Publicly-funded warnings about disastrous local hospital closures are appearing in the mailboxes of Santa Clara County residents. Critics can’t help but notice the timing. The foreboding mailers, under the county government’s official letterhead, are appearing weeks before voters decide on a five-eighth-cent sales tax measure Nov. 4. County leaders say the sales tax, known as...
San Jose vice mayor’s chief of staff enters District 9 race
Scott Hughes never imagined he’d step into the limelight after serving as San Jose Vice Mayor Pam Foley’s chief of staff for the past seven-and-a-half years. Now, he’s running to replace his boss. Hughes, 58, has entered the race for the District 9 City Council seat, which covers southwest San Jose and meets the borders...
Silicon Valley’s special election to shape hospitals, gerrymandering
It’s not a general election year – but Santa Clara County’s November ballot is stacked with high-stakes decisions spelling major impacts for Silicon Valley and California. County voters on Nov. 4 will consider everything from gerrymandering to the fate of their public hospitals to their first new elected Assessor in 30 years. The last day...
Measure A earns support of San Jose mayor, police and DA
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, joined by county law enforcement and prosecutors, is backing a last-minute sales tax to protect Santa Clara County’s public hospitals from massive federal cuts. It comes after Mahan — along with the county’s Deputy Sheriffs Association and Government Attorneys Association — initially cast doubt and uncertainty about his stance on...
Former East San Jose councilmember seeks her old seat
A former state lawmaker with East San Jose roots plans to run for her previous post on the City Council. Former Assemblymember and District 5 Councilmember Nora Campos announced her campaign Tuesday to retake the council seat in next year’s citywide elections. Campos served on the council from 2001 to 2010 — and was succeeded...
Santa Clara resident launches recall against District 5 councilmember
One Santa Clara councilmember could see his name on a recall ballot. A group of District 5 residents, led by David Kertes, launched a recall campaign against Councilmember Suds Jain Tuesday after receiving more than the 60 signatures needed to legitimize the effort, according to a news release. The campaign argues Jain has wasted millions...
Santa Clara County assessor candidates raise more than $600K
A growing field of candidates has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in the four-month sprint to the November special election for Santa Clara County assessor. The official list of candidates to become the county’s chief property taxer — affecting everything from housing development to public school funding — won’t be finalized until the nomination...
Q&A: Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters has new leadership
Matt Moreles has a fierce desire to serve the region’s diverse community as the new head of the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. Born and raised in San Jose, Moreles, 44, attended UCLA majoring in philosophy. He embarked on his career with the county elections office in 2004, was promoted to assistant registrar in...
San Jose voter data shows how Anthony Tordillos won D3
A dark horse candidate in the San Jose District 3 special election eked out a second place finish in April. Then he trounced his opponent in the June runoff for the City Council seat. San Jose Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos was able to pull voters from all of the candidates who lost in the...
Tordillos declares victory in San Jose special election
San Jose Planning Commissioner Anthony Tordillos has declared victory in the special election for the District 3 City Council seat. Tordillos, 33, made the announcement Thursday, after a Wednesday results update showed him maintaining a wide lead over Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez. Tordillos holds 64.3% of the vote, or 5,328...