The Sunnyvale Sun
News
Heated races shaping up for supervisors posts
By Cody Kraatz
Cupertino and Sunnyvale are headed for two contentious Santa Clara County supervisorial elections in 2008.
Sunnyvale Mayor Otto Lee recently threw his hat in the District 3 ring, joining Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves and San Jose Vice Mayor Dave Cortese.
Current supervisor Peter McHugh, a former 20-year Milpitas city councilman, is termed out after three terms in the district, which includes most of Sunnyvale, Milpitas and the Alviso, Berryessa and Evergreen areas of San Jose.
Meanwhile, Supervisor Liz Kniss is up for re-election in 2008 in District 5, which includes the southern part of Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Los Altos Hills, Los Altos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga and part of San Jose.
State Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Sally Lieber, who will term out in 2008, announced about a year ago that she will oppose Kniss.
All the candidates except Lieber have filed paperwork to begin fundraising.
The primary election for county offices will be held June 3, 2008. Candidates can pick up nomination papers beginning Feb. 11, and the deadline to file is March 7 at 5 p.m. The final election will be held Nov. 4, 2008.
If Lee were to win, the Sunnyvale City Council would have 30 days to declare a vacancy and call a special municipal election to be held within 120 days, according to the city charter.
The election may also be consolidated with a general municipal or statewide election if one is scheduled within 180 days of the vacancy. The person elected would serve the remainder of Lee's term, which ends in 2011.
Esteves and Cortese's terms expire in 2008.
County issues are differ from those with which most city council members have direct experience; supervisors deal with such issues as criminal justice, transportation and health and human services.
District 3
Lee made his announcement on the heels of a November election in which he was unopposed.
"I think people in Sunnyvale would certainly prefer somebody from Sunnyvale to represent them at the county [level]," he said.
"I'm really a guy who came out of a neighborhood-organizing background out in the Evergreen neighborhood of San Jose, which is very similar to suburban Sunnyvale," said Cortese, whose San Jose council district 8 includes the southeastern chunk of the city that runs into foothills.
Cortese secured endorsements from Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Tony Spitaleri and Councilmembers Melinda Hamilton, Ron Swegles and John Howe many months before Lee announced his candidacy.
Hamilton said she is endorsing both; Spitaleri and Swegles said they will not change their endorsements; and Howe did not return phone messages.
"I'd like to keep him on the city council. I think he's doing an excellent job," said Swegles of Lee.
"The county needs some more economic development and some financing help," said Esteves.
District 5
"I think in recent years the county has been too reactive, and we need to have some new thinking on the board [of supervisors]," said Lieber, referring specifically to the county's finances and advocacy at the state and federal levels.
However, Kniss is surprised that Lieber is running against her, calling it "pretty unusual."
Initially, Kniss endorsed Lieber in a bid for District 3, but Lieber, a former Mountain View councilmember, has to run in District 5 because she lives there.
Kniss added that the county's finances depend in large part on the state's finances, and that Lieber is in a better position in state government to get money for the county.
"For Sally to indicate that she would be able to get any more from the state is unlikely because the state is facing a $14 billion shortfall," she said.
Lieber said she is focused on the budget deficit and "controversial" bills.