Serial entrepreneur, classic car collectors, TV host, civic organizer — lifelong San Jose resident Mike Hennessy has worn a lot of hats over the years. Now, he said that wide-ranging experience has prepared him well to step into yet another role: District 9 councilmember.
“I know I can add some common sense,” Hennessy, 70, told San José Spotlight. “That’s how I run my business, and I think I’ve done well because of that.”
Hennessy is one of four candidates who have filed paperwork to run for the District 9 City Council seat. The incumbent, Vice Mayor Pam Foley, is terming out at the end of this year, making District 9 the only open council race during a busy election cycle.
Hennessy will face off against longtime city employee Gordon Chester, licensed marriage and family therapist Genny Altwer and Scott Hughes, who served until recently as Foley’s chief of staff.
In an echo of Mayor Matt Mahan’s oft-repeated “back to basics” slogan, Hennessy said he too wants to “refocus City Hall on the basics.” His policy platform includes plans to improve public safety, expand shelter for homeless people and boost local business.
Hennessy also pledged to oppose any new taxes, “until City Hall proves it can manage the money it already has.”
While Hennessy is casting himself as a pragmatic dealmaker, he also said he intends to push for major changes in the areas where he believes the city is falling short, including its efforts to get homeless people off the street.
“I’m a fighter. I’m not afraid to say what I need to say. I think I’m a stronger candidate for that,” he said. “I don’t think our city council, at this point in our life, needs a meek, mild person.”
Hennessy and his wife, Susan, have owned their home in the De Voss Leigh neighborhood for 25 years. Over the past 45 years, he has run a string of businesses, including Mike Hennessy Automotive in Santa Clara. The longstanding shop specializes in restoring antique and classic collector cars.
District 9 candidate Mike Hennessy has run a string of small businesses over the past 45 years, including Mike Hennessy Automotive, a Santa Clara auto shop specializing in classic cars. Photo by Keith Menconi.
Hennessy’s passion for cars has spilled over into his community work. In 2012, he founded the Hot San Jose Nights event, a popular automotive exhibition that’s raised money for a number of charitable causes, including support for veterans. The event has since been relaunched as Autorama.
In between his day job and community work, Hennessy has also found time to dabble in show business. For the past 14 years, he has hosted the “Car Guy Channel” television show, a program that has been carried by a number of local media networks including KQED and CreaTV in San Jose.
If elected to the District 9 seat, Hennessy’s hard line on taxes would likely put him at odds with many of his council colleagues, who have been scrambling to find new revenue sources as the city faces a projected $65 million budget deficit for the coming fiscal year.
“There are going to be a lot of tough decisions to make,” Hennessy said. “It’s called priorities.”
Public safety is one spending priority Hennessy said he will push to maintain, regardless of fiscal pressure. He is pledging to fully staff the San Jose Police Department, which has struggled with recruitment for years.
Hennessy, who has served on the board for San Jose’s Veterans Day Parade for 15 years, also said he will make supporting veterans and older adults a major focus of his work.
With the June 2 primary election less than four months away, the candidates’ fundraising efforts are ramping up. Altwer leads the pack with a fundraising haul of $71,719, according to the most recently available campaign filings. Hughes has raised $41,539, followed by Hennessy at $23,675 and Chester at $2,835.
Hennessy has won an important endorsement from state Sen. Dave Cortese, who said he has worked with the candidate on a number of civic projects over the years.
“At his heart, he’s a neighborhood guy, born and raised in San Jose, who cares deeply about the community, especially in District 9,” Cortese told San José Spotlight. “In fact, if I could write a campaign slogan for him it would be ‘Vote for Mike, a man who cares.”’
Contact Keith Menconi at [email protected] or @KeithMenconi on X.