Silicon Valley races that you should watch
A key battle for a Silicon Valley Senate seat is one of the most expensive legislative races of all time
In what’s shaping up to be one of the most expensive and closely watched races for the California legislature this November, two Democrats with impressive government experience and lengthy resumes are battling to represent one of the most racially and economically diverse districts of Silicon Valley.
Attorney Ann Ravel and Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese are vying to replace termed- out state Sen. Jim Beall in District 15, which encompasses nearly 1 million residents in Cupertino, Los Gatos, Campbell and neighborhoods in San Jose from Willow Glen to Almaden to East San Jose.
In a crowded seven- person March primary, Cortese, 64, came out on top with 34% of the vote and Ravel, 71, trailed with 22% of the vote. Cortese has outraised Ravel by nearly double over the course of his yearslong campaign — $2.1 million compared to $1.2 million.
Special interest groups, also known as PACS, have poured more than $4.5 million into the race in the form of campaign ads and mailers, and the biggest groups behind each candidate fall in line with a reoccurring intraparty division — labor vs. business. While both candidates have received endorsements from prominent people on both sides of the aisle, Cortese has benefited most notably from a coalition representing some of the biggest labor organizations in the state, including the California Federation of Teachers and Service Employees International Union or SEIU. Meanwhile, Ravel got a big lift from a PAC sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce with its biggest contributions coming from rideshare companies Uber and Lyft.
Although she has never held any elected office, Ravel, has extensive experience working in government and crafting programs and policies. She served as the Santa Clara County counsel for 11 years before leaving for Washington D.C., where she worked on consumer litigation for the Department of Justice.
She was then appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to California’s Fair Political Practices Commission and later appointed by former President Barack Obama to the Federal Elections Commission.
Ravel refers to herself as a “public servant” and “tireless advocate for marginalized communities” rather than a politician, citing her litigation work protecting children from lead paint companies, creating a first- ofits- kind program to protect seniors from financial abuse and pushing for transparency in campaign spending while serving on the state’s ethics watchdog commission.
Cortese has been on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors since 2008. He previously served on the San Jose City Council for eight years and the East Side Union High School District for eight years before that. Cortese co- chaired the county’s Measure A campaign for a $950 million housing bond passed by voters in 2016, advocated for a County Climate Coalition and helped create a program to put counselors in 200 schools across the county. Since a large share of the state’s budget every year is set aside for education, Cortese says his long experience in public office and as a school board member will be “invaluable” in Sacramento.
T he two Democrat s share much of the same goals and ideologies, such as making it easier to build affordable housing, improving and equalizing educational opportunities and reducing energy consumption. But they are split on two of the most controversial measures on the November ballot: Proposition 15, which would increase property taxes on big businesses to raise funding for schools and local governments, and Proposition 22, which would solidify the status of gig workers — like Lyft and Uber drivers — as independent contractors.
Cortese opposes Prop. 22 and supports Prop. 15, calling it a critical funding stream for the state’s education system. Ravel, meanwhile, supports Prop. 22 and opposes Prop. 15, arguing that a pandemic and recession is “not the time” to raise taxes.
Earlier this month, Ravel sent Cortese a ceaseand- desist letter for using what she says are deceptive photographs in campaign materials of Cortese shaking hands with Obama — who has endorsed Ravel — in an effort to make it appear he is supported by the former president.
“There was never any discussion from him about Obama and what he might have done prior to me getting President Obama’s endorsement,” Ravel said. “I think it’s an issue of deception and whether or not someone who’s willing to do that in a campaign will be truthful and straightforward to the public if they are elected.”
Cortese, however, called the claims “nonsensical,” saying that the photo has been circulated in the public for years and that he in no way has claimed that Obama endorsed him.
“It seemed like they were trying to breed some intentional distraction,” he said in an interview. “When, in reality, I think what the public really wants is for us to be debating and talking about our approach to these real issues — housing and homelessness and education and justice reform.”
13th District State Senate, 25th District State Assembly
In races for seats vacated by representatives in California State Assembly District 25 and State Senate District 13, voters will have a much starker choice when it comes to candidates who both differ in party affiliation and ideology.
Policy adviser and former legislative aide Alex Lee, a Democrat, will face
former Ohlone College District trustee and businessman Bob Brunton, a perennial Republican candidate, for the California Assembly District 25 seat vacated by Assemblyman Kansen Chu, who is running for a seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors instead.
In the nine-person primary race where eight of the candidates were Democrats, Brunton received the highest number of votes and Lee emerged as the secondplace finisher, defeating other candidates with more financial support and political experience. But in a liberal Bay Area district where only 15% of voters are registered Republicans, it remains to be seen how competitive the runoff will be.
If elected, Lee, a 25-yearold progressive who identifies as queer, would become the youngest person in the state Senate. Lee was arrested for an alleged curfew violation during the George Floyd protests earlier this summer and has since been vocal about his disdain for Bay Area curfew orders and San Jose’s handling of the demonstrations. Although Lee has never served an elected office, he has worked under two state representatives and helped craft multiple bills in Sacramento.
“Having that in-depth experience of the legislative process in Sacramento is going to help me literally start on day one,” he said, adding that if elected he plans to introduce a bill to ban corporate money in politics on his first day in office.
Brunton, 62, works in electronic sales, manufacturing and financial management and has served 12 years as a trustee on the Ohlone Community College Board. When it comes to some of the state propositions on the ballot, Brunton is against Prop 15. and Prop. 16, which allows for the reinstatement of affirmative action. He is a proponent of Prop. 20, rolling back several of the state’s criminal justice reforms.
Brunton said he is a Republican for three reasons — “freedom, opportunity and limited government.” But he says he has the “exact same end goals” as many Democrats and he should be judged on his 12 years of experience holding a public office.
“My focus is on fixing problems and we can make our state better and we don’t need to raise taxes right now,” he said in a recent interview.
In a race for the California Senate District 13 seat vacated by state Sen. Jerry Hill, are Democrat and entrepreneur Josh Becker and Republican Alex Glew, a mechanical engineer who’s run multiple times for state Assembly. The winner will represent about 1 million residents from South San Francisco to Sunnyvale.