Nadeem far behind; 2 ex- supervisors lead

Retired police lieutenant heading to Seat Four win

Amid a busy slate of city council races around Santa Clara County, one candidate was losing his dream of diversifying an all- white city council, while two former county supervisors looked to be headed back to familiar haunts.

In Santa Clara, Mohammed Nadeem had hoped to make history as the first East Asian council member in a city where Asians are the largest ethnic group.

But the civil service commissioner, who lost a 2010 council race by a slim margin, was badly trailing small- business owner Debi Davis for the council’s Seat Three late Tuesday.

Retired police lieutenant Jerry Marsalli was headed to victory in Santa Clara’s Seat Four after Alma Jimenez dropped out, though her name remained on the ballot. Seat Six incumbent Lisa Gillmor was unopposed, and businesswoman Teresa O’Neill was leading the race for Seat Seven.

In Palo Alto, six candidates were chasing four city council spots, including incumbents Pat Burt and Greg Schmid, who appeared well positioned.

Former Councilwoman Liz Kniss, termed out of her seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, was leading all candidates as she sought an encore on the council.

Attorney Marc Berman was ahead of the pack for the final contested seat.

At the county’s opposite end, in Gilroy, Don Gage was well ahead in his quest to reclaim the mayor’s office, where he served from 1991 to 1997 before joining the Board of Supervisors.

Opposing Gage were Councilmen Peter Arellano and Dion Bracco, who trailed Tuesday night in early returns.

Five candidates were vying for three seats on the Gilroy council, with planning Commissioner Terri Aulman and incumbents Cat Tucker and Perry Woodward leading the field.

In Milpitas, incumbent Mayor Jose Esteves was whomping electric bike dealer Rob Means, despite a controversy over allegations Esteves had presided over a wedding in City Hall last summer without charging the customary rental fee. The controversy seemed not to trouble voters.

In a sometimes heated battle for two sports on the city council, incumbent Debbie Giordano and teacher Carmen Montano were in the lead.

There was a crowded slate vying for three spots on the Los Altos council. Engineer Jan Pepper, community volunteer Jeannie Bruins and incumbent Megan Satterlee were leading late Tuesday.

In Los Gatos, incumbents Marcia Jensen and Barbara Spector ran unopposed for re- election. Saratoga councilmen Manny Cappello and Howard Miller were unopposed on the ballot, though Tim Gorsulowsky qualifi ed as a write- in candidate.

In Monte Sereno, incumbent Susan Garner, businessman Walter Huff and community volunteer Julie Wiltshire were closely bunched in a battle for two spots on the council.

In Mountain View, incumbent Mike Kasperzak was narrowly leading in a six- way battle for four seats.

Fellow councilman John Inks was bunched with the pack, as were business development director Chris Clark and CPA John McAlister.

It was a similarly crowded slate in Morgan Hill, with four people competing for two city council seats. But incumbents Larry Carr and Marilyn Librers were comfortably ahead.