By Khalida Sarwari
After a contentious race for Santa Clara County supervisor in the primary that saw one candidate drop out amid sexual misconduct allegations, the two remaining rivals have focused on touting their strengths instead of mud-slinging heading into the Nov. 6 general election.
San Jose Councilman Don Rocha and San Jose Unified School District Board president Susan Ellenberg are vying to replace Ken Yeager — who can no longer run due to term limits — and whoever wins in November will represent a crucial swing vote on a five-member board that deals with issues ranging from health care to housing and jails.
Rocha, who is backed by labor, lists housing affordability, homelessness, traffic, transportation, growth, and public safety as his top priorities. He’s confident that his work on the San Jose City Council and the Cambrian School District board has positioned him to tackle those issues better than his opponent.
“The issues that face this county are ones I have a record of work on, simply put, and I think that’s what differentiates us,” he said. “I don’t join boards or volunteer or go to jails — I would never do that. My resume is not something I put together to run for office; it’s who I am.”
But Ellenberg hit back at claims that she lacks political experience to be supervisor, contending that her background as an attorney, middle school educator and member of the Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women gives her a “broader and deeper pool” of experience.
“We both have significant experiences; they’re just different,” she said. “The fact that he has sat on a city council isn’t in itself a greater or more valuable experience than what I’m bringing. Frankly, a lot of people aren’t enamored with the idea of a career politician.”
Ellenberg said she would work to address the root causes of homelessness and expand housing access for everyone, but with a focus on serving families, seniors and survivors of domestic violence. Protecting access to affordable healthcare, improving transportation, and expanding early education also are important to her.
With no apparent or significant ideological differences distinguishing the candidates in their approach to the issues, the race could ultimately be decided by whether voters prefer to see a man or woman in the seat. In this regard, the odds appear to be in Ellenberg’s favor. Campaigning amid the #MeToo movement, she emerged as the top vote getter in a race that was soured by two controversy-riddled male candidates and she’s running in an election cycle that has already been deemed by many as the “year of the woman” with a surge in women running for office across the country with record-breaking success.
Both Rocha and Ellenberg indicated they’ve had people they’ve met on the campaign trail explicitly tell them they will or won’t vote for them because of their gender. But whereas Rocha is reticent about how he thinks gender dynamics will affect his candidacy, it’s a conversation Ellenberg doesn’t shy away from; in fact, she said she hopes voters give gender weight in their decision-making.
“It really matters right now that women are equally represented at every level of government because we are bringing a different perspective,” she said. “We tend to bring issues to the table that don’t get the light of day.”
Rocha has the backing of Supervisor Cindy Chavez and a string of police and fire associations while Ellenberg has been endorsed by Board President Joe Simitian and a number of women’s groups. She also has the endorsements of former District 4 contenders Jason Baker and Mike Alvarado. Both Rocha and Ellenberg share endorsements from Yeager, the Santa Clara County Democratic Party and the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee.
Both candidates have raised close to the the $200,000 mark post-primary. Rocha thinks his opponent has written herself too many personal checks and that he’s had to work hard to keep up. “That’s something I’d like to change, if elected, being able to spend above the so-called limit and accepting $1,000 checks,” he said.
But Ellenberg claims she’s had to keep pace with a rival who has had inordinate amounts of money poured into his campaign from various special interest groups.
“The playing field is terrifically uneven and would be even more so if I wasn’t in the fortunate position of being able to invest some of my own funds,” she said.
Win or lose, Rocha said he can look back and feel proud of the way he ran his campaign, adding, “no one can take that from me.” Ellenberg said she’s been running her campaign as if she’s been in last place all along while “behaving as if I have the job.”
“I’m working hard at reviewing agendas and plan to really hit the ground running,” she said.
Could gender decide outcome of scandal-ridden Santa Clara County supervisor race?
