Jun 14, 2018
One indicator of the political strength of an organization is the success of the candidates it endorses, particularly in races for open seats. In this Primary Election, Labor advanced their candidates in all but one race, while the Silicon Valley Organization (Chamber of Commerce) lost all but one race and the *Silicon Valley Leadership Group made minimal gains at best.…
Jun 13, 2018
Yesterday, in a meeting that went past 2 am, the Santa Clara City Council fell short of filling the Council seat vacated by Dominic Caserta last month. The Council was unable to reach the necessary 5 vote threshold to pass an appointment. It is unclear whether the Council will call a special election to fill the vacancy. Instead, they may leave…
Jun 12, 2018
As the results for the Supervisor District 4 race came in on Tuesday, June 5th, San Jose Councilmember Don Rocha, endorsed by the South Bay Labor Council, was more than a percentage point, about 200 votes, behind Pierluigi Oliverio, leaving the two candidates uncertain about who would face Susan Ellenberg in the November runoff. In the early days of counting,…
Jun 12, 2018
Today, the Santa Clara City Council will vote to make an appointment to the Council seat vacated by Dominic Caserta last month. To pass, the appointment must receive five of the remaining six Council members’ votes. The City Charter gives the Council two options in case of a Council seat vacancy: either appoint or hold a special election. If an…
Jun 6, 2018
Yesterday’s election left some local races clearly decided and others much too close to call. As most folks expected, Mayor Sam Liccardo won his second term, with Steve Brown, the second place candidate falling far behind. In the San Jose City Council races, District 3 Council Member Raul Peralez, who ran unopposed, was officially re-elected last night. Vice Mayor Magdalena…
Jun 3, 2018
Voters in the County Board of Supervisors (BOS) District 4 race just received nearly identical mailers for Susan Ellenberg and Pierluigi Oliverio. Both candidates are vying for the seat, which is now occupied by Ken Yeager. It seems that the mailers targeted voters by gender, with women getting the Ellenberg piece and men getting the Oliverio version of the mailer. Who…
May 30, 2018
The East and South Bay are thriving – attracting new residents while seeing our business community expand. The cities in our community are at the nexus of a major transportation hub for the region and West Coast. From highway systems to public transportation like AC Transit and BART to bicycle and pedestrian paths, we rely on infrastructure and transportation investment…
May 25, 2018
The deceptive campaigning for Pierluigi Oliverio just keeps on going. Voters in Santa Clara County Supervisorial District 4 received a second misleading mailer, this time implying that former San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer supports Oliverio. She does not. The latest mailer sent by the Silicon Valley Organization (SVO), also known as the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, prominently displays a…
May 24, 2018
Fundraising numbers are slowly rolling in for the final reporting period before the June primary election. While forms aren’t due until 11:59 pm tonight, Kalen Gallagher, a candidate for San Jose City Council District 9, has already filed. He raised $420 this period, bringing his grand total since January 1, 2018 to a little more than $3,000. There also seems…
May 24, 2018
Voters in Santa Clara County Supervisorial District 4 recently received a mailer from candidate Pierluigi Oliverio that misleadingly asserts in large print “Democrats Support Pierluigi Oliverio for Supervisor.” No Democrats are named in the piece as supporting Oliverio’s candidacy, and contrary to the implication of the piece’s title, the Santa Clara County Democratic Party does not support Oliverio in the…