Liccardo, Cortese Headed For Runoff In San Jose Mayors Race

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SAN JOSE (CBS SF) In a low-turnout primary election in Santa Clara County Tuesday, the races for mayor of San Jose and three of five San Jose city councilmembers are headed for runoff elections this fall, Sheriff Laurie Smith was re-elected, and all eight ballot measures passed, according to unofficial results.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese and San Jose Councilman Sam Liccardo, neither of whom received a majority of votes for mayor, will face each other in a runoff election on Nov. 4. Six candidates who finished first and second in the balloting for the open seats in City Council Districts 1, 3, and 7 will also face off that day.

Meanwhile, in the hotly contested race for council District 5, which includes East San Jose, Magdalena Carrasco received more than 53 percent of the votes, a majority and enough to unseat San Jose City Councilman Xavier Campos, who received a little more than 33 percent.

Cortese garnered more than 33 percent of city voters for mayor to Liccardos 25 percent. After them, the other top vote-getters for mayor were San Jose Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen with 21 percent, San Jose City Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio at almost 10 percent and Councilwoman Rose Herrera with a bit above 6 percent.

Cortese, a former San Jose councilman and vice mayor who has two years remaining in his second term as supervisor, has pitched a three point plan to beef-up the citys police patrols, suppress street gangs and bring residents, businesses and schools together to resolve problems. He also advocates city-run homework centers and reading programs.

Liccardo, a one-time county deputy district attorney who relinquished his District 3 seat to run for mayor, said he wants to cut wasteful spending, reform city employee pensions, hire 200 more police officers, improve response times to medical emergencies, repair roads, reduce homelessness and have longer school days in San Jose.

Vice Mayor Nguyen gave up her District 7 seat to be a mayoral candidate.

Oliverio, who represents District 6, and Herrera, of District 8, are not up for re-election and will remain on the council. In city council District 1, which attracted seven hopefuls, Paul Fong, topped the list with nearly 29 percent of the vote and will face Charles Chappie Jones, who received more than 23 percent, in November.

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Liccardo, Cortese Headed For Runoff In San Jose Mayors Race