Peter Ortiz maintains lead in San Jose District 5 race

Early results show incumbent Councilmember Peter Ortiz leading the pack of candidates seeking the District 5 seat to represent East San Jose on the City Council.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Ortiz is ahead with 44% of the vote or 3,363 votes, while former state lawmaker and District 5 Councilmember Nora Campos is in second with 20.4% of the vote or 1,540 votes. Vietnamese-language television journalist Vy Dang is in third place with 19.5% or 1,457 votes, with education leader Karen Martinez in fourth with 16% or 1,220 votes.

The county’s voter turnout for the June 2 primary election is 21.3%.

“The results send a clear message: The people of this district believe in progress,” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. “They believe in outcomes and they believe in the promise of East San Jose. I think together, myself and the community, we’ve shown what transformational leadership can accomplish and we’ve delivered real investment. I think that now’s not the time to look to the past. We must look to the future for solutions, and I’m ready to make that happen.”

Campos said she feels confident and that her campaign will keep monitoring the returns.

“We are excited where we are at and feel confident that the trend is in our favor. My base votes later and we saw that with the recent update,” Campos told San José Spotlight. “What’s evident is that over 56% of voters said that they don’t want Peter representing them.”

Dang did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The top two vote getters will move on to a November runoff, unless one candidate garners more than 50% of the vote.

Ortiz, the incumbent, is seeking a second term after first winning the seat in 2022. A lifelong East San Jose resident, Ortiz was raised by a single mother in the McKee-White Road area and has often spoken about overcoming gang involvement as a teenager before becoming a community organizer and advocate and serving on local school boards.

During his first term, Ortiz positioned himself as a voice for working-class families, championing investments in youth programs, affordable housing and neighborhood improvements. Throughout the campaign, he argued he has delivered tangible results for District 5 residents and said his focus remains on public safety, housing affordability and expanding opportunities for young people. He received the sole endorsement in the race from the South Bay Labor Council.

Santa Clara Councilmember Kevin Park attended Ortiz’s watch party on election night.

“It’s very true that all politics is local, but regional issues are not going to be solved by cities in isolation,” Park told San José Spotlight. “We need to work together for the best outcomes for both of our cities — for the entire region, actually.”

Campos is a former District 5 councilmember and state lawmaker raised in East San Jose’s Cassell neighborhood. She first won the District 5 seat in 2001 and served for roughly a decade before being elected to the California Assembly.

On the campaign trail, Campos pointed to her work on affordable housing, youth programs and labor issues during her time in local and state office, while arguing her relationships in Sacramento could help bring additional resources to the district. Her campaign focused on concerns about public safety, homelessness and neighborhood conditions, positioning herself as an alternative to the incumbent and arguing East San Jose needs stronger leadership to address persistent challenges.

Dang is a longtime Vietnamese-language television journalist, community advocate and small business owner making her first run for elected office. Known professionally as Dan Vy, she spent more than two decades working in ethnic media, becoming a familiar face for Vietnamese American residents across Santa Clara County.

Her campaign focused on public safety, support for working families and improving communication between City Hall and residents. Dang positioned herself as an independent voice who could bridge divides between the district’s Latino, Vietnamese and immigrant communities.

Martinez entered the race citing her decades of involvement in East San Jose schools and community organizations. A lifelong East San Jose resident, Martinez first became involved in local leadership through neighborhood associations, youth programs and parent advocacy efforts before serving on school boards.

Martinez helped found Alpha Blanca Alvarado Public School and later served on the Alum Rock Union School District board, where she highlighted efforts to improve school facilities and educational opportunities for students. She currently serves on the San Jose Evergreen Community College District Board. Her campaign centered on what she called “kitchen table issues,” including public safety, homelessness, infrastructure improvements and economic development. She had the support of business interests, including the Silicon Valley Biz PAC.

Campaign finance reports show Ortiz held a significant fundraising advantage heading into Election Day. The incumbent raised $144,835 during the campaign, nearly three times more than Campos, who raised $48,748, including a personal loan that accounted for about 6% of her total contributions. Dang raised $29,680, while Martinez brought in $29,404.

This story will be updated.

Contact Maryanne Casas-Perez at [email protected] or @CasasPerezRed on X.