RESULTS WERE COMING IN late Tuesday in several closely watched South Bay races. Voters in Santa Clara County were deciding on a seat on the Board of Supervisors while San Jose voters will pick three candidates to serve on the City Council.
Sylvia Arenas leads for District 1 supervisor seat
Early results show District 1 Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas comfortably fending off a challenger to hold onto her agricultural South County seat.
As of 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, Arenas is leading with 61.2% of the vote or 24,423 votes. Morgan Hill Unified School District board member Rebecca Munson is in second with 38.5% of the vote, or 15,361 votes.
The county’s voter turnout for the June 2 primary election is 19.3%.
“It’s very early on in the election. I’m very optimistic and have confidence that as time goes on we will see more support and votes coming my way,” Munson told San José Spotlight after the results posted.
Arenas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The District 1 race was one of just two county-level races in which incumbents faced challengers this year, after Arenas’ win four years ago — aligned with the redrawing of District 1’s boundaries the prior year — shifted the board of supervisors’ political tilt, solidifying a progressive bloc.
The winner will help steer Santa Clara County through its worst fiscal crisis in decades. Federal spending cuts under President Donald Trump will cost the county billions of dollars over the next several years — creating massive shortfalls that can only be bridged with steep cuts to social services, as well as the county hospital system, now California’s second largest.
Peter Ortiz maintains lead in San Jose District 5
Early results show incumbent Councilmember Peter Ortiz leading the pack of candidates seeking the District 5 seat to represent East San Jose on the City Council.
As of 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, Ortiz is ahead with 44% of the vote or 3,110 votes, while former state lawmaker and District 5 Councilmember Nora Campos is in second with 20.4% of the vote or 1,443 votes. Vietnamese-language television journalist Vy Dang is in third place with 19.5% or 1,380 votes, with education leader Karen Martinez in fourth with 15.8% or 1,120 votes.
“The results send a clear message: The people of this district believe in progress,” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. “They believe in outcomes and they believe in the promise of East San Jose. I think together, myself and the community, we’ve shown what transformational leadership can accomplish and we’ve delivered real investment. I think that now’s not the time to look to the past. We must look to the future for solutions, and I’m ready to make that happen.”
Campos said she feels confident and that her campaign will keep monitoring the returns.
“We are excited where we are at and feel confident that the trend is in our favor. My base votes later and we saw that with the recent update,” Campos told San José Spotlight. “What’s evident is that over 56% of voters said that they don’t want Peter representing them.”
Dang did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The top two vote getters will move on to a November runoff, unless one candidate garners more than 50% of the vote.
Bien Doan leads in San Jose District 7 council race
Early election night results show San Jose Councilmember Bien Doan with a commanding lead in the race for the District 7 seat on the San Jose City Council.
As of 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, Doan has 48.3% of the vote or 3,418 votes, followed by Van Le, an East Side Union High School District trustee in second place with 23.4% or 1,657 votes. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union member Rafael Garcia is in third place with 18.5% or 1,310 votes, while City Hall staffer Hanh-Giao “HG” Nguyen, is in third place with 9.5% or 676 votes.
District 7 encompasses parts of central and East San Jose, including the Little Saigon Business District, a cultural and business hub for the estimated 145,000 Vietnamese residents in the city. The district also has a sizable Latino voter base. An incumbent hasn’t won reelection in District 7 since 2010.
The top two candidates in the District 7 race will move on to a November runoff, unless one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote.
“I am honored and grateful and proud that I stand before our community and to be able to make a difference in people’s lives. Everyday and every step that I take, it will be for the people, of the people, by the people,” Doan told San José Spotlight.
Doan remains confident that he can win the council seat again.
Genny Altwer leads in San Jose District 9 race
As the ballots pour in, Genny Altwer has emerged as the frontrunner for the San Jose District 9 City Council race, the city’s only open contest this election cycle.
As of 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, Altwer has 3,224 votes or 30.9%. Mike Hennessy, a serial entrepreneur, TV host and civic organizer, is second with 21.4% or 2,231 votes. Gordon Chester, a longtime city employee in the Public Works department has 21.1% or 2,203 votes in third place. Scott Hughes, chief of staff for Councilmember Pam Foley, is in fourth place with 20.6% or 2,156 votes, and seasoned tech worker Rick Ator is in fifth place with 5.7% or 599 votes.
The five candidates are vying to replace Foley who is terming out in December. She represents a largely suburban district in Southwest San Jose that includes the Willow Glen, Hillsdale and Cambrian Park neighborhoods.
The closely watched race has centered on the candidates’ competing plans to improve public safety, rein in unsheltered homelessness and address the city’s long-standing affordability crisis. The outcome also has implications for the delicate balance of power in San Jose between the city’s opposing labor and business political coalitions. As a member of the council’s business-aligned majority, Foley has been a consistent supporter of Mayor Matt Mahan’s policy agenda.
Reporting by San Jose Spotlight.