This year will be a big test for the City of San Jose. Half of the city’s council seats are up for election in June when residents will also choose the next mayor. All the odd-numbered districts are in play and Mayor Sam Liccardo is termed out after eight years at the helm. Candidates have until March to file but a number of politicos have already declared their candidacies.
Currently, labor-aligned politicians hold a slight edge on the council. That could change in June.
The San Jose Spotlight has put together a list of candidates running for office this cycle. They include the following:
Candidates for mayor:
- Councilmember Dev Davis
- Councilmember Matt Mahan
- Councilmember Raul Peralez
- Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez
- Former Nevada congressional candidate Jonathan Royce Esteban
- Former therapist and crisis counselor Tyrone Wade
- Community member Brian Smith
Candidates for District 1:
- Planning Commissioner and former former Housing and Community Development Commissioner Justin Lardinois
- San Jose Downtown Foundation Board President Ramona Snyder
Candidates for District 3:
- Omar Torres, a San Jose-Evergreen Community College District board trustee, director of the California Democratic Party and former deputy chief of staff to Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco
- Health care professional and former Congressional candidate Ivan Torres
- Attorney Elizabeth Chien-Hale
- Gulf War veteran and 2006 City Council Candidate Dennis Kyne
- Community member Miles Christopher Linden
- Community member Irene Smith
Candidates for District 5:
- Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Peter Ortiz
- Planning Commission Chair Rolando Bonilla
- Former Assembly member and former District 5 council member Nora Campos
- Radio anchor H.G. Nguyen
- Alum Rock Union School Board Vice President Andres Quintero
Candidates for District 7:
- Incumbent Maya Esparza
- San Jose Fire Captain Bien Doan
- East Side Union High School District Board President Van Le
Pam Foley is also up for re-election in District 9. So far, she has no challengers.
Homelessness and affordable housing continue to be top issues in all city races. Dev Davis has been blasting SB 9 in recent weeks, making the preservation of single-family zoning and suburban neighborhoods a centerpiece of her campaign for mayor.
There is already controversy surrounding one of the races, as San Jose Spotlight reported last month:
Andres Quintero, vice president of the board of trustees for Alum Rock Union School District, announced his candidacy for the District 5 San Jose City Council seat last week. According to an East San Jose community leader, Quintero was pondering a run as early as January or February. But he did not disclose this fact while promoting the adoption of the Unity Map—a proposal for redrawing San Jose’s political boundaries.
Quintero currently lives in District 8. The original draft of the Unity Map, no longer being considered by San Jose lawmakers, would have placed his home within District 5.
Some East San Jose community leaders say this omission is deeply unethical given Quintero’s advocacy of the Unity Map through the nonprofit organization Latino Leadership Alliance, where he has served as chair of its redistricting committee. As recently as last week, Quintero appeared at a rally outside City Hall to support the Unity Map.
Read more about the candidates and where they stand here.