David Cohen (California)

David Cohen is a member of the San Jose City Council in California, representing District 4. He assumed office on January 1, 2021. His current term ends on December 31, 2028.

Cohen won re-election to the San Jose City Council to represent District 4 in California outright in the primary on March 5, 2024, after the general election was canceled.

Biography

David Cohen was born in La Jolla, California. He earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 1990 and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1996. His career experience includes working as a chemical engineer.^[1]

Elections

2024

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for San Jose City Council District 4

Incumbent David Cohen won election outright against Kansen Chu in the primary for San Jose City Council District 4 on March 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	David Cohen (Nonpartisan)	58.6	8,391
	Kansen Chu (Nonpartisan)	41.4	5,931

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,322
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Cohen in this election.

2020

General election

General election for San Jose City Council District 4

David Cohen defeated incumbent Lan Diep in the general election for San Jose City Council District 4 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	David Cohen (Nonpartisan)	51.3	20,030
	Lan Diep (Nonpartisan)	48.7	18,993

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 39,023
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for San Jose City Council District 4

David Cohen and incumbent Lan Diep defeated Huy Tran and Jamal Khan in the primary for San Jose City Council District 4 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Cohen (Nonpartisan)	36.5	7,417
✔		Lan Diep (Nonpartisan)	33.2	6,756
	Submit photo	Huy Tran (Nonpartisan)	23.3	4,740
		Jamal Khan (Nonpartisan)	7.0	1,417

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,330
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Berryessa Union School District elections (2018)

General election

General election for Berryessa Union School District school board (3 seats)

Incumbent David Cohen, incumbent Thelma Boac, and incumbent Hugo Jimenez defeated Long Nguyen and Jennifer Imhoff in the general election for Berryessa Union School District school board on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Cohen (Nonpartisan)	30.8	13,440
✔	Submit photo	Thelma Boac (Nonpartisan)	23.4	10,220
✔	Submit photo	Hugo Jimenez (Nonpartisan)	23.1	10,067
		Long Nguyen (Nonpartisan)	19.6	8,542
	Submit photo	Jennifer Imhoff (Nonpartisan)	3.2	1,403

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 43,672
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

David Cohen did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released November 13, 2019

David Cohen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cohen's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

For more than two decades, David has called District 4 his home where he has been blessed to raise a family and does what he loves - making the community a better place for all. For the past 13 years, he has served on the Berryessa Union School District Board as an elected trustee, where he focused on building strong relationships with local families, teachers, staff and students. His focus on the board was making sure the District provided the best opportunities for students of all backgrounds to succeed. He led numerous programs and policies that have made the Berryessa Union School District one of the best K-8 school districts in the Bay Area.

Besides the board, David has also served on the San Jose Library Commission, where he led as Chair for two years. He worked tirelessly to be a voice for local libraries and helped lead the passage of funds to ensure our local libraries stay open for the community.

David earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his Ph.D from U.C Berkeley. David works as an engineer in high tech and continues to serve on the school board while attending local neighborhood association meetings (i.e - Berryessa Citizens Advisory Council, etc) to always keep up to date with what's going on and making sure residents voices are heard.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Invest in safer, greener, cleaner neighborhoods
Increase affordable housing for all income levels
Develop compassionate, practical solutions to homelessness

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

We live in a beautiful community with so much diversity and many attractions. However, our city and our district have gone through many changes over the years that require attention so that everyone can thrive. Homelessness is more prevalent than ever, housing costs have become unaffordable for many, and basic services such as public safety, transportation, and parks have dwindled. I pledge to find sustainable, realistic solutions to these issues so that my children and future generations can be proud to call our city "home".

I am interested in building sustainable communities. We need to be smart as we develop transit villages near BART and Light Rail, making sure there are parks, libraries, and community centers, as well as shopping and childcare options. As we confront the climate emergency, it is important to reduce the carbon footprint of new developments while also retrofitting existing buildings and install more solar panels on roofs of buildings across the city.

It is crucial that San Jose do a better job of building affordable housing. A community can't survive in the long term if teachers, police officers, retail workers, city workers, janitors, and others who make our economy work are unable to afford to live where they work.

I believe in collaborative leadership, bringing neighboring jurisdictions together to solve problems regionally. That's how we will solve our transportation, housing, and environmental issues.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Of all political officers, City Council is the one with closest ties to the community. When people have issues in their neighborhoods related to public safety, cleanliness, or transportation, they first call their city council member. That's why it's important for a city council member to have deep ties to the community and understand the needs of the neighborhood.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

It is important for an elected official to have a vision for their community and a desire to leave the community better than when you started. It is crucial to be a good listener and communicator. A good elected official cares about the constituents and values their input. And a successful elected official is willing to meet with any constituent on any topic.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

It is very important for somebody serving on the City Council to have previous governing experience. Having served on a local school board gives one a perspective on how to work with a group to solve problems, how to build coalition to get things done, how to interact with constituents, and what residents care about.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

It is important to be a good listener and collaborator. A council member shouldn't simply be a voice for the city, but should advocate for the needs of the local community. Being able to communicate with residents, city staff, and fellow council members is very important.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

David Cohen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cohen's responses.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

Rigorous curriculum Students' social and emotional well-being Variety of programs including music, art, language, and technology

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Educating our students is the most important function of the government. We need to start to invest in education at a level that indicates how much value it provides to our society. It is also important that we are responsible stewards of our planet and address the threat of climate change.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

It important for elected officials to be good listeners so that they understand the needs of the community they represent. Effective public servants also need to study enough so that they are well versed on the subjects in their purview. Finally, elected officials need to be good team players, since all decisions are made collectively.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am good at working with others to solve problems. I like meeting with people and gathering input so I can make informed decisions. I do my homework and am well-informed, particularly on issues of education.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

A school board member is part of a governing team that brings diverse stakeholders together to guide a school district's strategic direction. School board members are a liaison between the community and the schools. We advise the Superintendent on issues of importance to the district, but also trust the Superintendent to make decisions in the best interest of children.

Who are your constituents?

Our primary responsibility is to the students of the district. In order to be successful, we must work with parents, teachers, staff, and community organizations.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

Do you believe it is important to intentionally recruit with the aim of diversifying the district’s faculty, staff, and administration? If so, what would be your policy to achieve this?

Our district's strength is our diversity. We have over 60 languages spoken by families who attend our schools. We have no majority ethnicity. It is important for school staff to reflect this diversity. We need to promote our district as a place that is a great place to work and raise a family. I am committed to reaching out through career fairs, and going outside our county when necessary, in order to recruit teachers.

What type of skills should students be learning for success in the 21st century?

Use of technology. Strong communication skills. Problem solving. Creativity.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

I have been a huge proponent of supporting the social and emotional well-being of our students. We have put a social worker at each of our school sites. They should be well trained to work with students in need. They should also provide programs so that students know how to interact with each other, deal with bullies, and properly use social media.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

External links

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Candidate

San Jose City Council District 4

Officeholder

San Jose City Council District 4

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 12, 2020

Political offices
Preceded by Lan Diep	San Jose City Council District 4 2021-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Berryessa Union School District school board -2021	Succeeded by -

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 12, 2020

[1]

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David Cohen (California)

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for San Jose City Council District 4

Endorsements

2020

General election

General election for San Jose City Council District 4

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for San Jose City Council District 4

2018

General election

General election for Berryessa Union School District school board (3 seats)

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

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2024 Election analysis

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