Member, City Council, District 9
November 3, 2026 · San Jose city, California · City · runoff
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 9 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 990,138 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(3,857,263 ÷ 990,138) ÷ ln(3,857,263 ÷ 3) = 9.67, comparing cities and towns in CA (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
City Council Member is responsible for:
- Passing city laws, called ordinances
- Approving the city budget
- Overseeing city departments and services
- Representing residents' concerns at city hall
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Government Efficiency, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Civil Rights, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Genny Altwer
Nonpartisan · declared
Genny Altwer is a licensed marriage and family therapist and former police officer running for San Jose City Council District 9, her first run for office. She served 13 years with the San Mateo Police Department, including as a hostage negotiator and sexual-assault detective, before becoming a therapist specializing in PTSD treatment for first responders. She led the June 2026 primary with 35.5% and faces city Public Works employee Gordon Chester in the November runoff.
Records: Environment and Public Health 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 1 for
Gordon Chester
Nonpartisan · declared
Gordon Chester is a San Jose Department of Public Works employee of more than a decade, working on telecom regulation, and a lifelong District 9 resident running for the open City Council seat, his first run for office. With strong labor backing, he took second in the June 2026 primary with 22.2% and faces therapist Genny Altwer in the November runoff.
Records: Government Efficiency 1 for, Public Infrastructure 1 for
Election sources
Source: sanjoseca.gov
Source: sanjosespotlight.com