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From policy wonk to politician, Ann Ravel eyes state Senate

Ann Ravel is not a politician. And, although she’s running her first campaign for elected office, she’s not a novice either. Ravel has served as an appointed government official at every level. She was Santa Clara County counsel for nearly a decade and worked in that office for years prior to her appointment by the...

San Jose to test gunshot detection technology

San Jose is testing out a new gunshot detection program that aims to reduce violence in the city and help police respond faster. The program will be tested in the Cadillac Winchester area, where violent crime has been an ongoing issue, according to Vice Mayor Chappie Jones. “There’s been a couple of homicides over the...

After 30 years in Santa Clara County politics, Dave Cortese aims for state Senate

California politics is in Dave Cortese’s blood. His maternal grandfather was a Santa Clara councilman. His father was Santa Clara County supervisor and a state assemblyman. For nearly 30 years he’s been serving as an elected official in San Jose. Now he’s hoping to put that experience to work as a senator representing California’s 15th district. Cortese...

San Jose police union unleashes $100K to target council candidate it says hates cops

Following the death of George Floyd, Jake Tonkel attended rallies and live streamed videos on his Facebook showing protesters demanding police departments be defunded. Some protesters held signs calling cops bastards. In response, the San Jose Police Officers’ Association spent close to $100,000 on ads and messaging to defeat Tonkel, and sent an email to...

South Bay candidates court Latinx voters, push to get them to polls

San Jose Unified School District Board of Trustees candidate Tomara Hall does a lot more phone banking than door knocking these days because of the pandemic, but she always has a few Spanish-fluent volunteers on stand-by. “When it comes to running a campaign, you’re educating people,” Hall said. “So you need to offer materials in...

Lan Diep a Democrat? San Jose party officials say not so fast

A recent campaign mailer from San Jose Councilmember Lan Diep urges voters to support Joe Biden and himself — a “fellow Democrat” — but records show Diep joined the party just seven months ago. Before that, he had no party preference and was a registered Republican for seven years. Diep, who faces a tough re-election...

Senate candidates Cortese, Ravel vie for support in San Jose debate

State Senate candidates Ann Ravel and Dave Cortese went toe-to-toe in a debate that covered issues ranging from the economy to police reform. The candidates both supported balancing the state budget and oversight of Santa Clara County Public Health. They differ on their support of ballot measure propositions. Ravel took shots at Cortese throughout the...