Santa Clara County assessor candidate Rishi Kumar is turning heads — and raising eyebrows — with a vow to shield older adults from property taxes. Some people are pushing back on the idea. After the abrupt resignation of the county’s 30-year former assessor, Larry Stone, a special contest to manage the county’s $700 billion real estate roll...
Downtown San Jose councilmember back on campaign trail
Just more than four months after winning his District 3 San Jose City Council seat in a June special election, Anthony Tordillos is already launching his reelection campaign. His Wednesday campaign announcement makes him the first candidate to enter the race for District 3, which covers San Joses’s downtown neighborhoods. The announcement includes a long...
East San Jose councilmember runs for reelection
District 5 San Jose Councilmember Peter Ortiz has officially launched his reelection campaign to hold onto the seat he first won in 2022. Ortiz is making the case that during his time in office, he has demonstrated leadership that is bringing “transformational change” to a district he argues has been poorly served by its past leaders....
Santa Clara County assessor candidates head to runoff election
With nearly all the votes counted in the race for Santa Clara County assessor, the contest is headed for a December runoff between Los Altos Vice Mayor Neysa Fligor and former Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar. As of Monday afternoon, Fligor has a commanding lead with 37.7% of the vote from the Nov. 4 election compared to...
Political newcomer enters District 9 San Jose council race
Next year’s June primary election is still seven months out, but the battle lines are already taking shape in the District 9 San Jose City Council race. A relative newcomer to San Jose politics is stepping in to a crowded field that includes a well-established City Hall staffer. Lifelong District 9 resident Genny Altwer, a...
California’s Prop. 50 has a rocky road ahead
California has overwhelmingly approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to gerrymander congressional seats in favor of Democrats for the next several election cycles. His most powerful allies in Silicon Valley are tempering their zeal. Though Proposition 50 does little to local political boundaries, a whopping 71% of Santa Clara County voters went in favor of the...
Santa Clara County assistant assessor leads in early results
The next election results update is Friday by 5 p.m. Early results show Neysa Fligor leading the race for Santa Clara County assessor. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Fligor is ahead with 38.2% of the vote, or 136,527 votes. In second place is Rishi Kumar with 24.1% of the vote or 86,349 votes. Yan Zhao...
Santa Clara County sales tax measure ahead in early results
Early results show Santa Clara County’s sales tax increase measure leaning toward voter approval on election night. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, 56.8% of voters cast ballots in favor of Measure A, or 232,023 votes, with 43.1% voting against it, or 175,927 votes. The general tax needs a simple majority of more than 50% to...
Santa Clara County’s Measure A ahead in poll
Early signs point to slim voter enthusiasm for a Santa Clara County sales tax measure that could mean the difference between public hospital cuts and closures — and the opposition campaign is heating up. A poll commissioned by the county’s public safety unions shows potential voters narrowly favoring Measure A, the five-eighth cent sales tax...
Will Prop. 50 boost minority voter turnout in South Bay?
Throughout California, voters are casting mail-in ballots at a furious pace for next Tuesday’s statewide special election to decide whether to adopt Proposition 50, the Democrat-backed plan to counter Republican gerrymandering in other states. But local organizers in Santa Clara County say it has yet to be seen whether the statewide partisan fracas over Proposition...