San Jose voters in Districts 5, 7 and 9 pick City Council members on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in runoffs between the top two finishers from the June 2 primary.
Why it matters: The races could shift the balance between San Jose's labor- and business-backed blocs on the council, San José Spotlight reported.
District 5 (East San Jose)
Incumbent Peter Ortiz took 44.9% in June. Former Councilmember and Assemblymember Nora Campos, who held the seat from 2001 to 2010 and lost to Ortiz in 2022, finished second with 20.2%.
Ortiz, who drew most of the labor-bloc spending, is running on his record, including immigrant protections and catalytic converter theft prevention. Campos argues he has not delivered promised neighborhood improvements.
District 7
Incumbent Bien Doan, a retired firefighter, led the primary with 47.9% (6,201 votes), per Ballotpedia. Van Le, an East Side Union High School District trustee on her third run for the seat, got 22.4% (2,907), narrowly ahead of Rafael García.
Doan points to public safety, street and park work. Le says she wants to repair unity in a district she says has been divided by feuds involving Doan.
District 9 (Willow Glen, Cambrian Park)
This is an open seat: Vice Mayor Pam Foley terms out in December. Business-aligned Genny Altwer led with 35.5% and has since been endorsed by Mayor Matt Mahan, Rep. Sam Liccardo and Foley. Labor-backed Gordon Chester, a longtime city Public Works employee, finished second with 22.2%.
Not on the ballot
District 1 Councilmember Rosemary Kamei and District 3 Councilmember Anthony Tordillos ran unopposed. San Jose placed no city measures on the November ballot, according to SPUR. The hotel tax increase, Measure A, passed in June.
See every Bay Area race in our Election 2026 guide.