- Home
- California Voter Guide
- Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County
U.S. House of Representatives, District 16
Top candidate wins seat.
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 17
Top candidate wins seat.
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 18
Top candidate wins seat.
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 19
Top candidate wins seat.
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Senate, District 10
Top candidate wins seat.
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 23
Top candidate wins seat.
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 24
Top candidate wins seat.
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 25
Top candidate wins seat.
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 26
Top candidate wins seat.
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 28
Top candidate wins seat.
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 29
Top candidate wins seat.
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
Sheriff
Robert “Bob” Jonsen and Kevin Jensen, the top-two finishers in the June primary — with 31.9% and 30.4% of the vote respectively — are facing off in November to replace Sheriff Laurie Smith. Smith is declining to seek reelection amid grand jury allegations of misconduct and an ongoing investigation into cases of abuse at county jails.
Candidates

Retired Sheriff’s Captain

Former Palo Alto Chief of Police
Positions on Key IssuesCandidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.
Public Trust
Sheriff Laurie Smith has been accused of misconduct by a civil grand jury and the sheriff’s department is being investigated by the California Department of Justice. How will you restore public trust in this office?
Jensen served for decades in the county sheriff’s department, assuming numerous leadership positions. In 2014, a year after retiring, he ran an unsuccessful bid to unseat Smith, and has since worked as a private instructor, training other deputies. Jensen says his deep experience in the department and close relationship with its deputies make him uniquely qualified to identify and root out corruption. “They want accountability, but they want it from somebody that they believe in,” Jensen says.
Jonsen served as Palo Alto chief of police for four years, before stepping down earlier this year to run for sheriff. For five years before that, he was chief of the Menlo Park Police Department. Jonsen says his experience running local police departments will bring a “fresh perspective” to the sheriff’s office. Among other proposed changes, he has suggested creating an internal advisory group in the sheriff’s office, as well as a community oversight panel composed of residents and business owners, similar to one he established in Palo Alto.
County Jail
In recent years, there have been multiple incidents in which mentally ill people incarcerated in the county jails were severely injured or killed. What steps will you take to improve the treatment of mentally ill people detained in county facilities?
Jensen says, “Nobody knows the jails any better than I do.” He served for several years as the assistant chief of the Department of Correction at the sheriff’s office. Jensen says he wants the county Board of Supervisors to provide more funding to support incarcerated people suffering from mental illness. He also says he supports the construction of a new jail — an ongoing and controversial debate in the county — to create more space and opportunity for incarcerated people who require support from mental health professionals.
Jonsen agrees with his opponent on the need for a new jail in the county. He has also proposed launching an intern program for clinicians, psychologists and psychiatrists to increase mental health staffing in the department in the short-term. “Maybe we have five student interns under one trained clinician or psychologist,” he says. “That’s a great access point for people to be able to make appointments and not have to wait months to see somebody.”
