Spending has skyrocketed on the eve of San Jose’s special election, which will determine who will represent downtown on the City Council. Heading into Election Day, Matthew Quevedo, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Matt Mahan, is holding on to his fundraising lead with about $271,000 raised, according to recent campaign filings. Among the seven...
First-term San Jose Congressman Liccardo raises eye-popping $1.5M
San Jose Rep. Sam Liccardo raised nearly $1.5 million in his first quarter as a member of Congress, according to a source familiar with the Liccardo camp — a hefty sum for a freshman lawmaker. Additionally, Liccardo, the former mayor of San Jose, transferred $110,000 to Democratic frontline members, the source told NOTUS. The transfers...
Ex-Silicon Valley lawmaker fined for hiding payments to Alec Baldwin
Former California Assemblymember Evan Low tried to conceal hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to celebrity Alec Baldwin for campaign appearances using a big tech advocacy group he founded, according to a recent state report. Low — who represented Assembly District 26 and lost a bid for Congressional District 16 to former San Jose...
Special interest groups back District 3 San Jose council candidates
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...
Former Silicon Valley lawmaker lands job with national PAC
A former state assemblymember who made a bid for Congress last year has found another way to enter the national arena — by heading a political action committee supporting LGBTQ+ candidates. Evan Low, who represented Assembly District 26 and previously served as Campbell mayor, is now president and CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a federal...
San Jose congressmembers speak out against Medi-Cal cuts
Straight from the halls of Washington D.C., local representatives joined forces with Santa Clara County officials Tuesday to defend the most vulnerable against sweeping federal cuts they say could devastate California’s second-largest public health and hospital system. Reps. Sam Liccardo and Zoe Lofgren, from Districts 16 and 18 respectively, rallied alongside County Executive James Williams...
California Dems left Trump’s speech as he doubled down on cuts
“It was horrible and disgusting.” “My blood’s boiling right now.” “He clearly wants to divide America.” That’s Reps. Sara Jacobs, Dave Min and Mark Takano, respectively, on Donald Trump’s sprawling and unapologetic Tuesday night joint address to Congress. The president doubled down on everything from steep tariffs on American allies to the upheaval caused by...
Silicon Valley lawmaker wants to make it illegal for Trump to hawk crypto
President Donald Trump made tens of billions on paper by using his national profile to push meme cryptocurrency. One Democratic congressman wants to make sure other politicians can’t do the same. Silicon Valley Congressman Sam Liccardo introduced a bill Thursday that would bar Trump and other public officials from promoting stocks and cryptocurrency endeavors from...
From the CEO: Get ready for impactful reporting from Washington, D.C.
San José Spotlight is one of the first newsrooms across the U.S. to join a landmark initiative to bring impactful nonprofit reporting from Washington, D.C. to our local Silicon Valley audience, according to an announcement today. The Washington Bureau Initiative is powered by the Allbritton Journalism Institute — the brainchild behind NOTUS, a leading news...
Statewide LGBTQ+ group endorses San Jose council candidate
The race to replace disgraced former San Jose Councilmember Omar Torres has become a fight for the future of downtown on issues like homelessness and crime. But one candidate sees it as something else: A chance to rebuild trust with the LGBTQ+ community. San Jose Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos nabbed the endorsement of Equality...