San Jose mayoral and council votes loom
Candidates begin lining up for city's March 5 primary; campaign fundraising starts Aug. 8
In just the past 13 months, San Jose's political machinery has seen two major upheavals: Voters approved changing the year in which the mayor is elected. And two councilmembers were appointed to their seats in January for the first time in nearly three decades, a move deemed as a power grab by the city's moderate wing.
Those developments are likely to prove consequential as candidates line up to compete in the city's primary race on March 5, 2024, with Districts 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 — along with the mayor's seat — all up for grabs and fundraising set to begin Aug. 8.
Here is a shortlist of who is running in the 2024 primary so far.
District 2: Two candidates have officially registered for the seat now filled by Councilmember Sergio Jimenez. His term ends next year and the district he represents encompasses the farreaching corners of south San Jose. Babu Prasad, an employee at Kaiser Permanente's admitting department, has already garnered a long list of endorsements. Those include Assemblymembers Ash Kalra, Evan Low and Alex
Lee, Santa Clara County Supervisors Susan Ellenberg and Cindy Chavez and Councilmembers Domingo Candelas, Peter Ortiz and Omar Torres. Prasad has been involved in a wide variety of labor leadership positions, as well as the district's neighborhood commission. In an interview, he said building more affordable housing, public safety, combatting homelessness and spurring economic growth would be his top priorities if elected.
The other registered candidate, Pamela Campos, has a background in early childhood education and