Here are the District 3 leaders after the last Election Day vote count:
Gabby Chavez-Lopez 2,087
Matthew Quevedo  1,592
Anthony Tordillos 1,433
Irene Smith 1,186

The convictions of Omar Torres stole the headlines from Election Day voting to replace the former council member, who resigned in November shortly before his arrest.

Salas is a 50-year resident of San Jose, and built a solid reputation for his work promoting civic projects, leading the downtown Rotary Club.

Seven candidates qualified as candidates for the April special election. The council had decided that no person could seek election to the coveted downtown council seat if they also sought appointment to the interim seat.

If no candidate receives a majority on April 8, the top two candidates will run against each other in a special runoff election on June 24. The winner will serve the remainder of the term through 2026.

The City Council today formally approved the dates for both appointing and electing a replacement for the disgraced former first-term council member, Omar Torres.

The City Council had the option of appointing a replacement for Omar Torres to serve out his full term until the 2026 elections, or to appoint an interim replacement in District 3 pending outcome of a special election in April for the remainder of the term.

Police Chief Paul Joseph said the arrest of Omar Torres on Election Day came just one day after a man told police that when he was a child, he had been sexually assaulted by Torres for several years. Torres sent a letter of resignation from the City Council just before his arrest.

Torres’ council chair was again conspicuously empty, and he continues to be a no-show at various boards and committees.

The mayor said that for the past two weeks, Torres has not shown up to any council meetings, community meetings or committees to which he has been assigned.

The pleas from business groups are based on revelations in an Oct. 1 police affidavit of sexually explicit comments by Councilmember Omar Torres about young boys.

Omar Torres’ attorney affirmed that the first-term council member has engaged in sexually explicit social media activities revealed in graphic detail in an affidavit filed in connection with search warrants on Torres’ property.

The San Jose police union accused City Manager Jennifer Maguire of attempting to divert police resources from the investigation of Omar Torres to instead go after media for leaking an affidavit that was on file with the court.

Neither Torres or police gave any details about the allegations. Several media outlets have reported the allegations involve possible sexual misconduct related to online searches.

We strongly encourage the US government to implore Hamas and Israel to do all they can to work toward a cessation of hostilities, protect civilian lives, and facilitate the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza residents. We also expect Hamas and Israel to release hostages and prisoners based on continued negotiations.

The mayor reaches across the council divide to involve political opponents in grassroots revitalization efforts.