In the heart of San Jose\u2019s East Side, incumbent Councilmember Peter Ortiz is defending his seat against three challengers in District 5, an area where working-class immigrant neighborhoods define the landscape, and Latino and Asian residents comprise nearly 80% of the population.<\/p>\n
This unique socio-economic profile makes citywide debates over a $50 million budget deficit<\/a> and development particularly pronounced. In a district of multi-generational and mixed-status families, community leaders decry a lack of economic investment and housing in the area \u2014 a situation they say has only worsened over the decades.<\/p>\n While not an open race, the contest for District 5 is no less consequential with candidates that include former Assemblymember Nora Campos, who previously held the seat from 2001 to 2010; current San Jos\u00e9 Evergreen and former Alum Rock school trustee Karen Martinez; and Vy Dang, a business owner and Vietnamese American media personality making her first council run.<\/p>\n Despite his popularity, Ortiz faces his harshest criticism from Campos, a comeback challenger who held the seat for nearly a decade before her election to the State Assembly. Campos has alleged the district is being \u201cneglected\u201d under the incumbent. Ortiz, in turn, said the district suffered from issues like food deserts and crumbling infrastructure, despite Campos\u2019s lengthy tenure on the council.<\/p>\n In their 2022 contest<\/a>, Campos led the primary with 30.9% of the vote to Ortiz\u2019s 22.5%, but she ultimately lost the general election runoff, 45.2% to 54.8%.<\/p>\n To win the seat representing one of San Jose\u2019s most historically rich areas outright in the June 2 primary, a candidate must capture more than half of the vote. If no one secures a majority, the top two will advance to a November runoff.<\/p>\n Ortiz, 36<\/a>, has spoken openly about the challenges of growing up in the East Side, including being affiliated with gangs in his youth. He credits the \u201csupport of his family, mentors, and local organizations\u201d for helping turn his life around and shaping a policy agenda that reflects the generational challenges faced by many in the district.<\/p>\n A former nonprofit worker and Mt. Pleasant and Santa Clara County school trustee, Ortiz told the Bay Area News Group\u2019s editorial board last month his top first-term wins include helping secure police funding, raising catalytic converter theft fines, and securing millions for East Side small business revitalization.<\/p>\n Ortiz\u2019s priorities include\u00a0housing, safer neighborhoods, the rising cost of living, and expanding economic opportunities locally.<\/p>\n By the mid-April reporting deadline, Ortiz reported the highest fundraising total, securing nearly $208,000 in combined support from direct contributions and outside committees.<\/p>\n The incumbent\u2019s reelection effort is backed by the California Working Families Party, South Bay Labor Council, and Santa Clara & San Benito Building Trades Council. Official endorsements also include Congressman Ro Khanna, State Sen. Aisha Wahab, and Assemblymember Alex Lee.<\/p>\n While the four candidates present differing visions for the seat, they all share a connection to the district\u2019s deep immigrant history.<\/p>\n Beginning in the late 1940s, the Mayfair neighborhood became a hub for the labor movement and civil rights advocacy. Marked by a legacy of resilience despite systemic neglect, the area was once dubbed \u201cSal si puedes\u201d \u2013 \u201cget out if you can\u201d<\/a> \u2013 by residents in the 1950s and 60s, due to the thick mud that covered its streets during the rainy season.<\/p>\n Although many of these systemic challenges persist, the area remains a neighborhood of proud people, said Victor Vasquez, co-executive director of the nonprofit SOMOS Mayfair.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say that these communities, whether it\u2019s Latino or Vietnamese American \u2013 they are the generators of culture for our city,\u201d Vasquez said. However, he noted this cultural value is often overlooked because the community has been \u201cdisinvested, criminalized, and not seen as valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond economic struggles, immigration fears amid a federal crackdown<\/a> weigh on the district. Vasquez said rumors of activity create \u201cintersectional\u201d barriers discouraging residents from basic civic participation like school attendance or reporting housing conditions to landlords.<\/p>\n Campos, 60, says she would bring experience from both the City Council and the State Assembly to the seat, citing her history of working with state leaders to address local issues such as protecting immigrants.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are in difficult times nationally, and those issues have come down to our neighborhoods,\u201d Campos said, noting that many residents struggle to afford basic necessities like groceries, utilities, or gas. \u201cWe need to have a pragmatic and thoughtful approach to guide our city through this time period.\u201d<\/p>\n If returned to the District 5 seat, Campos said she would emphasize public safety by clearing trash and blight<\/a>, supporting alternative funding for affordable housing, and attracting public and private investment to revitalize neglected areas. Campos often points to her previous tenure as evidence of her ability to spur economic growth, specifically citing the redevelopment of the Story and King corridors.<\/p>\n \u201cI transformed a blighted business district that had not seen investment in more than 30 years,\u201d Campos said.<\/p>\n She names former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Mayfair Neighborhood Association President Guadalupe Gonzalez, and local education trustees Rudy Rodriguez and Maria Fuentes as among her supporters.<\/p>\n Ortiz and Campos have both faced scrutiny over their conduct in office.<\/p>\n