Oversight
The department’s independent monitor, the Office of Correction and Law Enforcement Monitoring (OCLEM), says its efforts to obtain documents related to internal investigations have been stymied by Sheriff Smith. How will you improve relations with OCLEM?
Jensen says he welcomes the oversight from OCLEM and believes that more people in the sheriff’s office will feel comfortable cooperating with the monitor after Smith steps down. As sheriff, he says he would balance the need for oversight with “the rights of personnel issues,” adding that “not everybody should have everything that they've ever done leaked to the public.”
Jonsen has touted his previous experience working with Michael Gennaco, OCLEM’s project manager and lead attorney for Palo Alto’s independent police auditor, and vowed to “dramatically improve” the relationship with the monitor. While Jonsen faced criticism as Palo Alto police chief for pushing to limit the auditor’s scope, he says the oversight is “only healthy for an organization and a community.”
Your Questions, Answered
Deborah in Milpitas asks:
What's your plan for jail overcrowding?
Jensen says "Though the jail population is actually lower than previous years, we need to look to the future and find solutions that balance the need for compassion and consequences. We cannot lock them all up or let them all out. We cannot incarcerate our way out of current problems, yet we need to protect the public from violent and serious repeat offenders who continue to victimize people. I plan on creating a Streamlining Committee of stakeholders who will approach with data and reason the pending new jail that was designed with mental health clinician assistance as well as alternative sentencing, rehabilitation opportunities, front end mental health funding, and community support. Overcrowding can only be solved with solutions realized from a collaborative effort of knowledgeable and caring stakeholders.”
Jonsen says "I want to implement alternative options to incarceration in hopes of keeping the jails from returning to the pre-pandemic numbers. Three parts to this plan include prevention and diversion, expanding programs for mental health response, and expand conservation camp programs. Reinvest in prevention and intervention programs for at-risk youth in hopes of breaking the pipeline to incarceration. Expand the network between Law Enforcement PERT teams, the County’s Mobile Response Team (Clinicians), and the TRUST program. This will have a tremendous impact on the number of individuals living with mental health and substance abuse ending up in jail. Lastly, expanding fire suppression workforce opportunities can be extremely beneficial. Justice-housed individuals get well trained and really serve us in a positive capacity during fire season. These programs do not have to be limited to fire suppression but for other work-related fields as well."
Key SupportersThis list represents notable organizations and officials who have taken a position on the ballot measure, or who are funding the campaigns in support or in opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.This list represents notable organizations and officials who have taken a position on the ballot measure, or who are funding the campaigns in support or in opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.
San Jose Mayor
Santa Clara Supervisor Cindy Chavez and San Jose City Council member Matt Mahan face in a runoff to determine the next leader of the country's 10th-largest city. San Jose’s mayor guides the city’s budget process and appoints council members to committees, but has just one vote on legislation and cannot hire or fire department heads. Chavez finished first in the June primary with 39% of the vote, followed by Mahan with 32% of the vote.
Candidates

