San Jose Mayoral Race Heats Up

This is your guide to the 2022 Mayoral Election for the city of San Jose. The election, scheduled for June 7 of next year, will enable voters to select their choice to replace current Mayor Sam Liccardo who is unable to run for re-election due to term limits. Continue reading to learn more about the candidates and issues.

County Supervisor Cindy Chavez

County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who was re-elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors last November, will announce her candidacy for mayor of San Jose this Thursday, September 30 at a private event and has already filed paperwork with the city. Chavez is an early favorite in this race and has been polling extremely well in advance of formally declaring her candidacy. The announcement for Thursday’s event teased at a campaign slogan, — City of Equals — paying tribute to her longtime dedication to labor rights.  Chavez previously served as vice mayor of San Jose and as a member of the Board of Supervisors for close to 10 years. Supervisor Chavez has taken a prominent position in the County’s health updates throughout the COVID pandemic.  

Councilmember Matt Mahan Freshman Councilmember and former tech executive Matt Mahan announced his bid for San Jose mayor last Saturday at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds after months of speculation on his candidacy.  Days earlier, at the same location, Mahan introduced a plan to combat homelessness in the area, a staple of his platform. His campaign issues also include improving the city’s rising crime rate and dirty streets, as well as focusing on affordable housing. Mahan recently proposed an alternative

to the city’s Opportunity Housing framework for future housing planning, suggesting that planning for needed housing density be focused around transit corridors rather than city-wide.

Councilmember Devora (Dev) Davis

San Jose City Councilmember Dev Davis announced her campaign on August 4 at a local brewery. The invite-only event hosted over 100 attendees, including former Vice Mayor Pat Sausedo and current County Supervisor hopeful and Davis’s former councilmember colleague, Johnny Khamis. Many consider Davis to be the most moderate candidate in the race so far; key platform issues include homelessness, pandemic economic recovery and city cleanliness. Davis was re-elected to San Jose’s City Council in November 2020.

Councilmember Raul Peralez

Councilmember Raul Peralez was the first candidate to enter the race after virtually announcing his run for mayor in April of this year. He is running on a platform that focuses on affordable housing, equity and boosting disadvantaged communities and businesses. He has been endorsed by fellow councilmember Sergio Jimenez because of his work combatting homelessness.  

Jonathan Royce Esteban

Former congressional candidate Jonathan Royce Esteban entered the race in June of this year after first entering the political sphere in 2020 when running for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District. Esteban ran as a libertarian in Nevada, but has submitted his bid for Mayor of San Jose as a Democrat with a platform forcing on affordable housing and environmentalism.