A crowded field of political newbies and San Jose ballot regulars have expressed interest in replacing disgraced former District 3 City Councilmember Omar Torres through a special election, one week after the nominating period opened.
Although no candidate has submitted nomination papers yet, at least 10 candidates have requested official paperwork from the city clerk. Among the top contenders are Irene Smith — Torres’ most recent challenger — Matthew Quevedo, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s deputy chief of staff, Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos and Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez.
“What I hear is you want City Hall to stay focused on the issues that matter most, to put aside politics, to roll up sleeves and get hard work done,” Quevedo said at a rally Friday announcing his candidacy. “We love our city, but we know we can do better to address homelessness, crime, cleanliness and the high cost of living. Maybe because of where I’m from and who I am, I pay particularly close attention to the thousands of people who say the same thing to me in many ways and many languages. The message is the same — let’s do this together.”
Torres tendered his resignation last month before police arrested him on multiple felony child molestation charges.
Before his arrest, Torres had faced mounting pressure to step down due to an unrelated police probe into sexual misconduct involving minors that led his colleagues on the dais, along with prominent political and business organizations, to abandon their support. Neighborhood leaders, including Quevedo, had also begun to organize a recall campaign before the seat became vacant.
Earlier this month, the City Council opted to fill the seat through an interim appointment and special election but outlined rules that it would not consider the same candidate for both, to ensure that no incumbent would carry over an advantage in campaigning.
The interim appointment application deadline and special election nominating period both run between Dec. 16 and Jan. 10. The special election is set for April 8, with a runoff tentatively scheduled for June 24 should none of the candidates receive a majority of the vote. The City Council will hold interviews for the appointment on Jan. 28.
City Clerk Toni Taber told The Mercury News on Thursday that no candidate had yet applied for the interim appointment. However, several candidates have started the process for the special election, including Smith, who fell short in the 2022 general election to Torres for the District 3 seat.
Smith, a pro-tem judge and former longtime employee at IBM, is campaigning on bigger and faster homelessness solutions, getting control over wasteful spending both in the district and citywide and dismantling policies that impede business.
“What’s happened to D3 over close to 20 years has been devastating, and as a distinct district, we need custom solutions to address those unique problems,” Smith said. “We can’t be a dumping or testing ground for city and county policies anymore, and that can be fixed with a councilmember who is only beholden to D3 and not City Hall or voting blocks or special interests. I’m about results — not about ideology — and this is the only political position I will ever seek.”
Tordillos, who describes himself as a fierce housing advocate, is looking to make the jump from the planning commission. Along with serving as the co-president of the South University Neighborhood Association, he manages a team of engineers at YouTube, whose parent company Google could play a pivotal role in the development of downtown.
“I love San Jose, and I believe that with the right leadership we can make our city safer, more affordable and more vibrant for all our residents,” Tordillos wrote to The Mercury News. “As the next D3 Councilmember, I will fight for abundant housing at every affordability level, a holistic approach to our homelessness crisis, safer streets that are free of blight and economic development to support the fiscal health of our city.”
As the City Council finalized its decision on how to fill the seat, Chavez-Lopez made it known on her social media channels that she was interested in applying her nonprofit and business leadership skills to District 3.
“For over 20 years, I’ve experienced the ups and downs of our downtown and know firsthand the challenges that our neighborhoods face,” Chavez-Lopez said. “I am running to improve safety, address the homelessness crisis, clean up our streets and bring vibrancy back to downtown. With a proven track record and leadership across nonprofit, business and public service, I am ready to hit the ground running on day one.”
Also potentially joining the field are a pair of former mayoral challengers, Tyrone Wade and Marshall Woodmansee, as well as Phillip Dolan, David Parker and a person only identified as “Roxanne,” according to the city clerk’s website.
Wade, who worked in various local government positions and previously ran a homeless shelter, was the sole challenger to Mahan in this year’s election but failed to force a runoff in the primary.
“I’m running for San Jose City Council to serve and represent District 3, ensuring our community stays on track, thrives and moves boldly into the future,” Wade wrote on his campaign website. “My goal is to address the issues that matter most to you, from housing and public safety to economic opportunities and environmental sustainability.”
Woodmansee, one of the first candidates to request paperwork from the city, hopes the third time is the charm after unsuccessfully running for mayor in 2022 and the District 6 City Council seat in 2020.
“I’m running for office in San Jose, California, for the third time because I know we can create solutions to the chronic and acute crises that weigh on my life and weigh on all of our lives,” Woodmansee said in a video posted on YouTube. “I’ve experienced homelessness. I’m currently broke, but I know that activism and civic engagement are absolutely fundamental to building something better.”
Duran is another political outsider, having retired a few years ago as a law enforcement and corrections officer before becoming a published author.
“I feel like it’s a calling of mine to do this,” Duran said in campaign videos posted on Instagram and Facebook. “To hold the line, add value to the community (and) to serve the community.”