Why does this race matter?
After eight years representing the district, Vice Mayor Pam Foley is termed out of her City Council seat, leaving an opening in a district that includes the suburban neighborhood of Cambrian. Foley is an ally of Mayor Matt Mahan and a key member of his moderate majority on the San José City Council.
Candidates
Genny AltwerPsychotherapist
Gordon ChesterCity infrastructure engineer, San José
Positions on Key Issues
Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, questionnaires, statements made at debates and public events, and past news coverage.
Mayor Matt Mahan and the City Council have invested heavily in building tiny homes for people experiencing homelessness. Do you agree with that approach?
Altwer says she supports tiny home investments “because it is really difficult to get people the services they need if they are continuously in the cycle of … living in an encampment or living on our streets.” She backs an expansion of no-encampment zones and agrees with Mahan’s policy of potentially arresting unhoused people who refuse multiple offers of shelter.
Chester believes the city has spent too much of its dedicated homeless funding on short-term shelter and not enough on building permanent housing or assisting residents on the brink of becoming homeless. “We need to figure out how to fill that gap because there are other areas — long-term and prevention — that are really needing more investment from the city,” he says.
The City Council recently moved ahead with plans to consider allowing denser housing in single-family neighborhoods. Do you agree with the move?
Altwer agrees with the decision and says the council is heading in the right direction. “We need more affordable housing. We need housing for our teachers, for public safety, police and fire,” she says. “We need housing for the folks that are here building the homes for us.”
Chester calls the council’s move a sign of progress. “When I think about that vote, I think about looking my 8-year-old daughter in the eye and saying we did everything we could to address housing in San José.”
Do you support the approval of more data centers in San José? Would you back the development of a data center in District 9?
Altwer says she wants to learn more about how data centers will be built and operate, but she doesn’t know where there would be the footprint to build one in District 9. “People are concerned about things like noise. They're concerned about water usage, energy usage, and my job is to be the voice for those community members,” she says.
Chester says, “I definitely understand the community concerns, and I'm really thankful that the city is taking months to have both the community members and the workforce present their voice and making sure that we create new standards.” He says he can’t envision any parcels in District 9 that would be suitable for a data center.
Two large city unions are currently in a standoff with the city over wage increases. How would you balance the needs of workers with the city’s budget?
Altwer points to her experience as a hostage negotiator with the San Mateo Police Department and says, “The number one component of a negotiation is listening, and the labor unions need to be heard.” She says, “If we start losing our city employees, it's going to cost us more in the long run to replace those jobs than to really hear them out and come to the table with a fair offer.”
Chester is a member of one of the unions that has reached an impasse in bargaining with the city. He says the city has been understaffed for years and says, “Right now, the employees are right … I don't know why we wouldn't want San José to get the best of the best. That way we can be competitive as an employer and make sure our residents get the best service.”
What is your vision for making it easier to start and maintain a small business in District 9?
Altwer says she is looking at the issue from a “crime perspective.” She adds, “We have to make sure that we have enough law enforcement to conduct preventative measures to make sure that small businesses can also thrive without having to fear being victimized in some way.”
Chester is proposing the idea of an “accessory commercial unit” — small businesses operated on residential lots. “Something that fits the neighborhood, really brings out community, can help us meet our neighbors in a more organic way.”
Key Supporters
This list represents notable organizations and individuals who have taken a position on the ballot measure or candidate, or who are funding campaigns in support or opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.
For Altwer
- Pam Foley, vice mayor, San José
- Matt Mahan, mayor, San José
- San José Police Officers Association
- Santa Clara County Association of Realtors
- Silicon Valley Biz PAC
For Chester
- Jim Beall, former California state senator
- Dave Cortese, California state senator
- San José YIMBY
- Santa Clara County Democratic Party
- South Bay Labor Council