District 5 San Jose Councilmember Peter Ortiz has officially launched his reelection campaign to hold onto the seat he first won in 2022.
Ortiz is making the case that during his time in office, he has demonstrated leadership that is bringing “transformational change” to a district he argues has been poorly served by its past leaders. District 5 includes East San Jose neighborhoods that have long struggled with poverty, overcrowding and underinvestment.
“In the class that I entered the City Council with, there’s no other councilmember who’s introduced more policies than me. There’s no other councilmember who has as many wins as me,” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. “What I’m really promising now is a focus on District 5 issues and a change in the trajectory of the district.”
The reelection announcement — celebrated with a well-attended weekend launch party — sets up a rematch between Ortiz and his former rival, Nora Campos, who held the seat between 2001 and 2010 and went on to serve in the state Assembly. Ortiz defeated Campos during the last race for the District 5 council seat in 2022.
Ortiz declined to comment on Campos’ candidacy directly.
“I think that over the last couple of years, the residents of East San Jose have known and seen who has showed up for them,” he said.
Campos announced her candidacy for next year’s election in September. Karen Martinez, a San Jose-Evergreen Community College District board member, has also filed paperwork to enter the race.
As Ortiz lays out his campaign platform, he is highlighting a bevy of causes he’s championed since taking office. Those include a measure to reduce blight by introducing stiffer penalties for property owners who leave buildings vacant. It also includes his recent work to pass a temporary moratorium on new smoke shops, which are disproportionately clustered in East San Jose, and his ongoing push to create a $30 million fund to revitalize the neighborhoods he represents.
District 5 is centered around the Alum Rock neighborhood and is bounded by Mabury Road to the north and Reid-Hillview Airport to the south. The district is home to more than 100,000 people — with an electorate of roughly 40% Latino voters and 38% Asian voters.
Ortiz has taken high profile stands against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Those include his support for a San Jose policy that requires federal agents to operate without masks, as well as another proposal to block federal agents from using city properties for immigration enforcement.
Ortiz has taken heat this year after police sources tied him to a group text with other city leaders who allegedly used racial slurs. Local community groups stood by Ortiz after he addressed them publicly. San José Spotlight is suing the city and police department to release the messages.
Before joining the council, Ortiz previously served as president of the Santa Clara County Board of Education, as well as a member of the Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District board. The East San Jose native has openly discussed how his own childhood struggles with poverty and involvement with gang activity as a youth honed his later activism, and helped shape his understanding of the challenges facing young people growing up today.
District 1 Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas was among those who turned out for Ortiz’s Saturday launch event.
“Peter Ortiz has been a tireless advocate for the families of East San Jose,” Arenas told San José Spotlight. “From his work to protect families from the Trump administration, to securing a ban on new smoke shops in his community, to reducing blight and improving parks and roads, Peter’s leadership is delivering results for District 5 families.”
Playa Arroyo Neighborhood Association President Danny Garza, a lifelong East San Jose resident and longtime observer of local politics, said he has been pleasantly surprised by Ortiz’s leadership.
“To be honest, I didn’t support him in the first election, but he has risen to the top of my list as candidate for District 5 because of his work with our neighborhood associations,” Garza told San José Spotlight.
Garza pointed to Ortiz’s work to resolve local traffic and blight problems, and his efforts to expand amenities at neighborhood parks.
“Only Peter is fighting for us,” Garza said.
Contact Keith Menconi at [email protected] or @KeithMenconi on X.