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.
Identity politics in San Jose: How powerful is the Vietnamese vote?
The power of the Vietnamese vote has stood out for decades in San Jose politics as voters have rushed to the polls in droves to support their candidates — usually those with similar last names. But as the population continues to grow and new generations enter the mix, the question of whether identity politics still...
Milpitas lawmaker joins Assembly race
After two of her Milpitas City Council colleagues dropped out of an Assembly race to replace Kansen Chu, Councilmember Carmen Montano announced Monday that she’s jumping into the fray. The announcement comes a little more than a week after Milpitas Vice Mayor Karina Dominguez ended her Assembly campaign after three months and longtime South Bay...
Jill Biden stops in Bay Area to stump for her husband
A small crowd of eager donors crammed into a Fremont home on Saturday night for a fundraiser for former Vice President Joe Biden, days after the Democratic presidential hopeful’s campaign was overshadowed by reports that President Donald Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate the Biden family — a charge that’s now led to an impeachment inquiry. But...
Longtime South Bay attorney Anne Kepner joins Assembly race
South Bay consumer attorney Anne Kepner, who’s served five years on the West Valley-Mission Community College Board, is running for an open Assembly seat in what’s shaping up to be one of the most closely-watched races this fall. Kepner, 50, last week joined the race to succeed Kansen Chu in Assembly District 25, which covers...
Milpitas Vice Mayor Karina Dominguez drops out of Assembly race
Three months after announcing a bid for California Assembly, Milpitas Vice Mayor Karina Dominguez announced early Saturday on Facebook that she’s dropping out of the race. “While an Assembly seat provides the opportunity to create great change for our families, after deep reflection and very thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw and end my...
Otto Lee lands Silicon Valley Democratic Club endorsement for county supervisor
If it were up to the Silicon Valley Democratic Club, former Sunnyvale Mayor Otto Lee would be joining the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. The intellectual property lawyer and former Sunnyvale mayor won the club’s endorsement – earning 72.9 percent of the second round of voting – for the District 3 supervisorial seat, despite...
Santa Clara County residents prepare for all-mail election in 2020
Dozens of South Bay residents gathered at Rookies Sports Lodge this week to learn more about the sweeping changes to the Santa Clara County voting system ahead of the consequential 2020 elections. With prominent social issues like the housing crisis front and center, Mario Lopez, a civic engagement manager at Silicon Valley At Home, stressed...
Youngest contender emerges in San Jose Council race
Marshall Woodmansee is expected to become the youngest candidate in the 2020 local elections after he filed papers on Wednesday to run for San Jose City Council. In an interview with San José Spotlight, Woodmansee said he wants to inspire the youth in his community to know they hold the power in deciding their future....
Santa Clara County supervisorial candidates release fundraising hauls
The newly-released fundraising totals in the Santa Clara County supervisor’s race show a few unexpected front-runners as the candidates bolster their war chests. Five candidates are vying to replace Supervisor Dave Cortese and represent a district that spans San Jose, Alviso, Sunnyvale and Milpitas. According to the latest county finance reports, former Sunnyvale Councilmember Otto...
Republican businesswoman enters San Jose council race
The fight for San Jose’s District 10 City Council seat — being vacated by outgoing Councilmember Johnny Khamis — just got a little more crowded. Helen Wang, a longtime business owner and registered nurse, told San José Spotlight she’s running for the Almaden Valley seat to “protect and enhance” the district’s safety, public services and...