Two candidates are leading in Santa Clara City Council races for Districts 2 and 3, according to early election results.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Kimberley Williams has a sizable lead in the District 2 race with 58.7% of the vote, or 1,440 votes. Yvonne Inciarte followed in second place with 40.9%, or 947 votes. In District 3, Eric Crutchlow is ahead with 54.4% of the vote, or 1,321 votes, with Kyle Madej trailing in second with 45.5%, or 1,005 votes. Total county voter turnout is at 29.6%.
The results remain preliminary as election officials continue counting ballots. Approximately 337,600 ballots remain unprocessed countywide, according to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters.
“I’m grateful for the support of Santa Clara voters and I believe that it demonstrates the broad coalition of support that I built over the course of the campaign,” Williams told San José Spotlight. “If the results hold, I will work hard to represent the best interests of Santa Clara and those who placed their trust in me.”
Incumbent Raj Chahal is terming out, leaving Williams and Inciarte to compete for the open District 2 seat. Chahal backed Williams in the race.
“I think she will do a great job with her experience in the school district,” Chahal told San José Spotlight.
Williams has lived in Santa Clara for more than 18 years and has spent about a decade involved with local schools and parent organizations. She helped establish a parent teacher association at Central Park Elementary School and serves on the California State PTA Board of Managers and the Santa Clara Schools Foundation.
Inciarte is a longtime Santa Clara resident and first-generation college graduate with a background in government and community affairs. She previously served as director of intergovernmental strategy for Congressman Ro Khanna and serves on the city’s Historical and Landmarks Commission, Chief’s Advisory Committee and Economic Development Committee and the board of the West Valley-Mission College Foundation.
Inciarte said the race is still too early to call.
“Thousands of ballots are still out and every one deserves to be counted,” she told San José Spotlight. “I spent everyday knocking on doors and talking to voters. They all mentioned how tired they are of the 49ers spending millions of dollars on our local races. We’ll learn more today about how many ballots are being counted.”
District 3 Councilmember Karen Hardy is running for mayor and terms out in December, leaving her seat open for new representation.
Crutchlow has lived in Santa Clara since 1984 and has worked in the technology industry for more than two decades. He has been involved in city government for about three years as a member of the Planning Commission, where he currently serves as chair. He also served on the city’s Charter Review Committee, which he said gave him a deeper understanding of how local government operates.
“It really is a new chapter for Santa Clara. The Lisa Gillmor era is over,” Crutchlow told San José Spotlight, referring to the city’s longtime mayor who terms out in December. “We have a city council now that will hopefully take us in a better direction. The entire country, we have a shift politically. So I think that Santa Clara is just doing its little part.”
Madej, a native Santa Claran, was raised in District 3. His family has lived in the district since 1969, and he said he wants to preserve the neighborhoods, schools and quality of life that shaped his family. He has worked for the city and Santa Clara Unified School District and built a career as CEO of Sentinel Holdings Ltd. He operates security-services businesses including Gladiator Solutions and United Security Specialists.
“Well, it was extremely surprising to see, but it is what it is,” Madej told San José Spotlight. If I don’t gain ground at 5 p.m. today, then I’ll call Eric and tell him congratulations, and that’s it. It’s shocking all across the board.”
Contact Maryanne Casas-Perez at [email protected] or @mexicanredhead on Instagram.
This story originally appeared in San Jose Spotlight.