Tight Race for San Jose Mayor Continues

San Jose City Councilman Matt Mahan held a tentative lead late Tuesday over Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez in the race to be the next mayor of San Jose.

With roughly 91 percent of the city’s 368 election precincts reporting, but only half of ballots already counted, Mahan appeared to be leading with 68,234 votes to Chavez’s 63,604, both unofficial totals.

Mahan and Chavez are seeking to succeed outgoing Mayor Sam Liccardo as the chief executive of the Bay Area’s largest city. The two candidates have raised a combined $8.5 million over the course of the campaign.

Chavez and Mahan advanced to Tuesday’s runoff general election after receiving the most votes in the June primary, which also included San Jose city council members Dev Davis and Raul Peralez and retired San Jose police officer James Spence.

Chavez served as president of the county’s Board of Supervisors in 2020 and has represented parts of San Jose on the board since 2013. She also served as the city’s vice mayor from 2005 to 2006.

Mahan, a former tech executive, was first elected to the council in 2020 and represents southeastern parts of the city.