Sergio Jimenez

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Sergio Jimenez

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

San Jose City Council District 2

Successor: Pamela Campos

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Education

Bachelor's

San José State University

Personal

Profession

Criminal defense investigator

Contact

Personal Facebook

Sergio Jimenez was a member of the San Jose City Council in California, representing District 2. He assumed office on November 29, 2016. He left office on December 31, 2024.

Jimenez won re-election to the San Jose City Council to represent District 2 in California outright in the primary on March 3, 2020, after the general election was canceled.

Although city council elections in San Jose are officially nonpartisan, Jimenez is known to be affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Jimenez received a B.A. in political science from San Jose State University, and as of his 2016 campaign, he was working toward an M.P.A. from the same institution.

As of his run for city council in 2016, Jimenez was a criminal defense investigator with the Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office. His professional experience also includes work as an intake worker for the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley and as an organizer for the South Bay AFL-CIO and the Measure B campaign.

Jimenez founded the Oak Grove Neighborhood Association and served as its president. He has also served as the chair of the San Jose Parks and Recreation Commission, on the board of the community organization Somos Mayfair, and as a member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group's Neighborhood Leaders Council, the American Heart Association's Multicultural Leadership Committee, the Measure Q campaign's Endorsement Committee, and Working Partnerships USA's Community Budget Working Group. Jimenez was named Charlotte Powers Neighbor of the year in 2012 and 2014.

Elections

2020

See also: City elections in San Jose, California (2020)

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for San Jose City Council District 2

Incumbent Sergio Jimenez won election outright against Jonathan Benjamin Fleming in the primary for San Jose City Council District 2 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sergio Jimenez (Nonpartisan)	58.5	12,891
		Jonathan Benjamin Fleming (Nonpartisan)	41.5	9,139

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22,030
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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. Sergio Jimenez defeated Steve Brown in the general election for San Jose City Council District 2.

San Jose City Council District 2, General Election, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Sergio Jimenez	54.97%	17,629
Steve Brown	45.03%	14,441
Total Votes		32,070
Source: Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, "Official Final Results," December 8, 2016

Sergio Jimenez and Steve Brown defeated Joe Lopez and Eli Portales in the primary election for San Jose City Council District 2.

San Jose City Council District 2, Primary Election, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Sergio Jimenez	32.86%	5,953
Steve Brown	31.96%	5,790
Joe Lopez	22.83%	4,136
Eli Portales	12.35%	2,238
Total Votes (100% reporting)		18,117
Source: Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, "Unofficial Semifinal Results," accessed June 27, 2016

Endorsements

Jimenez received endorsements from the following in 2016:

• Association of Retired San Jose Police Officers & Firefighters
• Dean Democratic Club
• Democratic Activists for Women Now
• East Side Teacher's Association
• Evolve California
• League of Conservation Voters of Santa Clara County
• Oak Grove Educators Association
• Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte
• San Jose Fire Fighters Local 230
• San Jose Police Officers Association
• San Jose Teachers Association
• Santa Clara County Democratic Party
• Sierra Club
• Silicon Valley Asian Pacific American Democratic Club
• Silicon Valley Democratic Club
• Silicon Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Silicon Valley Latino Democratic Forum
• Silicon Valley Young Democrats
• South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council
• South County Democratic Club
• U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren
• California Sen. Bob Wieckowski
• California Sen. James Beall Jr.
• California Sen. Bill Monning
• California Assemb. Kansen Chu
• California Assemb. Mark Stone
• California Assemb. Evan Low
• San Jose City Councilman Ash Kalra
• San Jose City Councilman Raul Peralez
• San Jose City Councilman Tam Nguyen
• San Jose City Councilman Donald Rocha
• Santa Clara City Councilman Dominic Caserta

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Sergio Jimenez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

See also: Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey

Jimenez participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of municipal government candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:

“

Safety. Until we address our safety crisis we will continue to struggle to achieve on other issues. Everything starts with a safe community, and we need to rebuild our departments and recruit community members that know our neighborhoods.

”

When asked what he would most like to change about the city, the candidate made the following statement:

“

We have a housing crisis and we need to help people at all levels be able to find stable and safe housing options. We are in an affordability crisis and too many families are forced to flee the community they grew up in.

”

When asked what he is most proud of about the city, the candidate made the following statement:

“

Coyote Valley. District 2 is home to the South Bay's greatest outdoor treasure and I will fight to preserve this land. How we tend to our parks and green spaces is a reflection of how we care for our neighbors and the future. We need to make green spaces a priority and preserve the natural beauty and wonder of Coyote Valley.

