As I have done in the past, I'm posting my ballot picks for June 7 California Primary. I post these for those that have questions. As I have written in the past, I'm not trying to convince anyone. These are not endorsements, but they are who I'm voting for. (ok, maybe that is kind of like an endorsement, but whatever).
Mayor: Cindy Chavez: https://www.cindychavezformayor.com/
I have seen Cindy in action for 20 years, as part of the local Democratic Party. She is a fierce competitor, as anyone who saw her run against Sam Liccardo 8 years ago will remember. But in my role on the boards of 2 local nonprofits, Sacred Heart Community Service and Gardner Health Services(a community clinic with over 60,000 patients/yr), she has consistently come through for the less fortunate in our community with significant funding on Housing, Homelessness and Rental Assistance, among may other issues. She's the most experienced candidate who will continue to be a voice for the marginalized, and has a clear vision for a better San Jose. All Cindy, All the Way.
City Council District 3: Omar Torres http://omartorres.org/
I'm not in District 3, but my friend Omar Torres is running there. I've seen him operate in the Democratic Party for the last 20 years, and he has matured into quite a capable leader. I trust him on the issues, and I trust his judgment both from a governance perspective as well as from a political perspective. If you live in D3, where he was born and raised in the "La Wash" neighborhood, he is worthy of your vote. "Go Omar!"
Congress: Anna Eshoo: https://annaeshoo4congress.com/
Anna has been a great supporting of Silicon Valley, and her office assisted me on some activitism back in the day. Vote for her. Ajwan Rading is a young up and coming candidate, but he's still green on some issues important to the district like patent reform, and did not seem entirely supportive of the Labor Movement in some local events. Great future candidate, but Anna wins this one for me.
For those not in my district, I wholeheartedly recommend 2 great public servants, Zoe Lofgren, and Jimmy Panetta. Zoe's history speaks for itself. She's a figure of historic importance. And I have been in party Zoom meetings with Jimmy, and he's the real deal, and I know his father is proud. He's a serious, policy oriented House member, with detailed knowledge about issues that affect our area.
Governor: Gavin Newsom: https://gavinnewsom.com/
Looks, I had my doubts about him. Was he just a glory-chasing celebrity pol? Ok, maybe a smidge, but he's been governing well and doing a good job working with the legislature.
The rest of the state offices:
- Lieutenant Governor: Eleni Kounalakis
- Secretary of State: Dr. Shirley Weber
- Attorney General: Rob Bonta
- Treasurer: Fiona Ma
- Controller: Malia Cohen
Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara: https://ricardolara.com/
Don't know much about him, but as the incumbent, if I did, it would be because he was messing up. Re-elect.
Senate(Partial Term), and Senate: Alex Padilla: https://alex-padilla.com/
I'm proud to have him as my senator. Since he's filling in Kamala's team, you have to vote for him for the rest of the year, AND for the next team. It's California law, don't blame me.
Assembly Member: Rob Rennie: http://robrennie.com
Los Gatos City Council member, and strong environmentalist, as well as an engineer. 2 thumbs up.
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony K. Thurmond: https://www.tonythurmond.com/
Doing well, re-elect.
Supervisor: Susan Ellenberg: https://www.susanellenberg.com/
On the right side (my side) of all the issues. Deserves re-election.
Assessor: Larry Stone: https://www.larrystoneforassessor.com/
Doing a good job in a tough office, and always pleasant to talk to.
District Attorney: Sajid Khan: http://votesajid.com
This is a difficult one for me. On the one hand Jeff Rosen has been a decent Democratic attorney District Attorney. On the other hand I've been frustrated with him at being too close to the San Jose police and not following up on the various stories of police misbehavior. He's been mildly progressive come up but I think we deserve more. Also, district attorneys do not have term limits, and it's time for a change. I do not want to be in a situation like back in the days with George Kennedy where we have an imperial District Attorney for 25 years. I support Sajid Khan because he'd be a progressive District Attorney and would look to lessen the carceral state, by looking for other alternatives other than jail for people with minor offenses. As a public defender, he's had a front row seat at viewing prosecutorial misconduct and prosecutorial overreach. I hope that this will moderate his approach to law enforcement.
Sherriff: Christine Nagaye: https://www.nagayeforsheriff.com/
This is one of those races where there are not too many good choices. Nearly all of the candidates are associated with the existing corrupt regime in the Sheriff's Office, or are Republicans. I would normally vote for Ahn Colton because she's not even a member of the Sheriff's Department, but as of 2020 she was a registered republican, and that's just a bridge too far for me these days. She's not a serious candidate either, as she doesn't even have a website. Christine Nagaye is at least registered as a Democrat. God help us.
Measure A: Vote No.
A back door way of EXTENDING Water Board term limits, NOT limiting them. Term limits measure critics call 'intellectually dishonest' placed on June ballot in Santa Clara County (mercurynews.com)
Measure B: Yes, I guess?
This measure seeks to move the San Jose mayoral elections to the presidential election year. The idea is that more people vote during presidential elections and therefore we would have greater voter participation. OK, I 'spose. I'm not sure I follow this logic, because I think having elections more than once every four years it is important. Moreover, if you believe there are a fixed number of people working on elections this would essentially dilute campaigns and make them much less effective. It is also important to remind people that we live in a democracy and that as voters we have a responsibility to keep our elected officials in check frequently. And frequently fighting for democracy is important these days given the attack mounted against it. (See: Jan 6).
