By Robert Haugh
The South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council represents over 100 unions and more than 100,000 workers in Santa Clara and San Benito counties.
For Santa Clara City Council races, they interviewed and endorsed:
For District 1 — Councilwoman Kathy Watanabe
For District 4 — Councilwoman Teresa O’Neill
Neither endorsement was a surprise. Both councilwomen have represented their districts well. According to our sources, the Labor Council gave them high marks.
For District 5 — Bob O’Keefe
For District 6 — Rob Mezzetti
O’Keefe and Mezzetti are considered strong candidates for the two open seats. According to our sources, the Labor Council rates them as likely winners.
O’Keefe barely lost a citywide race for City Clerk in 2018. He has a good network in District 5.
Mezzetti is a fourth-generation Santa Claran with strong roots in the community.
Two other organizations that are popular with Mission City voters will be making endorsements, too.
The Santa Clara Police Officers Association and Santa Clara Firefighters Local 1171 are still in their endorsement process.
We’ll be reporting on these endorsements and more about the candidates in the coming months.
[…] Bhatia earlier this year for the District 1 Council seat. The organization turned down Bhatia and endorsed Kathy Watanabe for […]
[…] Last month, the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council representing over 100 unions in Santa Clara and San Benito counties also endorsed Watanabe, O’Neill, O’Keefe and Mezzetti. […]