The interest in replacing disgraced former San Jose District 3 City Councilmember Omar Torres through an interim appointment and special election continues to grow as the filing deadline rapidly approaches this week.
Thirteen prospective candidates of a wide range of occupations and political experience have officially requested nomination paperwork for the special election.
Only two candidates — Irene Smith, a pro tem judge, former IBM employee and the most recent political challenger to Torres, and Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez — have filed election paperwork before the Friday deadline.
“A big, broad collection of candidates in the special election is 100% aligned with the wonderfully diverse communities that make D3 so special,” Smith said. “It’s a testament to the grass-roots, activist, intensely local nature of our neighborhoods and businesses. I say, ‘Bravo,’ to everyone who is joining me in the race and I look forward to the policy conversations we can all have to lift up D3 and get us back on track.”
Smith has centered her policy agenda around bigger, faster homelessness solutions, pro-local business incentives in the district, greater accountability and control over spending and improving the citizen input process.
Chavez-Lopez has prioritized support for small businesses and economic mobility, safe and vibrant neighborhoods, and providing “real solutions to the homelessness crisis with compassion and action.”
Despite only two candidates officially filing, several have begun fundraising for their campaigns, including Matthew Quevedo, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s deputy chief of staff, and Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos.
Also potentially joining the field are a pair of former mayoral challengers, Tyrone Wade and Marshall Woodmansee, attorney and former city council candidate Elizabeth Chien-Hale as well as Phillip Dolan, David Parker, Vaibhav Awasthi, James Campbell, Adam Duran and a person only identified as “Roxanne,” according to the city clerk’s website.
The City Council chose to fill the vacant seat through an interim appointment and special election after Torres tendered his resignation due to his arrest on multiple felony child molestation charges.
Before the seat became vacant, residents, political leaders and prominent organizations had called for Torres to step down due to another sexual misconduct probe unrelated to the charges he currently faces. Quevedo also played a significant role in organizing a recall campaign against Torres before he vacated the seat.
The special election, which could cost between $2 million and $3.2 million, is set for April 8, with a runoff tentatively scheduled for June 24 if none of the candidates receive a majority of the vote.
However, with the possibility of not having an elected leader in position until the summer, the City Council will temporarily fill the void after interviewing interested applicants on Jan. 28.
The City Council will not consider any applicants for the interim role that also run in the special election to avoid granting any campaign advantages to the incumbent.
The submission of an application does not guarantee advancement in the process, as at least four council members will have to indicate interest in interviewing the person.
Through Tuesday, four District 3 residents had submitted applications for the interim role, including engineer Carl Salas, former prosecutor and city councilmember David Pandori, army veteran and musician Dennis Kyne and Kathryn Bell, a local educator and artist.
It remains to be seen to what extent the council will consider Kyne’s application after his public outburst during the Nov. 19 Council meeting when city officials deliberated how to fill the District 3 seat.
While advocating for an immediate temporary appointment, Kyne broke public comment rules by directly addressing individual councilmembers. He said, “I’m going to be doing what I’m doing, and you’re going to be quiet,” before Mahan cut off Kyne’s microphone, and Kyne was flanked by security.
Bell, a longtime District 3 resident, said she was inspired to apply for the stopgap role because she saw an opportunity to make a difference through policy initiatives and felt that her own life experience — including navigating housing challenges — could resonate with residents.
“We need somebody we can trust and is accessible,” Bell said.
