Field set to decide next San Jose District 3 representative. Here’s who is running

Residents in San Jose District 3 now have a better understanding of whom their next leader will be as the field on who’s running to replace disgraced former Councilmember Omar Torres is set.

Following Friday’s deadline, seven candidates split between political newcomers and the city’s old guard have qualified to appear on the April 8 special election ballot, while 11 candidates have submitted applications to fill the leadership void in an interim capacity.

The early frontrunners for the seat include Irene Smith, the most recent challenger to Torres, Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez and Matthew Quevedo, the deputy of chief to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who has already endorsed him.

“Matthew’s superpower, if you want to call it that, is bringing people together to solve problems in their local community,” Mahan told The Mercury News. “He is the consummate community organizer, and he’s somebody who, for the last five years, has been building relationships with neighborhood leaders across the city and working with them to help them navigate local government and organize themselves to create the kind of change they want to see in their neighborhood.”

Rounding out the special election field are retired law enforcement officer Adam Duran, former mayoral challenger Tyrone Wade and knife sharpener salesman Philip Dolan.

Duran, who is wading into politics for the first time, has touted his experience as a law enforcement manager, which he said provides him with a unique skillset not found on the current City Council.

“I will prioritize solutions that expand affordable housing, strengthen mental health services and revitalize our downtown while addressing and improving public safety,” he said. “District 3 residents have been rocked by a reprehensible scandal involving our last council member. While there is still an ongoing investigation, I am determined to restore accountability, integrity and transparency to city hall.”

District 3 residents have faced a leadership void for the past few months after Torres was accused of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors.

After initially bucking calls for his resignation from political, business and neighborhood leaders, including the launch of a recall campaign, Torres stepped down from office on Election Day before police arrested him on multiple felony molestation charges.

With the prospect of a special election not finalizing a winner until the summer, the City Council has also opted to temporarily fill the District 3 seat through an interim appointment. To avoid providing a campaign advantage to the incumbent, city leaders said candidates for the special election would not be considered for the interim appointment.

The current 11-person interim applicant pool contains a wide breadth of experience, including political newcomers and those who previously either worked in governmental affairs, for a local or state elected official or had served on the City Council.

Some of the leading candidates include:

• engineer and businessman Carl Salas
• former prosecutor and City Councilmember David Pandori
• San Jose State director of DEI partnerships and university-community liaison Jahmal Williams
• Caltrain government and community affairs officer Baltazar Lopez
• Land-use and development consultant Bob Staedler
• Danielle Christian, former deputy policy director for Supervisor Joe Simitian

Also running are insurance agency manager Jeff Tang, Jose Posadas, a Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters specialist, educator and artist Kathryn Bell, aerospace engineer Syna Saberi and a person only identified as Roxanne.

With the appointment acting as a stop-gap, several candidates noted the importance of experience to fill the leadership void and ensure the district is adequately represented as the city goes through the upcoming budget process.

“They have to regain trust with the District 3 constituents and be their voice, not a political pawn for someone else’s ambition,” Staedler said. “When there is an issue, that person will be the first person to stand up to fix the problem. Looking at the challenges of the budget for the coming year, it demands someone to address issues and be able to step in on day one.”

The City Council will whittle down the field on Friday when it must decide which candidates to interview on Jan. 28 for the interim appointment.

To qualify for an interview, candidates must have received votes from at least four city councilmembers.

Mahan has indicated that he was drawn to Pandori’s past experience on the City Council and Salas’ business acumen and community involvement but was still willing to consider other candidates.

“What I have been saying to folks is I am reading all the applications and looking forward to the interview process and hearing people’s responses, but I’m particularly impressed with Carl Salas and David (Pandori) at this point and feel that I’d be very happy with either of them,” Mahan said. “That’s not to say others are not qualified and I think there are a lot of great folks who put their hats in the ring. I still need to read everyone’s applications and hear their answers to our questions, and who knows, I might surprise myself. Until I’ve made a firm decision on how I’m voting, I try to preserve or retain open-mindedness and an ability to change my mind based on what I’m hearing.”