Santa Clara County
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April 15th in Oakland
Ballot Drop Boxes
Return your San Diego or San José ballot by Tuesday, April 8 and your Oakland ballot by Tuesday, April 15
Welcome to the Courage California Progressive Voters Guide! We compile the information that allows you to make informed decisions about the races on your ballot, based on your values. Please share this guide with your friends and family!
Voting has changed in Santa Clara County this year. The Voter’s Choice Act was enacted in the county to make voting more convenient. Changes include an expanded period of in-person early voting, every registered voter in the county will receive a vote-by-mail ballot, and every registered voter in the county is able to vote in-person at any Vote Center in their county. Have questions about the changes to voting in Santa Clara County? Find out how to vote in Santa Clara County.
City of San Jose, District 3
Depending on where you live, you may have the below city district races on your ballot.
Elect Gabby Chavez-Lopez for City Council to put San Jose on the right track for progress.
Gabby Chavez-Lopez’s policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of City Council District 3 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Chavez-Lopez has the endorsement of some groups, including California Working Families Party, Santa Clara County League of Conservation Voters, South Bay Labor Council AFL-CIO, Democratic Activists for Women Now (DAWN), and Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Asm. Speaker Robert Rivas, Asm. Ash Kalra, Santa Clara County Sup. Betty Duong, and Santa Clara Sup. Susan Ellenberg.
Electoral history: Chavez-Lopez has not run for public office before.
Top issues: Public safety, public cleanliness, housing solutions, small-business support, economic mobility, transportation, and rejuvenating the downtown.
Governance and community leadership experience: Chavez-Lopez most recently served as executive director of Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, which she did to provide civic engagement and leadership development through a lens of feminism and diversity. Prior to this role, she held a variety of positions, including as the appointed planning commissioner of Santa Clara County, and several roles in marketing and hospitality.
Other background: Chavez-Lopez is a longtime resident of California.
The Race
Special election: This seat was held by Omar Torres from his election in 2022 until his arrest on child sex abuse charges in November 2024. He resigned two days later, and remains held without bail pending trial on three felony charges. This April 8 special election will fill the remainder of the term through 2026, and the candidates include Gabby Chavez-Lopez, Adam Duran, Philip Dolan, Irene Smith, Anthony Tordillos, Tyrone Wade, and Matthew Quevedo. If one candidate wins 50%+1 in the special election vote, that candidate will win the seat. If no candidate wins over 50%, the top two vote recipients will advance to a run-off election in June.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Gabby Chavez-Lopez’s campaign has raised $49,000 and is not funded by police, real estate, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate: Adam Duran
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Duran’s campaign has raised $7,600 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Irene Smith
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Smith’s campaign has raised $7,000 and is funded by real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Anthony Tordillos
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Tordillos’s campaign has raised $81,500 and is funded by corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Matthew Quevedo
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Quevedo’s campaign has raised $79,000 and is funded by corporate PAC and real estate interests.
The District
City: San Jose is Santa Clara County’s most populous city. San Jose’s City Council District 3 includes downtown.
Governance structure: San Jose’s City Council oversees the needs of 956,000 people and manages an estimated operating budget of $6.1 billion annually. San Jose is managed by a council-manager government structure.
The Position
Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council, although San Jose maintains a 10-member council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in San Jose are limited to two terms, or eight years in office total.
Elect Gabby Chavez-Lopez for City Council to put San Jose on the right track for progress.
Gabby Chavez-Lopez’s policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of City Council District 3 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Chavez-Lopez has the endorsement of some groups, including California Working Families Party, Santa Clara County League of Conservation Voters, South Bay Labor Council AFL-CIO, Democratic Activists for Women Now (DAWN), and Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Asm. Speaker Robert Rivas, Asm. Ash Kalra, Santa Clara County Sup. Betty Duong, and Santa Clara Sup. Susan Ellenberg.
Electoral history: Chavez-Lopez has not run for public office before.
Top issues: Public safety, public cleanliness, housing solutions, small-business support, economic mobility, transportation, and rejuvenating the downtown.
