay in the California Assembly. Chu got his start in local politics as...

Otto Lee is making his second run at a seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Twelve years ago he lost in an election against Dave Cortese. But with the District 3 supervisor term-limited and seeking higher office, Lee finished a close second — by a margin of less than 2,000 votes —...

How certain investigations of police misconduct cases are reviewed in San Jose could change if voters approve a measure in November that expands the authority of the Independent Police Auditor, a civilian police watchdog. In addition, the City Council could change the auditor’s duties without requiring a public vote. Measure G also would change the...

He joined the Peace Corps, learned Arabic in Morocco, made life-changing prosthetics, took a stand against Wall Street banks — and he hasn’t even hit 30. Now Jake Tonkel, 29, is topping off his 20s by running for San Jose City Council District 6 against incumbent Dev Davis to bring what he learned about caring...

Councilmember Dev Davis never pictured herself as a politician. She came from hardworking stock — the daughter of a school teacher and a truck driver who hauled farming equipment. At age 10, Davis got her own job delivering newspapers and didn’t know much about the world outside her North Dakota home. “I didn’t really even...