”

Ranking the issues

The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:

Issue importance ranking
Candidate's ranking	Issue
1	Crime reduction/prevention
2	Housing
3	Homelessness
4	City services (trash, utilities, etc.)
5	Unemployment
6	Environment
7	Transportation
8	K-12 education
9	Civil rights
10	Recreational opportunities
11	Government transparency
12	Public pensions/retirement funds

Positions on the issues

The candidate was asked to answer four questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column:

Question	Response
Is it important for the city’s budget to be balanced?	Important
Which level of government do you feel should set a minimum wage?	Local
What do you think is the best way to improve a city’s public safety?	Currently in San Jose we are short staffed. Levels down over 30% in recent years. We need staff, but that alone does not solve the issue. Thankfully our SJPD has taken steps to enhance community outreach and trust. I believe we are working to make San Jose safe and do it right.
How do you think your city should emphasize economic development?	Focusing on small business development

Additional themes

Jimenez's 2016 campaign website highlighted the following issues:

“

Making San José safer Yes on F on November 8th will finally put pension reform behind us, and with the passage of Measure B from June, we can focus on our neighborhoods and see San José as America’s 'safest big city' once more. We have to rebuild our departments – we are drastically understaffed. In 2010 we had approximately 1400 officers on duty, for the summer of 2016 we are below 850. We are a city of one million people, less than 900 officers is unacceptable. We cannot hope to prevent crime when we can barely respond to crime. Rebuilding our departments and units is top priority. As District 2 continues to expand, we need more resources to cover the needs of our neighborhoods. I am the only candidate with the experience working in our neighborhoods, talking to you about our struggles and successes. As an investigator I see first hand the impacts of crime and violence in our city – I am the only candidate ready on Day 1. I commit to working towards the opening of our police sub-station on Great Oaks Parkway. It's time to replace outdated equipment and buildings such as the antiquated Legacy buildings used by our fire department. Public safety is beyond just police officers and firefighters that protect and serve us. Expanding LED street lighting for every neighborhood and better after school options for our youth, and community policing, are parts of the solution. We need to see the entire community's role in this, from the neighborhood associations to city hall. I'm ready to be a partner with our public safety officials and rebuild relationships so we retain staff and make San José the city everyone wants to work in. We need to take care of the employees that tend to our streets. Together we will strengthen San José and provide the safe community you deserve. Our housing crisis Housing, there's not enough and the costs are outrageous. We need action and solutions. We leave too many of our neighbors and families on the streets and in the creeks. San José is the capital of Silicon Valley and home to some of the greatest innovators in the world, yet we see too stark a disparity and struggle between some residents. It's clear that this valley is not working for everyone. We must first find homes for everyone, which is why I support the Housing First model to help our homeless residents rebuild their lives. Although unseen, many of our neighbors are on the fringe, struggling and unable to keep up with the increases and outrageous cost of living in San José — living 10-12 people per unit, choosing between a roof over their head or eating, going to work sick because they can't afford the loss of a day's pay. Many residents are one emergency away from being homeless. The current council is addressing enhancing rent control measures to offer much needed protections to our residents and I look forward to reviewing their impact. Developers and investors continue to do great work to build our community, but while they will always have a seat at the table, it's time for working families, the youth, single-parents and our community to have a seat at the table too. We can solve this. We can address housing not as just roofs and walls, but how our cost of living, and access to that living, helps residents provide a home for themself or their family. We need to make sustainable and permanent housing solutions. We need more transit-oriented developments that ensure a balanced community approach so access to jobs and essentials like grocery stores are considered. I will ensure that the community is considered in all development projects. We need to make certain future developments, housing or otherwise, reflect the needs and desires of our residents and this can be done by enhancing the community’s participation. We are judged by how we treat the least of us. In San José, enough is enough. San José for everyone I love San José. I am proud the have grown up here. I met my wife at SJSU and I am thankful to have the opportunity to work and raise my family in San José. This community has given me a lot, and I want to ensure our neighbors and families are afforded the same opportunities. Shamefully, too many residents and working families are struggling. We need to close the disparity gap and help San Joséans rise up and build a community for everyone. It's why I support raising the minimum wage and providing paid sick/family leave in San José. Uncertain work schedules, inefficient transit systems, lack of healthcare access, and limited after-school programs are burdens that restrict opportunity. We face challenges that this community has the ability to address. Job opportunities are available across our city, but we need to do a better job at connecting the people with opportunities while trying to meet the goals of San José's Envision 2040 general plan. We have great educational institutions across the county, each child should be able to attend college or enter a trade. Lastly, we should embrace technology's advancements to help connect everyone, but emerging economic trends need to lift everyone up. Together we will build an equitable San José to live, work and play for everyone. Thinking about our future It's notable that addressing climate change is garnering more national attention than ever before, but our sustainability is too important to wait any longer, and there is no greater place to take action than in our own city. As the District 2 San José Parks & Recreation Commissioner I have fought for better awareness on our carbon footprint and impact, and sought to preserve more open and green space for our community. I will also fight for better action on water-use and the impacts of drought. Parks and the land is the backbone to the successes throughout San José's history, we need to be conscious in preserving this legacy and beauty for our children and grandchildren. Additionally, our infrastructure is beginning to age and deteriorate, shopping plazas are slipping into decay, and our transportation system is too reliant on cars. I am excited to see BART extend to San José and I will make sure we have an efficient transit system across the city so all residents can utilize this opportunity to connect with cities across the Bay without relying on cars. A smart approach to renovating our infrastructure will help create jobs, spur commerce and revitalize sections of our community, and we can do it with a priority on sustainability. Cities across America are experimenting with new ways to address climate change, I believe the capital of Silicon Valley should be a leader in tackling this important issue. District 2 was at one time a hub of innovation, I see a future where the next great innovations take place here in our own backyard.

”

See also

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	San Jose City Council District 2 2016-2024	Succeeded by Pamela Campos