Sylvia Arenas
2023 - Present
2027
2
Sylvia Arenas is a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in California, representing District 1. She assumed office on January 2, 2023. Her current term ends on January 4, 2027.
Arenas ran for election to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to represent District 1 in California. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Arenas previously served as an at-large member of the Evergreen Elementary School District Board of Trustees in California. She was elected to the board in the general election in November 2014.[1]
Although city council elections in San Jose are officially nonpartisan, Arenas is known to be affiliated with the Democratic Party.[2]
Arenas resigned from Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in January 2023 after she was elected to Santa Clara County supervisor seat. [3]
Biography
Arenas received an M.P.A. from the University of San Francisco.[4]
As of her run for city council in 2016, Arenas was a member of the Evergreen Elementary School District Board of Trustees. Her professional experience also includes work with youth and early childhood intervention programs and in educational and public policy.[5]
Elections
2022
See also: Municipal elections in Santa Clara County, California (2022)
General election
General election for Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 1
Sylvia Arenas defeated Johnny Khamis in the general election for Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 1 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sylvia Arenas (Nonpartisan) | 54.4 | 59,622 |
 | Johnny Khamis (Nonpartisan) | 45.6 | 49,884 | |
| Total votes: 109,506 | |||
 = 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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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 1
Sylvia Arenas and Johnny Khamis defeated Claudia Rossi, Rich Constantine, and Denelle Fedor in the primary for Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 1 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sylvia Arenas (Nonpartisan) | 28.6 | 20,262 |
| ✔ | | Johnny Khamis (Nonpartisan) | 26.6 | 18,800 |
| Claudia Rossi (Nonpartisan) | 19.5 | 13,824 | ||
| Rich Constantine (Nonpartisan) | 19.4 | 13,742 | ||
| Denelle Fedor (Nonpartisan) | 5.9 | 4,157 | ||
| Total votes: 70,785 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2020
See also: City elections in San Jose, California (2020)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for San Jose City Council District 8
Incumbent Sylvia Arenas won election outright against Jim Zito in the primary for San Jose City Council District 8 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sylvia Arenas (Nonpartisan) | 60.6 | 13,886 |
 | Jim Zito (Nonpartisan) | 39.4 | 9,035 | |
| Total votes: 22,921 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2016
The city of San Jose, California, held elections for five of its nine city council seats on June 7, 2016. While the June election was called a primary, it was functionally a general election.
If no candidate won a majority (50 percent plus one) of the votes cast in a primary, the top two vote-getters in the race advanced to an election on November 8, 2016. The November election was called a general election, but it was functionally a runoff election.[6] Sylvia Arenas defeated Jimmy Nguyen in the general election for San Jose City Council District 8.
| San Jose City Council District 8, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Sylvia Arenas |
50.14% | 17,258 |
| Jimmy Nguyen | 49.86% | 17,161 |
| Total Votes | 34,419 | |
| Source: Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, "Official Final Results," December 8, 2016 | ||
| San Jose City Council District 8, Primary Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Sylvia Arenas |
23.80% | 4,951 |
| Jimmy Nguyen |
22.87% | 4,758 |
| Denise Belisle | 20.52% | 4,269 |
| Pat Waite | 16.51% | 3,435 |
| Josh Barousse | 16.30% | 3,390 |
| Total Votes (100% reporting) | 20,803 | |
| Source: Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, "Unofficial Semifinal Results," accessed June 27, 2016 | ||
Endorsements
Arenas received endorsements from the following in 2016:
- CCSA Advocates[7]
- California Sen. Kevin de Leon[8]
- San Jose City Councilwoman Magdalena Carrasco[8]
- Evergreen College Trustee Mayra Cruz[8]
- Mt. Pleasant Elementary District School Board Member Betty Martinez[8]
- Alum Rock Elementary District School Board Member Karen Martinez[8]
- Franklin McKinley Elementary School Board Member Omar Torres[8]
2014
Three at-large seats on the Evergreen Elementary School District Board of Trustees were up for general election on November 4, 2014. The race featured two incumbents, Sylvia Alvarez and Jim Zito, and two challengers, Balaji Venkatraman and Sylvia Arenas. Alvarez, Zito and Arenas defeated Venkatraman to win the election.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Sylvia Alvarez Incumbent |
26.8% | 10,113 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sylvia Arenas |
26.4% | 9,965 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jim Zito Incumbent |
25.6% | 9,670 | |
| Nonpartisan | Balaji Venkatraman | 21.3% | 8,046 | |
| Total Votes | 37,794 | |||
| Source: Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, "Official Final Results," accessed December 22, 2014 | ||||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Sylvia Arenas did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Sylvia Arenas did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Arenas' 2016 campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ |
Public Safety We have a right to feel safe in our homes and expect that our homes are protected while we are at work. I would love to let me children play in the streets but I know that auto related accidents in our community are a threat to their safety. As a community we need to strengthen our communication and partnership with the police department by utilizing a community policing model. This model helps residents identify and ultimately tackle issues in their respective neighborhood together with the police department. We need to maximize the existing city resources such as crime prevention and fund youth intervention programs.
Education We need to prepare our children for a future global economy workforce by building partnerships with our school districts to offer quality afterschool and enrichment programs for all students. Education is a top priority for me, as a Evergreen Elementary School Board Member and a parent of two, and that is why I facilitated our school district with the City’s R.O.C.K afterschool program. Our children need a quality education as well as opportunities to engage in socially responsible and enriching opportunities. Families want a focus on quality afterschool support programs that help our students achieve academic success with the new common core and next generation science standards.
Community Throughout my public service career, that includes early childhood and youth intervention, I have seen firsthand how children suffer when we don't invest in our next generation. I am continually finding ways to support children and families, including serving as an Evergreen Elementary School Board Member. Families are center to our communities and we need to have neighborhoods in which neighbors are connected, cultures celebrated, and resources are available. We need to care for our retired community members and provide access to resources that will support a healthy and active lifestyle.
Local Economy and Jobs At one point in his life, my Father was a small business owner. Unfortunately he closed his business because he didn't have the support he needed. Our local business community needs our support to continue to thrive and for all of us to enjoy the benefits of a strong local economy. Local businesses offer our residents livable wages and an opportunity to work where they live. We need to find ways for new and established businesses to continue to be successful by: Encouraging businesses to hire locally to reduce traffic congestion and provide families with local jobs |
” |
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, "Contest/Candidate Proof List Gubernatorial General Election," accessed August 14, 2014
- ↑ The Mercury News, "San Jose Election Could Shift Council Power Balance," December 27, 2015
- ↑ sanjoseinside,"New San Jose City Council Could Take Up Renewed Special Election Question Jan. 24," January 24, 2022
- ↑ Facebook, "Sylvia Arenas," accessed October 1, 2016
- ↑ Sylvia Arenas for City Council, "About Sylvia," accessed October 1, 2016
- ↑ County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters, "Past Election Information," accessed September 16, 2021
- ↑ CCSA Advocates, "CCSA Advocates-Endorsed Candidates Prevail in Primary Elections," June 9, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Sylvia Arenas for City Council, "Endorsements," accessed October 1, 2016
- ↑ Sylvia Arenas for City Council, "Issues," accessed October 1, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mike Wasserman |
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 1 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
San Jose City Council District 8 2016-2023 |
Succeeded by Domingo Candelas |
| Preceded by - |
Evergreen Elementary School District Board of Trustees At-large |
Succeeded by - |
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