Incumbent Peter Ortiz jumped to an early lead in San Jose’s District 5 contest, pulling roughly 44.9 percent of the reported vote (2,717) as precincts closed last night. Vietnamese-language journalist Vy Dang trailed with just over 20 percent (about 1,213 votes), former state lawmaker Nora Campos sat at roughly 19.9 percent (1,206) and education leader Karen Martínez had about 15 percent (910). With no one clearing the 50 percent mark in the first batch of results, the race is on track to be settled in a November runoff.
Early Returns And Turnout
According to San José Spotlight, the 8 PM Election Day snapshot had Ortiz, Dang, Campos and Martínez in that order. The county’s election feed initially pegged turnout at about 16.8 percent on election night. The City’s candidate guide notes that a candidate must win a majority to take the seat outright; if not, the top two advance to a November runoff, under rules outlined by the City of San José.
Ortiz Reacts
“The results send a clear message: The people of this district believe in progress,” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. Dang was not immediately available for comment, the outlet reported. Campaign teams, meanwhile, were quick to point out that late-arriving mail ballots and additional returns, which are counted after Election Day, could still shuffle the standings.
Money And Endorsements
Ortiz entered Election Day with a sizable cash advantage. Public filings showed roughly $144,835 raised for his campaign, compared with about $48,748 for Campos, $29,680 for Dang and $29,404 for Martínez, according to reporting compiled by SFGATE. Labor-aligned PACs and union-backed committees also poured money into boosting Ortiz, with one group reporting more than $80,000 in expenditures, giving him a built-in ground game in East San Jose. Campaign operatives said money helps fund mailers and door-knocking, but with such low turnout, every late-counted ballot could still matter.
What’s At Stake In East San Jose
District 5 covers neighborhoods where residents repeatedly raised housing affordability, public safety and basic city services as top issues throughout the campaign. Ortiz has been highly visible on immigrant-protection measures and other district-focused proposals during his term, as reported by KQED. Challengers pitched themselves as offering tougher approaches to crime and neighborhood blight, trying to motivate a relatively small slice of voters to show up for what could be the decisive ballots.
What Happens Next
Ballots, including conditional and provisional votes, will continue to be counted in the days ahead. Counties must report final unofficial totals during the canvass period, and the California Secretary of State notes that counties are to submit final results by July 3, 2026. Santa Clara County’s election statistics later showed roughly 19.8 percent of ballots returned in this cycle, underscoring how night-of numbers can shift as more votes are processed, according to Santa Clara County. We will update this story as results are certified and campaigns respond.
