County Democrats Endorse Dave Cortese in San Jose Mayor’s Race

Dave Cortese came away with the official backing of county Democrats after every other San Jose mayoral candidate withdrew their application for the endorsement. The vote by the Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee (DCC) came before Forrest Williams decided to drop out of the race. Williams then threw his support behind the county supervisor in his bid for mayor.

“As a lifelong Democrat, it meant a lot,” Cortese said. “I’m really pleased. Even though this is a nonpartisan office, their support means a lot.”

Every other Democrat in the mayor’s race opted out of the endorsement process after the DCC changed its bylaws to get a head start on campaigning. Normally, the committee waits until after the filing deadline in March, but the group wanted to get a head start on campaign coordinating. The DCC will vote on endorsements in other races closer to April, said DCC communications director David Cohen.

Endorsing Cortese means the DCC will rally volunteers for his campaign and send out mailers to registered Democrats naming him as the preferred candidate for mayor.

Cohen said he would have liked to see all the mayoral candidates at least try for the endorsement, even though there was a sense early on that it would go to Cortese.

“They decided that since they didn’t feel they were going to get it, they felt for publicity reasons they would not seek endorsement,” Cohen said.

Sam Liccardo announced that he wouldn’t seek the group’s backing because he felt it unethical that as an organization it doesn’t have to apply to the same city election rules governing individual candidates. Namely, expenditure limits and donation caps of $1,100.

Rose Herrera sent out a press release after last month’s DCC vote to change its endorsement schedule saying she wouldn’t put her name in the running. Pierluigi Oliverio and Madison Nguyen also opted out of endorsement process.

Email tips to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @jennwadsworth.

Jennifer Wadsworth is the former news editor for San Jose Inside and Metro Silicon Valley. Follow her on Twitter at @jennwadsworth.

4 Comments

  1. What a Joke ! Sammie thinks its ” Unethical that as an organization it doesn’t have to apply to the same city election rules as governing individual candidates” . Really , isn’t Lickardo the one who was just outed as collecting funds before it was legal to do so? Pathetic !

  2. Sam Liccardo announced he wouldn’t seek the group’s backing because he knew he wouldn’t receive the group’s backing. I’m sure if he had received the endorsement, he would’ve been just fine with the ethics of the situation.

  3. Really SJI? How many shots were taken in this one? I counted at least 4. Gonna run a story on Sam Liccardo’s most recent gaffe? I can’t believe he had the audacity to bow out of the endorsement on the grounds of it being “unethical” yet he was lining people up months prior to the allowed fundraising date to drop coin in his coffers.

  4. VOTE FOR DAVE,  TIME WE QUIT THE BLEEDING OF THIS CLOWN OF CHUCKS COUNCIL.  SAN JOSE WILL BE THE NEXT OAKLAND UNDER THIS LEADERSHIP, WE NEED TO CUT OFF THE %$&* before this city can grow.

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