Santa Clara County – In one of the most important Santa Clara County races in recent memory, a San Jose board member seeks to disrupt the county’s decades-old streak of victories in District 1, potentially tipping the balance toward the forward camp of the Board of Supervisors for years to Come.
Sylvia Arenas, representing parts of eastern San Jose, competes against Johnny Khamis, a former San Jose City Council member. Khamis is trying to attract moderate and conservative voters in the predominantly rural area, which extends into southern Santa Clara County.
Whoever is elected will help determine how to spend a massive budget north of $11 billion – roughly equal to the gross domestic product of the Bahamas – and oversee an area that includes the cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy and is in the midst of major demographic transitions.
While Arenas and Khamis have similar priorities — and both promise to tackle homelessness, public safety, and post-pandemic economic recovery — their approaches to problem-solving are very different.
“I believe in investments and regime change. I don’t know I see that exactly from my opponent,” said Arenas, whose term on San Jose City Council expires in 2024.
Meanwhile, Khamis says he’s worried about the county’s unchecked spending. “Before we get into something,” he said, “I want to study the pros and cons, if we get a good value or if we get robbed.”
Question and answer about issues
What do you think of Governor Gavin Newsom’s CARE Court, a new program that will include California counties delegating mental health care in certain circumstances?
squares: “This is not the answer to all of our problems. What is missing is long-term care. This is what will truly prepare people for success. Just forgetting about these people is not the answer.”
Thursday: “Very much in support. I want to make sure (funding) is spent wisely.”
A new proposal for a prison in Santa Clara County was recently pushed aside. Will you vote to build the facility or not?
squares: “I’m not sure exactly where I’m going to land. I want to make sure there is a dignified environment for those who work there and who are incarcerated. And I want to make sure there are mental health facilities that don’t exist now.”
Thursday: “I think we cannot allow perfection to be the enemy of good. Going out to bid for years is not the right way to get (things) done.”
The county is currently embroiled in a lawsuit against a church in San Jose as they attempt to recover millions of dollars in COVID-related fines. It also prosecutes small businesses for similar violations. What do you think of this and the district’s general approach to the pandemic?
squares: “I think it was more important to keep people safe. I definitely go to my church for my spiritual needs. But I don’t ask them for my medical recommendations.”
Thursday: “I thought the approach of the entire county was too draconian from day one. I want to forgive these fines for everyone. Why should we keep going this way? Stop chasing the money I don’t think we’ll ever get.”
A sand and gravel mine has been proposed at D1 near Gilroy. Do you support it or oppose it?
squares: “I know there are indigenous tribal groups that hope to protect that land. Sometimes[mining resources]have been prioritized over honoring the land of the people who came before us. We need to make sure we continue to support that.”
Thursday: “I have to look at the numbers. How harmful is this to the environment? Are we pushing the pollution to another country? I don’t know where I stand…but I will rely on looking at the facts and the pros and cons, as I do in every decision.”
What is the nice thing you can say about your opponent?
squares: “I love Johnny. Agreed. What I respect about him is his focus on his family. It’s proof of how people can thrive and thrive in this country.”
Thursday: “I think (Sylvia) is very elegant. She has really good social skills. I think she’s very socially adept. I think she gets on with people really well.”
Who will come out on top?
Although Arenas were able to outpace Khamis in the June primary with 1,462 votes, political analysts for the race say there is no clear candidate at the moment.
“It’s very difficult to predict races like this,” said Larry Gerston, a professor of political science at San Jose State University. “The turnout and the voters are rather low. And when you talk about something that small, a difference of four to five thousand votes can rewrite exactly what anyone thinks.”
However, some developments since the primary may provide clues as to who will be the next supervisor.
Khamis has the endorsements of current D1 supervisor Mike Wasserman — who expired this year after serving since 2010 — and San Jose Mayor Sam Licardo, which could be vital in attracting moderate and conservative voters in the area.
But the labor-backed Arenas garnered the support of her other two main opponents in June: Claudia Rossi and Rich Constantine. That could pose a danger to Khamis if Russian voters and Constantine jump in the Arenas bandwagon, giving her a comfortable lead over her conservative opponent.
On the other hand, Gerston said, Republican voters who come out for a conservative candidate like Khamis are traditionally more inclined to head to the polls than progressives.
“If you’re able to get a Republican vote high in a place where Democrats are lethargic, you can flip a lot of the election differently,” he said.
Another key indicator of how the D1 race is tilting is the result of the mayor’s race between San Jose Councilman Matt Mahan and D2 County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who led in the June primary by more than 10,000 votes, Gerston said.
“I think the D1 race is likely to reflect that,” he said of the results of the mayoral race in November. I think Chavez’s voice will probably help Arenas. Mahan Khamis will help. It will have some influence on what happens.”
from San Jose News Bulletin https://sjnewsbulletin.com/the-d1-candidates-in-santa-clara-county-have-similar-priorities-but-very-different-approaches/
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https://sjnewsbulletin.com/the-d1-candidates-in-santa-clara-county-have-similar-priorities-but-very-different-approaches/
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