San Jose District 3 City Councilmember candidates ramp up for runoff
San Jose District 3 City Councilmember runoff ramps up
Anthony Tordillos and Gabby Chavez-Lopez are gearing up for the runoff election for San Jose's District 3 Councilmember seat. The two will speak at forums next week, where voters will get a chance to hear from them firsthand. KTVU's Tori Gaines reports from San Jose.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - There are forty days left until what could be a very close runoff election in San Jose’s District 3 City Councilmember race.
Gabby Chavez-Lopez and Anthony Tordillos are facing off in a runoff election, set for June 24. Tordillos spoke with KTVU the day the results of the special election’s recount were announced.
That special election was incredibly close, but Chavez-Lopez led by over 700 votes. She says her experience helped.
"It was a very close race, with Matthew and I trading places a couple of times, but a testament of the strength of the campaign that he ran as well. Happy to have emerged victorious and excited to move on to the runoff," Tordillos said.
"Trust, I think, is going to play an incredibly important role in this election…" Gabby Chavez-Lopez, District 3 candidate, tells KTVU. "As somebody who runs an agency and delivers programs and services to people on the ground, I have a very clear understanding of how things can be implemented in ways that are productive and helpful."
A political expert tells KTVU voters will look to someone they trust for direction in a local race like this one.
"A lot of voters are gonna look for a shortcut, are gonna look for a cue. ‘Who do I know and trust who supports this candidate’," Melissa Michelson, Political Scientist at Menlo College tells KTVU.
Supporters speak out for District 3 candidates
What they're saying:
David Collinge has lived in District 3 for three decades. He says supporting Chavez-Lopez was an easy choice, because his neighbors have vouched for her.
"And they’ve vouched for her only because she comes through with what she says she’s gonna do," Collinge tells KTVU.
But Tordillos is growing support across the city. He picked up an endorsement from San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who endorsed Matthew Quevedo before he lost, by just 6 votes.
"I felt after talking to both candidates that Anthony Tordillos had a level of independence, a certain curiosity and data-driven mindset. He’s an engineer, and I also come out of the tech world. He was really willing to get down to root causes," Mahan told KTVU.
But Chavez-Lopez says endorsements only go so far. She says she was very honest with the mayor about how she would work with the city if elected.
"I will share publicly what I told him directly: I am less concerned about aligning or misaligning with any city-wide agenda. I’m’ most concerned with making sure that we are bringing the voice of District 3 into every conversation we have about policy in because this district experiences all of these issues in very acute ways,' Chavez-Lopez told KTVU.
Expert says this race is still up for grabs
What's next:
"There’s a ton of folks, a majority of folks who didn’t vote for either of these candidates and so there’s plenty of room for either one of 'em to come out on top," Michelson said.
Both candidates seem to agree that homelessness and public safety are top priorities for District 3. Community members will have two chances to hear more from their candidates at forums scheduled for next week.
For more details on those forums, please visit the websites San Jose Chamber of Commerce or Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits.