San Leandro Mayor Juan Gonzalez was leading in early returns from Tuesday’s election against his sole challenger, well-known Recreation and Parks Commissioner James Maes.
Gonzalez had about 69% of the vote, while Maes had about 31%, according to early numbers released by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.
“I’m honored by the support from the community throughout this campaign,” Gonzalez said in an email Tuesday night. “I am proud of the positive, issues-focused conversations we’ve had with voters across the city. Based on the initial ballots, it appears that voters appreciate both our positive approach and the results we’ve delivered over the last four years.”
Gonzalez has served as mayor since 2023, and prior to that, he was a member of the city’s Advisory Budget Task Force.
A retired principal at KPMG, a global tax, audit and advisory firm, Gonzalez holds a Ph.D. in economics from M.I.T.
During his tenure, crime in the city has decreased, the city hired 22 more police officers and 911 response times have improved, according to his candidate website.
The city also received more than $9 million in state funds to turn an old motel into interim housing with drop-in services for homeless people and substantially increased road repairs during his term in office, according to his website.
“I remain committed to repairing aging infrastructure, completing projects on time and on budget, strengthening public safety, addressing homelessness with compassion and accountability, expanding housing opportunities, revitalizing our business community, and ensuring every neighborhood benefits from our progress,” Gonzalez said in a statement prior to the election.
His endorsements included the Alameda County Democratic Party, several labor unions, the Sierra Club, Alameda County supervisors Lena Tam, Elisa Marquez and Nate Miley, as well as several East Bay mayors.
Maes, his opponent, owns and operates a youth-focused triathlon training and coaching business, has a degree in mechanical engineering from New Mexico State University and formerly worked in executive positions at the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“In this election, I am focused upon highlighting the true extent of San Leandro’s budget woes, and offer a clear course of action to get the city back on track,” Maes said in an emailed statement.
He said city government has been dysfunctional and toxic and is facing an immediate $2.5 million budget shortfall, a projected $2.9 million drop in sales tax revenue and an $11.6 million budget shortfall over the next three years.
He said the city is past the point where small cuts to city services can “bridge the gap.”
“I intend to get long-funded projects moving, heal the wounds in City Council, and openly discuss the problems the city is facing so that real solutions to solve the budget issues can be developed,” he said.
His endorsements included the San Leandro Democratic Club, the city’s Human Services Commission chairperson Erin Ouborg, San Leandro Planning Commissioner Rob Rich and Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission member Sarah Bailey, among others.
