Political news, Local politics and government news reporting in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
The Weekly submitted the following questions to candidates for state Assembly District 26, Patrick Ahrens and Tara Sreekrishnan, both running to replace Assembly Member Alex Lee, who is running for a U.S. congressional seat. Below are the answers The Weekly received from the candidates, and we present them verbatim and in alphabetical order. What are … Read more
As election day nears, local candidates are doing what they can to amplify their voices in an attempt to reach voters. As a result, residents may be confused as to what sort of activity is allowed. A few situations at community events this election season have sparked outrage among residents. Many claim candidates are using … Read more
With so much money flying around during this year’s election, many people are confused. The heart of the matter is who is spending money to get their preferred candidates elected. When candidates run for office, they typically raise money. They do this by soliciting contributions from people that want to see them in office. That … Read more
One of the mayor’s allies said he deserved “credit” for the civil grand jury report that is at the heart of Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s perjury trial, bolstering his lawyers’ claim that Becker’s prosecution is politically motivated. Judge Javier Alcala has dismissed claims that the District Attorney’s office ignored evidence that Mayor Lisa Gillmor and … Read more
Santa Clara has 600 miles of roads to maintain but is $2.2 million short of what’s needed to maintain them. The city also has 200 miles of storm drain pipelines and 21 storm drain pump stations that need $480 million in upgrades. And that’s not the full extent of Santa Clara’s public works’ challenges. The … Read more
Sunnyvale politicians are looking to update the city’s charter. In a memo to their Sunnyvale City Council colleagues, Mayor Larry Klein and Council Members Alysa Cisneros and Richard Mehlinger implored them to support impaneling a charter review committee (CRC). The last major update to Sunnyvale’s charter was in 2007, with minor adjustments in 2012 and … Read more
The massive real estate developer that is a key player in Santa Clara politics has failed to report more than $40,000 in campaign contributions. While Related Companies has reported $49,000 in contributions to its independent expenditure committee, according to its financial reports, it has spent $90,000. Although a drop in the bucket compared to spending … Read more
After much back and forth, the Santa Clara City Council reaffirmed a decision it made more than a year ago to support an interim supportive homeless project. At a special meeting Tuesday night, the council unanimously approved a 30-apartment homeless housing project earmarked for families. The project, located on the southeast corner of Lawrence Expressway … Read more
The simple story of Santa Clara’s 2024 election is that individual candidate finances are almost not worth talking about because of the way they are dwarfed by independent expenditure committee spending. As the 2024 campaign winds to a close, campaign donations to individual Santa Clara candidates for city races total $143,000 — 5% of close … Read more
Jury selection is underway at the South Santa Clara County Superior Courthouse in Morgan Hill. On Monday, the court called approximately 240 jurors into the courtroom to begin the process of selecting a 12-person jury for the perjury trial of Santa Clara City Council Member Anthony Becker. Four others will serve as alternates. More than … Read more