Campaign signs go missing in just about every election cycle in San Jose — and accusations begin to swirl of theft and sabotage. Usually, the sign takers go to great lengths to hide their identities. But in the ongoing race for the District 9 City Council seat, the man behind a rash of sign disappearances...
Proposed San Jose hotel tax critical to avoid cutting services
Faced with a punishing budget shortfall, San Jose voters are being asked to increase the city’s hotel tax by 2% on the June 2 primary election ballot. San Jose’s Measure A, which will increase the city tax levied on hotel guests from 10% to 12%, has opened up a familiar debate for the consistently cash...
Early voting begins as Santa Clara County mails ballots
Santa Clara County election officials are anticipating the highest midterm primary voter turnout in years as they mail ballots to households that will determine a slate of local races — and whether San Jose’s mayor has a shot at becoming governor. More than 1 million active registered voters in Santa Clara County can expect a...
UPDATE: San Jose politician seeking state office faces antisemitic vandalism
Local officials and community leaders are moving swiftly to condemn alleged antisemitic defacing of campaign signs for a San Jose politician seeking a seat in the state Legislature. The campaign team for Councilmember David Cohen, who is running for State Senate District 10, on Tuesday discovered several political signs along Brokaw Road had been altered...
VTA touts spending plan for possible Bay Area sales tax increase
South Bay transportation leaders aren’t waiting for the November election to draft a wishlist of projects to make car-less commuting more bearable. But it depends entirely on voters passing a regional sales tax increase — and saving the Bay Area from transit station closures. The sales tax measure — which proposes a 0.5% increase in...
District 5 San Jose candidates speak on progressive priorities
Candidates in the District 5 San Jose City Council race laid out ambitious campaign policy platforms centered on reining in the city’s affordability crisis, as they took part in a Wednesday election forum. Over the course of an hour-long online event hosted by the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits and SV@Home Action Fund, the four...
Internal poll puts Matt Mahan higher in CA governor contest
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is touting a new optimistic poll in his struggle to leave the back of the pack in the crowded race for California governor. An internal poll of 900 likely primary voters — 100 of whom were Republicans and 800 described by the survey as “open to Democratic candidates” — says...
Is Matt Mahan’s campaign for California governor losing steam?
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s late entry into the California governor’s race met immediate fanfare in Silicon Valley two months ago. But reports of internal tension, a top strategist’s exit, a curious fundraising scheme and persistent low polling suggest his billionaire-paved road to Sacramento may turn to gravel. Since his Jan. 29 campaign announcement, Mahan...
San Jose District 7 candidates square off at public forum
District 7 voters got an early look at the candidates running to represent them on the San Jose City Council at a Thursday candidate forum, the first to be held in the district this election cycle. The four candidates facing off in the June 2 primary — incumbent Councilmember Bien Doan, City Hall staffer Hanh-Giao...
Silicon Valley’s tech world takes center stage in state politics
From a wide-open governor’s race to a bitter congressional contest, Santa Clara County has emerged as a key battleground in the tech industry’s bid to control California politics — and shield billionaires from a wealth tax. Two electoral fights have shaped the “Valley of Heart’s Delight” into combative territory. In the 17th Congressional District, incumbent...