{"id":1348,"date":"2026-06-06T16:09:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T16:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1348"},"modified":"2026-06-06T16:09:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T16:09:11","slug":"all-contested-san-jose-city-council-seats-headed-for-potential-runoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1348","title":{"rendered":"All contested San Jose City Council seats headed for potential runoff"},"content":{"rendered":"
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All contested San Jose City Council races appear headed for a potential November runoff as clear frontrunners emerge, though the battles for the second slot remain wide open, with 27.16% votes counted in the latest tallies.<\/p>\n

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The eventual winners must wrestle with a projected $50.3 million budget deficit, balance labor and business interests, and tackle ongoing crises surrounding homelessness, housing and public safety when they assume their seats in January.<\/p>\n

In District 9, the council\u2019s sole open race, frontrunner Genny Altwer retains her lead with 33.46% of the vote. Behind her, a trio of trailing candidates are locked in a neck-and-neck fight for the second runoff spot: Gordon Chester, a labor-backed public works staffer, sits at 21.81%; Scott Hughes, chief of staff to incumbent Vice Mayor Pam Foley, follows at 19.99%; and entrepreneur Mike Hennessy holds 19.27%. Rick Ator remains a distant fifth with 5.36%, according to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, which released the latest results on Friday.<\/p>\n

Altwer said she was \u201cvery optimistic\u201d about November. \u201cThe team has been out knocking on doors and our messaging has resonated with voters,\u201d Altwer said. \u201cVoters have relayed to us that they don\u2019t want the status quo in City Hall \u2013 and change is what we\u2019re here to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her priorities include police staffing, affordable housing, and homelessness.<\/p>\n

In District 5, incumbent Peter Ortiz commands the field with 44.45% of the vote. Behind him, a razor-thin battle for second unfolds between former state lawmaker Nora Campos 20.41% and media personality Vy Dang 18.45%, with school trustee Karen Martinez in fourth at 16.57%.<\/p>\n

Marked by a legacy of resilience despite systemic neglect, the area was once dubbed \u201cSal si puedes\u201d \u2013 \u201cget out if you can\u201d \u2013 by residents in the 1950s and \u201960s, due to the thick mud that covered its streets during the rainy season.<\/p>\n

Whoever wins the East Side seat \u2014 where the impacts of budget cuts would be especially pronounced \u2014 must navigate a district where economic struggles and immigration fears amid federal crackdowns weigh heavily on a population that is nearly 90% Latino and Asian.<\/p>\n

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Ortiz, who campaigned on public safety, neighborhood cleanliness, and expanding economic opportunities in the city\u2019s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, welcomed the results.<\/p>\n

Ortiz said he was \u201cextremely proud\u201d of his lead in the race, noting he didn\u2019t expect to cross the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff. \u201cIt\u2019s gratifying to see that the voters share our priorities for the future\u2026 We look forward to building on this vote total and continuing the campaign toward reelection in November.\u201d<\/p>\n

In District 7, situated at the center of the country\u2019s largest Vietnamese community, incumbent Bien Doan leads with 48.25% of the vote \u2014 slightly short of margin needed to avoid a runoff, in a race marked by sharp personal tensions. Van Le follows with 22.98%, Rafael Garcia holds 19.07%, and Hanh-Giao \u201cHG\u201d Nguyen trails at 9.59%.<\/p>\n

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Doan said his priorities are to \u201cbring in more jobs and make San Jose more business friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n

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While he remains hopeful he \u201ccould get 50+1,\u201d Doan noted his team is already \u201cpreparing for the runoff as we speak\u201d to continue addressing immigration needs, homelessness, and public safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe keep our eyes on the real goal, to support our community and address immigrants needs \u2014 and continue to reduce the amount of homeless and make it the safest city in the nation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Councilmembers Rosemary Kamei (District 1) and Anthony Tordillos (District 3) ran unopposed.<\/p>\n

Whoever makes it to the City Council in November also grapple with state mandates requiring San Jose to permit 62,200 new homes by 2031 \u2014 the region\u2019s largest housing allocation behind San Francisco. Current proposals under consideration include developer fee waivers and city-issued certificates sold to private investors to fund affordable units.<\/p>\n

Several council candidates have also addressed improving police department retention to rein in overtime costs, scrutinizing city contracts to eliminate wasteful spending and using AI tools to streamline city processes.<\/p>\n

These long-term challenges arrive alongside immediate fiscal pressures, as city leaders work to balance a $5.5 billion budget while closing a $50.3 million gap.<\/p>\n

The public will have a final opportunity to weigh in on those spending priorities during a June 8 public hearing, right before the council votes to approve the budget on June 9, ahead of its final expected adoption on June 16.<\/p>\n

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Incumbents Peter Ortiz and Bien Doan lead their fields heading into potential November runoffs, while Genny Altwer tops the District 9 open race<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAll contested San Jose City Council seats headed for potential runoff - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1348\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"All contested San Jose City Council seats headed for potential runoff - 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