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Irene Smith
Irene Smith ran in a special election to the San Jose City Council to represent District 3 in California. She lost in the special general election on April 8, 2025.
Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Irene Smith earned a graduate degree from the University of San Francisco. Smith's career experience includes working as a financial analyst, attorney, mediator, small business owner, and mental health counselor. She has been affiliated with IBM, ProBono Project of Santa Clara County, and Pacific Center.[1]
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in San Jose, California (2025)
General runoff election
Special general runoff election for San Jose City Council District 3
Anthony Tordillos defeated Gabby Chavez-Lopez in the special general runoff election for San Jose City Council District 3 on June 24, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Anthony Tordillos (Nonpartisan)  | 64.4 | 5,355 |
 | Gabby Chavez-Lopez (Nonpartisan) | 35.6 | 2,966 | |
| Total votes: 8,321 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
Special general election for San Jose City Council District 3
The following candidates ran in the special general election for San Jose City Council District 3 on April 8, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gabby Chavez-Lopez (Nonpartisan) | 30.0 | 2,712 |
| ✔ | | Anthony Tordillos (Nonpartisan) | 22.2 | 2,006 |
 | Matthew Quevedo (Nonpartisan) | 22.1 | 2,000 | |
 | Irene Smith (Nonpartisan) | 16.0 | 1,443 | |
 | Adam Duran (Nonpartisan) | 7.6 | 691 | |
 | Tyrone Wade (Nonpartisan) | 1.5 | 137 | |
| Philip Dolan (Nonpartisan) | 0.6 | 54 | ||
| Total votes: 9,043 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Smith in this election.
2022
See also: City elections in San Jose, California (2022)
General election
General election for San Jose City Council District 3
Omar Torres defeated Irene Smith in the general election for San Jose City Council District 3 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Omar Torres (Nonpartisan) | 65.6 | 11,657 |
| Irene Smith (Nonpartisan) | 34.4 | 6,107 | |
| Total votes: 17,764 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for San Jose City Council District 3
Omar Torres and Irene Smith defeated Joanna Rauh, Elizabeth Chien-Hale, and Ivan Torres in the primary for San Jose City Council District 3 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Omar Torres (Nonpartisan) | 44.2 | 5,182 |
| ✔ | | Irene Smith (Nonpartisan) | 19.9 | 2,340 |
| Joanna Rauh (Nonpartisan) | 15.1 | 1,776 | ||
 | Elizabeth Chien-Hale (Nonpartisan) | 14.0 | 1,647 | |
 | Ivan Torres (Nonpartisan) | 6.7 | 785 | |
| Total votes: 11,730 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Irene Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I'm a little hard to categorize because I mix social activism with fiscal discipline. I take ideas from all across the political spectrum--but always apply a filter of fiscal accountability. I want our dollars to work harder. You worked hard to earn them, you work hard to pay your taxes, and we should respect that by spending them effectively.
I am an independent – and am only beholden to the people of D3. I will stand firmly with ideas that work, and against policies that continue to damage our neighborhoods, our businesses, and our quality of life.
- Willing to spend generously on issues that drive equity and quality of life for D3, but what we spend needs to work hard for us.
• Background as financial analyst IBM: saved money via audits • Community/neighborhood activist: started 4 nonprofits ranging from business advocacy to environmental advocacy
https://pathseldomtravelled.medium.com/the-building-of-a-resume-32a12608ddb1
I've been a resident of D3 downtown San José since 1989. I chose this diverse, charming, and challenging neighborhood to raise my family, to start my businesses, and to be the focus of my community activism.- Faster Unsheltered Solutions - The reason we're not making a dent in homelessness is because we're not thinking big enough.
We are playing whack-a-mole with homelessness, and not doing the big things that will really make a difference. We need to think bigger and quit fiddling around the edges of the problem.
We may be sweeping the creeks because we'll get fined if we don't, but I worry we're just sweeping the problem into the neighborhoods instead. Into our parks, our driveways, our parking strips, and our front yards.
Answer: bigger, faster shelter solutions.
Shelter first instead of Housing first.
• Large-scale sprung structures that can house up to 1k is the way to go.
• Proven in SF, Reno, Portland - SJ and D3 are in the Dark Ages when it comes to getting public input--we need to get into the 21st Century. D3's voice is often silenced or sidetracked--we are not getting heard at City Hall. • Denied public hearings for D3 infill projects. • Watson Park outreach belated--months late. • 311 system malfunctions • eBillboards • Parking, SB35, PSH Solution: "Let's apply business customer relations tools to D3" • fix 311 system. • ongoing internet-based polling so we understand what our constituents care about. • online focus groups with leaders so we know what's going on with neighbors. • 100% public D3 Citizen Dashboard with up-to-date info on polls and citizen comments so people know what people are saying.
- D3 needs a CM who is beholden only to D3, not to City Hall power cabals and voting blocs. We need someone who will work for D3 24x7, and stand just for D3, not behind somebody else. After running the gauntlet of a full election process, and as the second-place finisher two years ago, I have my finger firmly on the pulse of D3 better than any other candidate. I am about results, not ideology. I am about D3, not City Hall deals. I am about delivering for my constituents, not advancing my ambition. Key policy: I will accept no more affordable housing, safe sleeping sites, tiny home communities, etc. in D3 until the other districts do their part and achieve parity with D3.
For too long, D3 merchants have suffered under a City Hall regime that seems intent on making it impossible to do business in D3. A streetscape filled with crime, litter, and mayhem. Miles of red tape. Fees and taxes everywhere. As a result, local--often immigrant--businesses have trouble even getting started, much less thriving. We need to jumpstart business in D3 with tax incentives and removal of onerous fees and regulations that strangle local merchants.
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.
2022
Irene Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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With both my parents’ encouragement, I pursued my own education in accounting, law, and psychology.
Villanova University, BS, Accounting
Santa Clara University, JD, Law
University of San Francisco, MA, Marriage Family Child Counseling
Northern California Graduate University, PhD, Counseling Psychology.
All my advanced degrees were achieved while working full time and going to school at night.
I have never been a member of an established political party--I'm a lifelong independent. But I am utterly pledged to one thing: D3. All of D3. All the time.
2022 is a Turning Point election for our neighborhoods, and I believe that my unique set of professional skills, commitment to D3, and independent perspective is the right recipe to get D3 back on track.
Thank you for reading, and I welcome your support!
-Irene Smith
- A safer San Jose
- A real plan to address homelessness
- A cleaner San Jose
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.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
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Candidate San Jose City Council District 3 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 5, 2025
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