WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, is running for re-election against Republican challenger Ritesh Tandon. Khanna was elected to Congress in 2016. He is a member of the House Budget Committee, the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Khanna and Tandon recently were given the opportunity to answer...
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...
Exclusive Q&A: U.S. House District 17 candidate Ritesh Tandon
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republican Ritesh Tandon is hoping to replace progressive Democrat Ro Khanna in November and chip away at Democratic control of the House. Tandon is an engineer and businessman who has worked for Jabra and Cisco. He serves as an advisory board member for Uttar Pradesh Mandal of America, a nonprofit that helps underprivileged...
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...
Santa Clara approves new financial tracking for 49ers, Levi’s Stadium
After years of finger pointing and court battles, Santa Clara lawmakers approved a new way to keep tabs on Levi’s Stadium and the 49ers’ financials. Most recently, the city and 49ers have clashed over who owes money to whom. The 49ers, which manage Levi’s Stadium, say the city owes $2.74 million for losses from non-NFL...
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...
Assembly candidate Bob Brunton says he will walk the walk
Bob Brunton’s campaign message is printed on his transparent face shield — a symbol of his willingness to speak with people face-to-face, including and especially those who belong to the opposing Democratic party. “Most of these issues aren’t really Republican-Democrat,” said Brunton, a Republican who is running to represent District 25 in the California Assembly....
Santa Clara County unveils how it will make in-person voting safe, secure
Voting booths will be socially distanced, there will be one-way routes to enter and exit and you don’t need to bring a pen or pencil — the equipment will be digital. Don’t forget your mask. Those are among the things Santa Clara County residents can expect if they plan to cast their ballots at a...