San Jose D3 candidates raise funds for special election
By Vicente Vera I Published January 7, 2025 I San Jose Spotlight
Irene’s full quote to SJ Spotlight:
From my experience, candidates need to manage their fundraising to meet their campaign's needs. People with low name awareness or who have an unclear political identity, often feel more obliged to raise money to help communicate who they are. People who've been around have less of a need to do that.
Because I ran against Omar in the finals not so long ago, my campaign finance needs are a little different than other candidates. I certainly have had the advantage of having a lot of campaign assets--flyers, lists, material, websites, videos, etc. available to me on Day One. Of course I never imagined I’d be using them again, but it gives me a leg up in the campaign and lowered my need to raise monies at the start.
I also felt it was inappropriate for me to be asking for money over the Holiday break, so I took it easy during December, and am very comfortable with the $20k plus I raised. We were first in the race to have lawn signs out, websites up, policy papers done, videos available. So we're confident of our position and happy where we are.
All that said, as a fiscal conservative, I think it's important to spend people's money wisely. And I worry about the rising costs of campaigns even for city council races. There is a time when too much is just too much. And I'm concerned we're getting to the point where candidates--even at the council level--are too driven by raising money and being beholden to donors than actually doing the job of representing their community.
Local government is supposed to be closest to the people, not closest to Big Money."
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Candidates in the upcoming special election to represent San Jose’s downtown core are sharing early fundraising numbers as the deadline to apply for the race comes to a close.
Matthew Quevedo, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Matt Mahan, said his campaign raised more than $121,000 by year’s end — the most cash raised by a San Jose City Council District 3 candidate thus far. Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez, another candidate running for the open seat, said her campaign has raised at least $72,872 from 225 individual donors.
Quevedo said his six figures stem from nearly 400 donors, soon after he entered the race on Dec. 20 with Mahan’s backing.
“We think this tremendous level of commitment shows just how strongly San Jose voters embrace our focus on the cornerstone of common sense — ending street homelessness, making every neighborhood safe, making housing more affordable and creating greater economic opportunity and security for more families,” Quevedo told San José Spotlight.
The special election is set for April 8, with a June 24 runoff if necessary. The results will be certified in August. Meanwhile, the nomination period is open to potential candidates until Jan. 10. The District 3 seat is open following former Councilmember Omar Torres’ Nov. 5 resignation and arrest related to alleged child sex abuse.
Chavez-Lopez, who will host her official campaign launch on Jan. 12, said she soared past her own fundraising expectations as a candidate entering the race from outside the City Hall establishment.
“This race isn’t just about money,” she told San José Spotlight. “It’s about building trust and being somebody who has vision and leadership, so I’m excited to continue building those connections with the people and residents of District 3.”
San Jose Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos and attorney Irene Smith have also announced their candidacies for District 3 and recently launched campaign committees to facilitate donations.
“Our campaign isn’t about big-money backers or entrenched special interests. Instead, it’s about listening to the people of San Jose who are tired of the same old battles between City Hall insiders that are getting us nowhere,” Tordillos’ spokesperson Kurt Frewing told San José Spotlight.
Frewing did not share a fundraising figure.
Smith, who ran against Torres for the District 3 seat in 2022, said she felt it was inappropriate for her to ask for campaign donations during the holidays. She said her campaign is pleased with the more than $20,000 raised so far. The funds will go toward lawn signs and promotional materials like a website and campaign videos.
“As a fiscal conservative, it’s important to spend people’s money wisely, and I worry about the rising costs of campaigns even for city council races,” Smith told San José Spotlight. “I’m concerned we’re getting to a point where candidates, even at the council level, are too driven by raising money and being beholden to donors than actually representing their communities.”
Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or @VicenteJVera on X, formerly known as Twitter.