Governance and community leadership experience: Chavez-Lopez most recently served as executive director of Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, which she did to provide civic engagement and leadership development through a lens of feminism and diversity. Prior to this role, she held a variety of positions, including as the appointed planning commissioner of Santa Clara County, and several roles in marketing and hospitality.
Other background: Chavez-Lopez is a longtime resident of California.
The Race
Special election: This seat was held by Omar Torres from his election in 2022 until his arrest on child sex abuse charges in November 2024. He resigned two days later, and remains held without bail pending trial on three felony charges. This April 8 special election will fill the remainder of the term through 2026, and the candidates include Gabby Chavez-Lopez, Adam Duran, Philip Dolan, Irene Smith, Anthony Tordillos, Tyrone Wade, and Matthew Quevedo. If one candidate wins 50%+1 in the special election vote, that candidate will win the seat. If no candidate wins over 50%, the top two vote recipients will advance to a run-off election in June.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Gabby Chavez-Lopez’s campaign has raised $49,000 and is not funded by police, real estate, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate: Adam Duran
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Duran’s campaign has raised $7,600 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Irene Smith
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Smith’s campaign has raised $7,000 and is funded by real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Anthony Tordillos
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Tordillos’s campaign has raised $81,500 and is funded by corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Matthew Quevedo
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Quevedo’s campaign has raised $79,000 and is funded by corporate PAC and real estate interests.
The District
City: San Jose is Santa Clara County’s most populous city. San Jose’s City Council District 3 includes downtown.
Governance structure: San Jose’s City Council oversees the needs of 956,000 people and manages an estimated operating budget of $6.1 billion annually. San Jose is managed by a council-manager government structure.
The Position
Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council, although San Jose maintains a 10-member council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in San Jose are limited to two terms, or eight years in office total.
Elect Gabby Chavez-Lopez for City Council to put San Jose on the right track for progress.
Gabby Chavez-Lopez’s policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of City Council District 3 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Chavez-Lopez has the endorsement of some groups, including California Working Families Party, Santa Clara County League of Conservation Voters, South Bay Labor Council AFL-CIO, Democratic Activists for Women Now (DAWN), and Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Asm. Speaker Robert Rivas, Asm. Ash Kalra, Santa Clara County Sup. Betty Duong, and Santa Clara Sup. Susan Ellenberg.
Electoral history: Chavez-Lopez has not run for public office before.
Top issues: Public safety, public cleanliness, housing solutions, small-business support, economic mobility, transportation, and rejuvenating the downtown.
Governance and community leadership experience: Chavez-Lopez most recently served as executive director of Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, which she did to provide civic engagement and leadership development through a lens of feminism and diversity. Prior to this role, she held a variety of positions, including as the appointed planning commissioner of Santa Clara County, and several roles in marketing and hospitality.
Other background: Chavez-Lopez is a longtime resident of California.
The Race
Special election: This seat was held by Omar Torres from his election in 2022 until his arrest on child sex abuse charges in November 2024. He resigned two days later, and remains held without bail pending trial on three felony charges. This April 8 special election will fill the remainder of the term through 2026, and the candidates include Gabby Chavez-Lopez, Adam Duran, Philip Dolan, Irene Smith, Anthony Tordillos, Tyrone Wade, and Matthew Quevedo. If one candidate wins 50%+1 in the special election vote, that candidate will win the seat. If no candidate wins over 50%, the top two vote recipients will advance to a run-off election in June.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Gabby Chavez-Lopez’s campaign has raised $49,000 and is not funded by police, real estate, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate: Adam Duran
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Duran’s campaign has raised $7,600 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Irene Smith
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Smith’s campaign has raised $7,000 and is funded by real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Anthony Tordillos
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Tordillos’s campaign has raised $81,500 and is funded by corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Matthew Quevedo
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Quevedo’s campaign has raised $79,000 and is funded by corporate PAC and real estate interests.
The District
City: San Jose is Santa Clara County’s most populous city. San Jose’s City Council District 3 includes downtown.
Governance structure: San Jose’s City Council oversees the needs of 956,000 people and manages an estimated operating budget of $6.1 billion annually. San Jose is managed by a council-manager government structure.
The Position
Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council, although San Jose maintains a 10-member council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in San Jose are limited to two terms, or eight years in office total.