Santa Clara County Supervisor

San Jose Councilmember
Positions on Key IssuesCandidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.
Homelessness
What strategies would you use to combat homelessness in San Jose, which increased by 11% during the pandemic?
Chavez supports a housing-first approach of building supportive units for low-income residents and the unhoused. She was the chief supporter of Measure A, the $950 million housing bond passed by Santa Clara County voters in 2016. She says the estimated 4,400 new units that the bond will pay for are “a small portion of what we need to do to fight homelessness,” and that the city should also fund interim solutions like shelters.
Mahan says the housing-first approach has merit but is “extremely slow and extremely expensive.” As a member of the City Council, he has backed proposals to add thousands of housing units for the unhoused through the construction of prefabricated buildings and the use of existing motel rooms. “Let’s go after scalable, efficient solutions to get people indoors,” he says.
Public Safety
What is your vision for public safety in San Jose?
Chavez is pledging funding to hire 45 new police officers every year. She has been criticized by opponents for votes she took on the City Council to expand police retiree benefits, which contributed to the billions in unfunded liabilities San Jose faced after the Great Recession. But she says her support from state and local law enforcement makes her uniquely positioned to encourage police recruitment. “What they know is that I am committed — absolutely committed — to making sure that we have enough people to respond to calls for service,” she says.
Mahan is promising to hire 200 new officers over the next four years. But he says the current request from the San Jose Police Officers’ Association for a 14% raise over the next two years — a boost the group argues will help increase retention — will place undue strain on the city’s budget, and has instead vowed to prioritize “more staffing” rather than “simply giving larger raises to the existing employees.”
Housing
What ideas do you support around housing affordability and the construction of new housing units?
Chavez, as a county supervisor, opposed state Senate Bill 9, a 2021 law to allow the construction of duplexes in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes, calling it a “one-size-fits-all approach to residential zoning.” She has instead advocated for more legal assistance and direct aid to help people stay in their current homes, and to secure additional funding for the city’s Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement Department to expedite housing approvals.
Mahan, as a City Council member, also opposed SB 9, saying development in San Jose should instead be focused around denser urban areas. He has the support of many large developers and has advocated for fee reduction and streamlined permitting. He also opposes developer linkage fees — used to raise money for affordable housing — and says the city should actually return development processing fees if it misses permit review or inspection deadlines.
Early Action
Term-limit changes mean the winner of this election will be back on the ballot in November 2024. If elected now, what tangible changes can you promise voters in the coming two years?
Chavez says, under her leadership, San Jose residents will quickly notice shorter police-response times and more aggressive efforts to clean up graffiti and garbage in the city. And she also promises to make quick headway in reducing San Jose’s unhoused population, pledging that “people will see a difference in the number of homeless people that we see on the streets.”
Mahan promises quick action on what he calls “core responsibilities,” including public safety and cleanliness. He has vowed to quickly enact a program to pay unhoused residents to help clean parts of the city and “get more neighbors out volunteering to invest in beautification, cleaning up graffiti.”
Executive Power
San Jose’s charter gives the mayor less executive authority than mayors in San Francisco and Oakland. How would you make the most of the mayor’s power?
Chavez says that as a county supervisor, she was able to forge compromises with fellow board members on complex issues such as the county’s COVID-19 response. “I didn't have any special power,” she says of her time on the board. “The mayor of San Jose’s superpower, for lack of a better word, has to be able to bring people together to be effective.” Chavez says she supports the current structure of city government, as it requires the mayor to build consensus on the City Council.
Mahan prefers a governmental system that allots more power to the mayor, saying the current structure diffuses responsibility. Mahan says he would use the budget process to set tangible goals for the city — and then tie council-member and department-head compensation to the achievement of those goals. And he hopes to hold city government more accountable by creating a public “dashboard of results.” But Mahan’s fellow council members, even those ideologically aligned with him, have questioned his ability to forge compromise on the council, after just two years in elected office.
Your Questions, Answered
Cyrus in West San Jose asks:
With regards to pension obligations for city employees, what does the mayoral candidate intend to do to get costs under control? What percentage of the budget is acceptable for San Jose taxpayers to service pension obligations?
Chavez says "After years of legally specious ballot measures and court battles, the City changed tactics and worked together with its employees to place Measure F on the ballot in November 2016. Measure F reduced the City’s retirement obligations and required that employees contribute a much larger share of their paychecks towards their own retirement benefits. By partnering with its employees to lower pension obligations, the City was also able to ensure that compensation remained competitive so that San Jose can continue to attract talent from around the region and the country. The next mayor must also ensure the City’s pension funds are following sound investment strategies aimed at generating greater returns and better keeping pace with pension funds of other jurisdictions."
Mahan says "As we negotiate fair pension payments we need to remember we are using taxpayer funds and that every dollar that goes to pensions is a dollar that does not go to fighting crime, ending street homelessness, cleaning our city or any other important priority. There is nothing wrong with unions fighting hard for their members. That is their job. What can go wrong is when elected officials don’t do their jobs – balancing many needs to find a fair outcome. When my opponent was on the City Council she ran up massive unfunded pension obligations. As Mayor I will fight to pay down our debts to free up funds for other critical priorities."
Key SupportersThis list represents notable organizations and officials who have taken a position on the ballot measure, or who are funding the campaigns in support or in opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.This list represents notable organizations and officials who have taken a position on the ballot measure, or who are funding the campaigns in support or in opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.
Supervisor, District 1
One of five seats on the board of supervisors, District 1 runs from San Jose’s foothills to the fields of Gilroy. Current supervisor Mike Wasserman is termed out after twelve years in office. In the June primary, Arenas received 28% of the vote and Khamis received 26% of the vote in a five-candidate field.
Candidates

