the combat between enterprise and labor pursuits is discovering floor within the race for District 2 on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
Particular curiosity teams have collectively spent $1.2 million to elect former San Jose Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen or Betty Duong, chief of employees to District 2 Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who’s ending her time period. Silicon Valley Biz PAC and a political motion committee funded by fast-food franchise homeowners have contributed about $526,000 for Nguyen and towards Duong, whereas the South Bay Labor Council and unions have spent $799,000 to help Duong and oppose Nguyen.
“A Higher Bay Space,” shaped in early October, has spent about $475,000 to date supporting Nguyen and opposing Duong, with a lot of the funds going towards promoting and digital adverts opposing Duong. The PAC is funded by one other committee referred to as the California Household Enterprise Alliance.
Donors to that committee consist primarily of enterprise homeowners and franchise teams, together with CAM-BAS, Inc., led by San José McDonalds proprietor Cosme Fagundo. When the committee first submitted its request on Oct. 9, the alliance dedicated $800,000 to “A Higher Bay Space.”
Fagundo didn’t reply to requests for remark.
South Bay quick meals restaurant employees have been mobilizing for the previous few years, pressuring native officers for higher office protections. Quick meals staff represented by the California Quick Meals Staff Union, SEIU and the Working Households Celebration demonstrated outdoors a McDonalds on October 23 to protest the PAC getting ready cash for the race.
Jean Cohen, govt director of the South Bay Labor Council, stated enterprise homeowners see the rise in employees' rights as a menace to their companies.
“For this reason employees should manage and defend candidates who will combat for his or her rights like Betty Duong, as a result of rich companies go to nice lengths and spend huge quantities of cash to attempt to silence their voices,” Cohen advised San José Highlight .
The South Bay Labor Council has spent greater than $650,000 supporting Duong and opposing Nguyen, making it the most important funder behind Duong. The Santa Clara County Deputy Sheriffs Affiliation PAC has spent $36,000 to help Duong, making him its second-largest particular curiosity supporter. A handful of different unions additionally help Duong's candidacy, together with the Registered Nurses Professionals Affiliation Political Motion Committee and the Santa Clara County Authorities Bar Affiliation PAC.
Duong stated she is proud to have the backing of labor teams and helps elevating the minimal wage and enhancing employees' rights.
“It's fairly easy: I help elevating the minimal wage and I help employees, they usually don't. They don’t need the values of honoring the hard-working women and men on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors,” Duong advised San José Highlight. “I’ve all the time fought for employees and I cannot again down now.”
In the meantime, Nguyen stated Duong's supporters are repeating false claims that Nguyen lives in Las Vegas and that these teams wish to preserve town's “established order.” She additionally famous that the group of enterprise homeowners who help her have to date been outspent by the unions who help Duong.
“I've been beneath heavy assault on this race as a result of I'm campaigning on true accountability, and the individuals who help me need change,” Nguyen advised San José Highlight. “They need somebody who will maintain elected officers and county officers accountable.”
The race to fill the county's District 2 has been costlier than the opposite race for open seats in District 5, between Mountain View Councilwoman Margaret Abe-Koga and California State Board of Equalization Chairwoman Sally Lieber. A particular curiosity group has spent greater than $320,000 to help Abe-Koga within the race, together with the South Bay Labor Council and the California Condominium Affiliation. No bills have been made for or towards Lieber.
Try the San José Highlight Election Information for extra details about voting in Santa Clara County and different candidates and measures on the poll. The election is November 5.
Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at sakura@sanjosespotlight.com or @SakuCannestra on X, previously often known as Twitter.
This story initially appeared on San José Highlight.