Backers of the “split roll” property tax measure on Thursday submitted almost 2 million signatures — nearly twice the number required — to qualify a revised version of the initiative for the November ballot. Schools and Community First, a coalition of education, labor and philanthropic organizations, announced submitting 1.74 million signatures, far above the 997,139 signatures needed by...
San Jose labor leaders question missing signatures after measure fails to qualify
A citywide measure to shift mayoral elections to presidential years and prohibit certain campaign contributions has failed to qualify for the November ballot, but labor leaders are questioning the process and claiming nearly 2,000 voter signatures went missing. Last month, labor officials delivered nearly 100,000 signatures to San Jose City Hall to qualify the initiative....
San Jose: Voter turnout on Super Tuesday higher than years past
Hundreds of thousands of Santa Clara County voters turned out to vote during Super Tuesday this year, deciding the fate for dozens of local offices and measures, and narrowing down the race for the Democratic presidential nominee. While the early numbers are estimates, Eric Kurhi, a spokesperson for the county’s Registrar of Voters, said voter...
The Assembly candidate who surprised Silicon Valley: A sitdown with Bob Brunton
As votes were tallied on Super Tuesday, many political observers weren’t sure who would take the lead in Silicon Valley’s crowded Assembly District 25 race. But most probably did not suspect Bob Brunton. And by Wednesday, many insiders were left scratching their heads. Brunton edged out his eight challengers with nearly 24 percent of the...
Santa Clara voters reject measure to reduce council districts
Santa Clara’s contentious Measure C has been defeated with nearly 60 percent of voters in the city rejecting the proposal that would shake up local elections. The initiative would’ve halved the number of council districts for future elections – from six districts to three. Proponents, such as Mayor Lisa Gillmor and Councilmember Teresa O’Neill, said...
Incumbents have big leads in quest for second terms on San Jose council
With all the precincts reporting in District 6, incumbent Councilmember Dev Davis fell to 49 percent of the vote, sending her to a November runoff with biomedical engineer Jake Tonkel. As of midnight, Davis’ slim 50 percent lead dropped below the majority threshold as her three challengers gained steam. Tonkel came in second with 27...
Sam Liccardo celebrates with Measure E tax in lead
Jubilation broke out at the Measure E headquarters on Second Street after the first round of elections results were released Tuesday night. Although the lead was slight, Mayor Sam Liccardo waved his fist in the air, delivering fist bumps around the room. “What heartens me as a public servant in this city,” Liccardo said, “is...
Mahan builds big lead in race for San Jose City Council seat
Tech leader Matt Mahan had a big lead in the San Jose City Council District 10 race after the first wave of election results were posted Tuesday evening. By the end of the night, he had 58.3 percent of the vote with 47 percent of ballots counted, far ahead of nurse and businesswoman Helen Wang,...
Cohen has slight lead over Diep in San Jose District 4 race
With the first round of results posted Tuesday, Berryessa school board trustee David Cohen had a small lead over incumbent Lan Diep in the San Jose City Council District 4 primary. “We reached out to a lot of voters and it resonated with the district,” said Cohen, who had 37.7 percent of the vote with...
Brunton has comfortable lead in San Jose Assembly District 25 race
Bob Brunton leads the tight race for the Assembly District 25 seat to represent a critical cross-section of Silicon Valley as of 11 p.m. Tuesday. The former Ohlone College trustee had 25.6 percent of the vote to lead the eight-person race. Brunton was followed by Alex Lee — a policy advisor and former field representative...