San Jose D3 candidates raise funds for special election

Candidates in the upcoming special election to represent San Jose’s downtown core are sharing early fundraising numbers as the deadline to apply for the race comes to a close.

Matthew Quevedo, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Matt Mahan, said his campaign raised more than $121,000 by year’s end — the most cash raised by a San Jose City Council District 3 candidate thus far. Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez, another candidate running for the open seat, said her campaign has raised at least $72,872 from 225 individual donors.

Quevedo said his six figures stem from nearly 400 donors, soon after he entered the race on Dec. 20 with Mahan’s backing.

“We think this tremendous level of commitment shows just how strongly San Jose voters embrace our focus on the cornerstone of common sense — ending street homelessness, making every neighborhood safe, making housing more affordable and creating greater economic opportunity and security for more families,” Quevedo told San José Spotlight.

The special election is set for April 8, with a June 24 runoff if necessary. The results will be certified in August. Meanwhile, the nomination period is open to potential candidates until Jan. 10. The District 3 seat is open following former Councilmember Omar Torres’ Nov. 5 resignation and arrest related to alleged child sex abuse.

Chavez-Lopez, who will host her official campaign launch on Jan. 12, said she soared past her own fundraising expectations as a candidate entering the race from outside the City Hall establishment.

“This race isn’t just about money,” she told San José Spotlight. “It’s about building trust and being somebody who has vision and leadership, so I’m excited to continue building those connections with the people and residents of District 3.”

San Jose Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos and attorney Irene Smith have also announced their candidacies for District 3 and recently launched campaign committees to facilitate donations.

“Our campaign isn’t about big-money backers or entrenched special interests. Instead, it’s about listening to the people of San Jose who are tired of the same old battles between City Hall insiders that are getting us nowhere,” Tordillos’ spokesperson Kurt Frewing told San José Spotlight.

Frewing did not share a fundraising figure.

Smith, who ran against Torres for the District 3 seat in 2022, said she felt it was inappropriate for her to ask for campaign donations during the holidays. She said her campaign is pleased with the more than $20,000 raised so far. The funds will go toward lawn signs and promotional materials like a website and campaign videos.

“As a fiscal conservative, it’s important to spend people’s money wisely, and I worry about the rising costs of campaigns even for city council races,” Smith told San José Spotlight. “I’m concerned we’re getting to a point where candidates, even at the council level, are too driven by raising money and being beholden to donors than actually representing their communities.”