Six San Jose council candidates advance to November

The runoff matchups are now set in San Jose’s three competitive City Council races, after county election officials on Tuesday certified the vote tally from the June 2 primary.

With none of the contenders winning an outright majority of the vote, six candidates — two each for District 5, District 7 and District 9 — have made it to the Nov. 2 election runoff.

Two other incumbents up for reelection — District 1 Councilmember Rosemary Kamei and District 3 Councilmember Anthony Tordillos — ran unopposed. Meanwhile, the final vote count also confirms a win for Measure A, an increase to San Jose’s hotel tax to pay for city services, which finished with more than 67% support.

The trio of remaining contests sets the stage for campaigns that feature bitter rivalries as well as sharp policy divides — and could tee up high-spending showdowns between San Jose’s opposing labor and business political blocs.

District 9

In District 9, the June primary — which drew 39.1% of Santa Clara County’s eligible voters to the polls  — has sent Genny Altwer, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and Gordon Chester, a longtime city employee in the Public Works department, to the November runoff.

Altwer, a business-aligned candidate, came out of primary night as the frontrunner, taking home 35.5% of the vote. For his part, Chester, who secured strong labor backing, managed to win the hard-fought race for the second place spot with 22.2%.

Whoever wins will replace Vice Mayor Pam Foley, who is terming out of the District 9 seat in December. She represents a largely suburban district in southwest San Jose that includes the Willow Glen, Hillsdale and Cambrian Park neighborhoods.

Finishing closely behind Chester, Scott Hughes, Foley’s longtime chief of staff, won 18.9%, followed by serial entrepreneur Mike Hennessy in fourth place, who had 17.8%. Seasoned tech worker Rick Ator trailed in fifth with 5.4%.

Since the election, Altwer, who previously worked in law enforcement, has managed to line up support from what had been two rival camps, winning the endorsements of both Foley and Hennessy, according to her campaign.

“This race is about who can get the job done on the toughest challenges facing San Jose families,” Altwer told San José Spotlight. “I’m so glad our message resonated in the primary, and I look forward to talking with more neighbors over the next four months about the choice they face: real plans and results, or more of the same.”

Throughout the primary election, Chester — who recently received an endorsement from state Sen. Dave Cortese — differentiated his campaign in a crowded field with a platform focused on plans to boost affordability by supporting more home building, while also creating more walkable, dynamic neighborhoods.

“Our team worked very hard to reach voters,” Chester told San José Spotlight. “We showed them that we’re serious about safety, we’re focused on real solutions, not fear, and we’re focused on building a sustainable intergenerational San Jose.”

District 7 

Incumbent District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan nearly avoided a runoff, taking in 47.8% of the vote, just below the 50% threshold needed for an outright victory. Instead, the campaign will continue as he faces off against longtime rival and frequent critic, East Side Union High School District trustee Van Le.

Le, who has run for the District 7 seat three time before, squeaked out a second place victory with 22.4% of the vote. It was just enough to edge out International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union member Rafael Garcia, who won 20.1%. City Hall staffer Hanh-Giao “HG” Nguyen finished in fourth place with 9.5%.

Doan and Le — both prominent figures in San Jose’s Vietnamese community — have clashed publicly on several occasions. They will now battle to represent a district that encompasses portions of central and East San Jose, including the Little Saigon Business District.

Over the course of the primary race, Doan, who has enjoyed a formidable fundraising lead over his opponents, has spotlighted his work in office to improve public safety and street conditions and make new investments in the district’s parks.

“These results show residents recognize the progress we have made together: safer neighborhoods, stronger city services, cleaner public spaces and a more responsive City Hall,” Doan told San José Spotlight. “I am proud to have broad support from business, labor, police, fire, elected officials, neighborhood leaders and residents across our community.”

Le, who founded the popular Children’s Moon Festival before becoming a local education leader, acknowledged she faces an uphill battle to defeat Doan. Still, Le said she sees a path to victory, promising to work to repair unity within the district, which she said has been undermined by a string of high-profile feuds involving Doan.

“For too long, many residents have felt unheard and overlooked,” Le told San José Spotlight. “Our community needs safer neighborhoods, cleaner streets, responsible use of taxpayer dollars, support for small businesses, practical solutions to homelessness and a city government that is transparent, accountable and focused on results.”

District 5 

In District 5, centered around the Alum Rock neighborhood, the final vote tally has set up a rematch between the district’s incumbent Councilmember Peter Ortiz and Nora Campos, a former San Jose councilmember and state lawmaker who lost to Ortiz in the district’s 2022 election.

Ortiz secured a commanding lead with 44.9% of the June vote, compared with Campos’ 20.2%. Trailing just behind Campos, the race’s other two candidates, local education leader Karen Martinez and broadcast journalist Vy Dang, finished with 17.4% and 17.2% respectively.

Ortiz — who drew the lion’s share of labor-bloc spending in the primary — ran on his record in office, highlighting his work to protect immigrants, prevent catalytic converter thefts and marshal a new era of public investment in East San Jose.

“I’m extremely proud of our big lead because this campaign was powered by hundreds of volunteers and supporters from across the district and the area,” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. “It’s gratifying to see that the voters share our priorities for the future — safer and cleaner neighborhoods, a lower cost of living and expanded economic opportunity for every family in our community.”

In contrast, Campos — who held the District 5 seat between 2001 and 2010 before a stint in the state Assembly — wants to reverse her 2022 defeat by turning Ortiz’s three-and-a-half year track record into a liability. Over the course of the campaign, Campos has made the case that Ortiz has so far failed to deliver on a range of promised neighborhood improvements.

“The results confirm what we’ve been hearing at the doors for months: People are ready for a change,” Campos told San José Spotlight. “They’re frustrated by rising crime, blight, abandoned vehicles and a City Hall that too often feels disconnected from the concerns of everyday neighborhoods.”

Contact Keith Menconi at [email protected] or @KeithMenconi on X.