Money is stacking up in San Jose’s special election to represent the City Council’s downtown seat, with constituents and special interest groups putting thousands of dollars behind their chosen candidates.
Matthew Quevedo, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Matt Mahan, continues to lead the pool of candidates in fundraising, with recent campaign finance filings showing more than $245,000 raised as of March 22. Second is Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez, who has widened her fundraising lead over San Jose Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos. The special election is scheduled for April 8.
Two political action committees (PACs) have filed campaign finance forms in this race, backed by dozens of businesses. The committees have spent more than $24,000 combined in support of Quevedo and Chavez-Lopez, and have thousands more dollars on standby.
A third committee backed by dozens of local unions has spent more than $339,000 to support Chavez-Lopez’s candidacy since January.
Seven candidates are vying for the open seat in District 3, including Quevedo, Chavez-Lopez, Tordillos, pro tem judge Irene Smith, retired family counselor Tyrone Wade, retired sheriff Lt. Adam Duran and Philip Dolan, a knife sharpener salesman.
Candidates’ money
Quevedo has raised and spent the most, leaving him with about $64,000. Chavez-Lopez is behind him, with $145,842 raised and about $60,000 left.
Quevedo said he’s honored by the support he’s received.
“Our ‘cornerstones of common sense’ campaign is resonating, and the support our neighbors are showing for that plan just underscores how many in our community are ready for change,” Quevedo told San José Spotlight.
Chavez-Lopez said despite Quevedo’s commanding fundraising lead, she’s not concerned. She’s proud of her campaign and network of supporters.
“We’re going to continue until the final 11th hour to make sure we have everything we need, but we’re feeling very confident,” she told San José Spotlight.
Tordillos’ filings show he has raised $130,008. Campaign spokesperson Kurt Frewing said they’re confident about their resources and momentum.
“Unlike our opponents, Anthony is proudly rejecting corporate and lobbyist contributions, and we’re proud of the hundreds of grassroots contributions we’ve received,” he told San José Spotlight.
Independent expenditures
Three PACs are spending money in the race: Common Good Silicon Valley, which is backing Quevedo, Working Families in Support of Gabby Chavez-Lopez for City Council 2025 and the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council Committee on Political Education Sponsored by South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council.
The Common Good and Working Families PACs have more than $50,000 to spend on this race according to recent filings, and have already sponsored mailers and text message campaigns.
The South Bay Labor Council PAC often spends big to back labor-friendly candidates. With the council majority’s favor on the line, the group has spent about $339,000 to support Chavez-Lopez with everything from walkcards and mailers to food and coffee for campaign employees walking the district.
Common Good Silicon Valley has spent more than $7,000 on literature and a text campaign to support Quevedo. The PAC received an influx of about $76,000 in March, namely from a committee supported by a slew of fast-food franchise owners and another committee purporting to counter special interest influence.
Freshman Congressmember and former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo formed the PAC in 2021 with his then-chief of staff Jim Reed, who is now chief of staff for Mahan. Liccardo told San José Spotlight at the time they created the PAC to “support candidates who are housing friendly and jobs friendly, and pragmatic.” Liccardo stepped away from the PAC six months after it formed, though he’s endorsing Quevedo in the District 3 race.
Working Families in Support of Gabby Chavez-Lopez for City Council 2025 formed in March and already has about $55,000 raised. The bulk of that money is from a statewide committee named “Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy,” whose top donors include PG&E, AT&T, the California Apartments Association and other large corporations.
The PAC has spent about $17,000 on mailers supporting Chavez-Lopez in the race. She said she didn’t know a special interest group was spending to support her and that it’s beyond her control. Candidates are legally not allowed to interact or coordinate with special interest groups.
“I don’t really have a comment on it,” Chavez-Lopez told San José Spotlight. “It’s outside of my control and those aren’t relationships that I hold.”
Quevedo embraced the businesses supporting him through Common Good Silicon Valley, but said the PAC supporting Chavez-Lopez showed she wouldn’t be accountable to residents.
“My opponents are supported by the status quo — but I am proud to be supported by Mayor Matt Mahan, the San Jose Mercury News and most importantly thousands of working families and neighbors from all over District 3 who want to see change at City Hall,” he told San José Spotlight.
Frewing slammed both Tordillos’ opponents for taking special interest money and called out Chavez-Lopez for the corporations independently supporting her.
“The choice in this race is clear: two candidates on the side of corporate special interests or a candidate on the side of San Jose residents,” Frewing said.
Updated March 29 at 10:13 a.m. Original story published March 28 at 2:01 p.m.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story didn’t include the South Bay Labor Council PAC, which didn’t appear in San Jose’s filings for the April 8 special election.
Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X.
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