Former San Jose Councilmember

San Jose Councilmember
Positions on Key IssuesCandidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.
Homelessness
In the last decade, Santa Clara County has pursued a “housing first” approach to solving homelessness. Should the county continue this strategy?
Khamis says, “It’s time to call the plan what it is: Failed.” He says he would prioritize treatment for those with addiction issues or mental illness over the construction of supportive housing. “If you give them a key to a brand new $800,000 unit, they're not going to be able to take care of themselves,” says Khamis, who has also voiced strong support for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to compel some Californians with severe mental illness to seek county treatment.
Arenas says the county’s current approach is working, and that once supportive housing is made available, “the chances that that person loses that stability of a home is very much reduced.” She says she also believes in experimenting with short-term responses: When an overnight parking program she backed was scrapped due to low participation, Arenas pivoted to supporting motel vouchers for homeless families.
Open Space
What is your vision for development in the region’s open space and agricultural land?
Khamis points to his tenure on the San Jose City Council, during which he says he pushed for the preservation of the Santa Teresa foothills by facilitating deals between residents and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. As a councilmember, he also voted in 2019 for San Jose to spend $46 million to buy and preserve 937 acres in Coyote Valley. As a supervisor, he says he intends to protect agricultural land and provide county assistance to farmers.
Arenas, as a San Jose City Council member, backed Measure C, a successful 2018 ballot measure to restrict housing development in outlying areas of the city. The campaign was launched to block a competing measure that would have rezoned industrial parts of Arenas’ district to build senior housing developments. “We need dense housing,” says Arenas, who advocates for more housing development in more populated areas of the city near public transit. “We don't need this (sprawling) growth that we've experienced — it’s very expensive for our cities.”
County Jail
Earlier this year, the county Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to move ahead with the construction of a new jail. Opponents say the county should instead spend funds on a mental health facility. How would you have voted?
Khamis says that while both facilities are needed, he would have voted with the majority to move ahead with construction of the new jail. He has also criticized delays caused by supervisors further studying the issue: “There’s no sense of the business world and how costs go up over time,” he says.
Arenas says she “probably would stand with the people who didn’t support it, and not because I don’t think that there should be a new jail.” She says the Board of Supervisors should take a closer look at “systemic issues” such as resources for mental health treatment outside of the county jails.
Key SupportersThis list represents notable organizations and officials who have taken a position on the ballot measure, or who are funding the campaigns in support or in opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.This list represents notable organizations and officials who have taken a position on the ballot measure, or who are funding the campaigns in support or in opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.
State Senate, District 10
Outgoing state Sen. Bob Wieckowski is termed out, leaving open a seat in a district that stretches from Hayward to Sunnyvale. Roughly 44% of the citizen voting-age population in the district is Asian, the largest share of any Senate district in the state. In the June primary, Mei came out on top with 33% of the vote, to Wahab’s 30%, with outside groups contributing heavily to both sides.
Top candidate wins seat.
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
Candidates

Fremont Mayor
DEMOCRAT

Hayward Councilmember
DEMOCRAT
Positions on Key IssuesCandidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.
Homelessness
Why are you the best candidate to address the state’s homelessness crisis?
Mei touts her experience as mayor of Fremont, where she led a push to open the city’s first navigation center in 2020, a shelter where unhoused people can connect with service providers. She notes how the project was controversial from the get-go, and faced intense local backlash, but says she is “really proud of the results.” A year after it opened, 31 of the center's 66 unhoused participants have found permanent housing. Mei says she would try to build on the navigation center model statewide, if elected to the Legislature.
Wahab also points to her strong support, as a City Council member, for a new navigation center in Hayward in 2019. “We worked with the community,” she says, adding, “We actually didn't, unlike a lot of other cities, have pushback.” In its first year, 45 of the center’s 91 residents found permanent housing. Wahab says she aspires to champion measures in the state Legislature that give local residents priority for spots in new housing developments.
Housing
What housing policies would you support if elected?
Mei says she supported a streamlined, online permitting process for creating accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Fremont. As a state legislator, she pledges to advocate for more funding for workforce housing and to improve communication with residents and local officials about pending state housing proposals. “It’s easier to adopt something if people understand the impacts,” she says.
Wahab says she would push for a statewide inclusionary housing policy, requiring builders to earmark a certain number of units for affordable housing in every new development. “If the state is willing to say, ‘OK, every single development needs to have 10% affordable housing,’ I think that's the responsible approach,” she says.
Public Safety
What approaches do you support to bolster public safety?
Mei says she would “like to revisit” a provision in Proposition 47 that increased the monetary threshold — from $400 to $950 — at which theft could be prosecuted as a felony. “It has gotten very challenging for our police and our community,” she says. “We should not be rewarding people and giving them the idea that you can commit a crime.” As mayor of Fremont, Mei supported funding a controversial program to place police officers in Fremont schools, saying the decision reflected concerns raised by the local PTA.
Wahab says the punishment of thefts should be reformed to provide more restitution, with a focus on restorative justice. “That means hours of (community) service,” she says. “That means giving back to those individuals that were violated.” She points to her vote as a Hayward City Council member, to create a mental health crisis team to handle some emergency calls. “This project actually allows for the police to focus on actual crime,” says Wahab.