November 16th 2024.
It's been over a week since Election Day, and the San Jose City Council is starting to take shape with the latest results showing two business-backed and two labor-backed candidates as the winners of the four competitive races. This means that Mayor Matt Mahan will have at least two more allies on the City Council, giving him the opportunity to push his policy agenda forward in the upcoming years.
During an interview with The Mercury News, Mahan expressed his belief that the local and statewide results are a sign of support for his “back to basics” approach to government. He believes that voters are sending a message to the establishment that they want the government to focus on better utilizing their resources to deliver better outcomes. Mahan also emphasized the importance of making government more efficient, pragmatic, and focused rather than just expanding its size.
In District 10, which Mahan previously represented before becoming mayor, George Casey has defeated incumbent Arjun Batra with a commanding lead and 57.8% of the vote. This was a bit of a rematch between Casey, a corporate attorney, and Batra, a former executive at Intel and IBM. After Mahan vacated the seat, Batra was appointed to the position over a number of other candidates, including Casey.
Casey credited his victory to a team effort and commended the dedicated volunteers who helped spread his message. He believes that their selfless commitment of time and effort is what ultimately led to his win.
Meanwhile, in District 6, former mayoral candidate and Mahan-ally Michael Mulcahy has maintained his lead over Olivia Navarro in the race for a new representative on the Council. With 51.4% of the vote, Mulcahy is currently ahead of Navarro by a small margin. This race is to replace District 6 Councilmember Dev Davis, who is finishing her second term. Mulcahy, a local businessman, and Navarro, an insurance agent and union advisor, were the top two candidates in the general election, representing neighborhoods west of downtown.
In District 8, incumbent Domingo Candelas has secured a full four-year term on the City Council with a dominant victory over challenger Tam Truong. Candelas has received 57.4% of the vote, and his lead has only continued to grow since election day. He was appointed to the position in 2023 and has now won his first election as District 8’s representative. Truong, who was also a candidate in 2024, was placed on leave by the San Jose Police Department after being charged with felony grand theft related to mortgage fraud allegations. This led to Mahan pulling his endorsement from Truong and calling for due process. The case was later dismissed by the Santa Cruz County prosecutors.
Candelas thanked all of his campaign supporters and expressed his dedication to working with all District 8 residents to improve public safety, invest in clean streets and parks, strengthen neighborhoods, and move the city forward. He sees this victory as a win for the entire community and is honored to continue serving as their voice on the City Council.
In the tightest race of the election, Pamela Campos appears to be on her way to victory over Joe Lopez. After initially winning the most votes in the District 2 primary, Lopez's lead has dwindled, and Campos now has a 2,442-vote advantage. The race was to replace outgoing Councilmember Sergio Jimenez, who has termed out. Campos, a policy officer at the Low Income Investment Fund, is supported by labor, while Lopez, a retired veteran of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, has the backing of Mahan and business interests.
Campos has made it clear that her campaign is focused on fighting for affordable housing, keeping communities safe, and creating a place where all District 2 residents can thrive. With her victory, District 4 Councilmember David Cohen has also secured a second term after surpassing the 50% voter threshold in the March primary.
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