By Robert Haugh
David Kertes has pulled the plug on his recall campaign against Santa Clara Councilmember Suds Jain.
Kertes says the complaints haven’t disappeared. But the numbers and the politics didn’t add up.
With about three weeks left in the signature-gathering window, Kertes said his team collected “about half of what was needed.” The recall effort, he acknowledged, was running out of runway.
It also wasn’t cheap.
Kertes said he spent about $10,000 of his own money and raised roughly $750 in donations. None of it is coming back.
“No,” he said when asked whether contributors would be refunded. Kertes said the money went to legal fees, petition printing, marketing materials, and booth graphics, including pull-up banners.
The sudden shutdown has disappointed some District 5 residents who supported the recall and now believe Kertes made a political pivot to benefit himself as he prepares a mayoral run.
Kertes disputes that. He also denies residents’ concerns that he cut a political deal with Jain.
Kertes said he contacted Jain shortly before ending the recall, but insists there was no quid pro quo.
“I messaged Suds on Sunday night and spoke to him on Monday afternoon,” Kertes said.
He said he spoke to Jain after deciding to end the recall, but before notifying the public.
Kertes also said he did not ask Jain for anything in exchange for ending the effort, and Jain “did not promise” anything — and never asked him to end it.
Kertes framed the decision as a response to what he says he heard while walking the district and talking to residents at places like the farmers market.
Kertes says there’s frustration with a City Council majority that feels combative, unresponsive, and stuck.
He said residents — including those who signed and those who refused voiced the same concern: Santa Clara is “going in the wrong direction,” and people want “fresh” leadership that listens.
Kertes said continuing the recall would have put him on the wrong side of that message.
“If I continued with the recall,” he said, “then I would be another person who is not listening to residents and would look like a hypocrite.”
Instead, he’s trying to turn recall grievances into a citywide platform.
Kertes said he plans to sit down with Jain to “discuss our differences,” and says his mayoral priorities would include pushing downtown development without further delays, reducing “wasteful spending,” tightening ethics and transparency, and “reel[ing] in” top compensation like the City Council majority’s approval of a $631,000 compensation package for the City Manager Jovan Grogan.
He also cited a recent example of what he calls City Hall ignoring public input. Kertes said roughly 400 residents wanted the Fourth of July celebration returned to Central Park, but the council kept it at Mission College.
“Lets give it up”
What the hell have you done to try and make Santa Clara a better place?
Outside of making stupid comments on blogs, I’m guessing NOTHING.
Crawl back behind your keyboard.
I Wanted to sign the Recall Petition but don’t go to the farmer’s market in Santa Clara since parking is difficult. Putting up tables at grocery stores (as I’ve seen in the past) would have been preferable. I live in District 5 and unfortunately no one came to my door when I was home or available.
I’m ashamed of our city staff who ignore residents preferences for the 4th of July celebration. We have Not gone to Mission College and will Not go there in the future. I’m also ashamed of the 49’er “5”.
As a long time resident, there is Less and Less to like about Santa Clara. We’re even losing Great America, unless common sense prevails.
2024 David runs for council: putt, putt, fizzle
2025 David forms recall against his former opponent: putt, putt, fizzle
2026 Hey David runs for Mayor: putt, putt,……………
putt, putt, fizzle
How much did you get paid to attack Mr. Kertes here?
How does this, negative comments help anyone, let alone our City?
Maybe a BIGGER Point here is what has any successful person ever achieved by not failing at least a few times before they do succeed.
In my life I have learned more about people when they have failed than when they have actually succeeded.
Makes good sense because….
Everyone fails at one point or another. The real question is what do they do when they fail?
Hopefully they do at least these 4 things.
1. Get Back Up
2. Dust off
3. Learn how to do it better
4. Try Again
What does a “True Loser” do?
Good question and honestly not sure if they really do anything at all… but in this case putt, putt, fizzle did do something.
1. Tried to justify their life by making fun of another person’s efforts
2. Offered no advice on how to fix our City.
Thank You Mr. Kertes, I take my hat off to you for not just trying, but actually doing something to help our City. At the very least you educated a lot of people to some of the issues currently in our City.
Just The Facts Ma’am
In walking my District 5 neighborhood to help collect signatures for the recall I did not encounter a single person who spoke positively about Mr. Jain as their council representative. Many of those who knew who he is were anxious to sign for his recall. Those who did not sign generally fell into two groups. Some were afraid that if he saw their name on the petition, he would retaliate. Others were simply reluctant to have yet another special election. Many people just wouldn’t even answer a knock at the door. My conclusion: there is no support for Mr. Jain in his own district, but there is also too little support to have another election in order to get rid of him.
Civil Grand Jury is reviewing Jain emails which falsely accused a retired teacher of never having worked. Jain also had an incident where he verbally abused a young woman whose grandmother had a former mayor as a pallbearer.
Jain has considerable emotional issues.