San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has withdrawn his endorsement of Tam Truong, a City Council candidate and police officer who’s still running for office after county prosecutors charged him with grand theft related to mortgage fraud allegations. District Attorney Jeff Rosen’s office last week filed a one-count criminal complaint charging Truong with grand theft of...
UPDATE: San Jose cop running for office to stay in race despite admin leave
A San Jose police sergeant and City Council candidate, Tam Truong, has been placed on administrative leave amid allegations of mortgage fraud. He said he plans to continue his campaign for elected office. Truong, who’s worked in law enforcement for two decades and is running against incumbent Domingo Candelas for the District 8 San Jose...
San Jose leaders push Proposition 36 as critics fight back
A coalition of elected officials that Gov. Gavin Newsom dismissed as “just a couple mayors,” is raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in an effort to reverse lenient rules on retail and drug crimes. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced the “Yes on 36” ballot measure committee with Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and Sacramento...
Meet the candidates running for Santa Clara City Council
Santa Clara voters in November will weigh whether to replace half their elected officials and decide who should win a highly-competitive open seat. Voters will also be asked to cough up money to fix the city’s crumbling roads and buildings. The Santa Clara City Council has four seats up for election in Districts 1, 4,...
San Jose candidate worked for controversial Chinese developer
A leading San Jose City Council candidate worked under a Chinese billionaire arrested on bribery and corruption charges — mainly helping the embattled CEO’s company sell off land from his failed developments in the Bay Area. San Jose Planning Commissioner George Casey, who’s locked in a heated race to replace District 10 Councilmember Arjun Batra,...
San Jose congressional candidate hit with federal complaint
A federal elections complaint against state Assemblymember Evan Low is intensifying Silicon Valley’s hottest congressional race and putting attention on the political role of nonprofits. A complaint filed over the weekend by former Federal Elections Commission Chair Ann Ravel alleges Low, who is running for Congressional District 16, used the email server and contact list...
Santa Clara candidates question ethics behind pledge
An independent ethics pledge is gaining notoriety in Santa Clara’s elections, while some candidates call it a political tool. The pledge — created by Tom Shanks, former Santa Clara ethics advisor and former executive director for the Santa Clara University Markkula Center for Applied Ethics — has been touted as a way to restore public...
East San Jose groups want to increase younger voter turnout
East San Jose nonprofits are launching a youth led voting campaign to shape a more equitable society and empower residents. In preparation for the Nov. 5 election, SOMOS Mayfair’s Jovenes Activos youth, in collaboration with Amigos de Guadalupe and other community organizations, is launching the “No Decision About Us, Without Us!” get out the vote...
UPDATE: Bay Area $20B housing bond stripped from November ballot
A $20 billion regional housing bond that promised tens of thousands of affordable homes won’t go before voters in November. Previously known as Regional Measure 4, the bond was originally proposed and authorized by the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) and sought to fund up to 90,000 affordable homes across nine Bay Area counties....
How progressive are Silicon Valley congressional candidates?
Santa Clara County’s hottest congressional race may come down to which of two establishment Democrats can expand their base and capture more young progressive voters. While former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo hasn’t exactly branded himself a progressive, his opponent in the race for Congressional District 16, state Assemblymember Evan Low, has made some issues —...