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...
Santa Clara County faces heat for political mailers
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...