Silicon Valley voters this November will cast ballots in one of the region’s most consequential elections: From deciding who to send to Washington to a historic county supervisorial election, there is no shortage of major decisions up and down the ballot.

Three of the five candidates running for Jim Beall’s state Senate seat drew a crowd of eager voters on Monday night at a meet-and-greet forum in Campbell, discussing crucial issues such as housing, transportation, climate change and education. The hours-long event hosted by the Silicon Valley Democratic Club did little to sway Silicon Valley Democratic...

Julián Castro, a Texas politician gunning to be the country’s next president, stopped Friday morning in East San Jose to share stories of his Mexican American upbringing and political history, and to ask local voters for their support in 2020. “When I think of San Jose, I think of a community that represents the future...

Longtime education trustee Anna Song will run for the Assembly seat held by Kansen Chu, who announced last week that he’s leaving Sacramento to run for county supervisor. “I’ve always been interested in running for state Assembly. I was waiting and hoping that I might have an opportunity,” Song told San José Spotlight. “I do...

Silicon Valley Assemblymember Kansen Chu is leaving Sacramento to run for Santa Clara County supervisor, San José Spotlight has exclusively learned. Chu, who represents the state’s 25th Assembly District, broke the news late Wednesday to friends and colleagues that he plans to give up his seat in the California Legislature in an attempt to replace...

Tech entrepreneur Matt Mahan on Wednesday jumped into the San Jose City Council race to replace District 10 Councilmember Johnny Khamis next year. “My motivation to run is rooted in my own personal experience of San Jose,” Mahan said in an interview Tuesday. “I’ve always experienced San Jose as a city of opportunity.” Mahan, 36,...

Three candidates running for a seat on Santa Clara County’s Board of Supervisors in 2020 squared off in a debate Saturday in Milpitas — the first event to kick off the campaign season. The four candidates hoping to replace District 3 Supervisor Dave Cortese are San Jose Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco, patent attorney and former Sunnyvale Councilmember Otto...

Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese has emerged as the frontrunner in a crowded race to replace state Sen. Jim Beall, holding a 13-point advantage over his likely opponents, according to a new poll obtained by San José Spotlight. The poll, which surveyed 600 likely voters from March 26 to April 2, found that 32...

Candidates running for Chair of the California Democratic Party swung by the South Bay to answer questions at a forum on Monday — each making the case for why they are fit for the role. Following the hourlong candidate forum, the Silicon Valley Democratic Club voted to endorse Kimberly Ellis, a progressive activist and former...