Mirroring
the voting trends in California, the voters in Santa Clara County have not returned
their mail-in ballots as expected. With about
7.8% of 1,013,616 ballots returned as of February 25, a spokesperson
for the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters noted that this is historically at the lower end. Even with the usual last-minute
surge of voters next week on Primary Election Day and 7-day allowance after the
election date for receiving ballots, the office does not expect the turnout to
be more than 55%.
The Vietnamese-American
voters historically exhibit a lower turnout than the overall average. Analyses by Viet Poll Media for the last 6
elections since 2022 showed on average, Vietnamese-American turnout is 6
percentage points lower than the overall turnout. In comparison, the Chinese and Indian turnouts
are 8-9 percentage points higher than the overall. Of all the voter demographics, Hispanic
turnout is about 10 percentage points lower.
In the 2020 election, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation funded a
voting awareness program and identified several districts in San Jose where the
turnout was traditionally low. The data indicated some of the low-turnout demographics were located in Vietnamese-dominated
precincts in Districts 7 and 8.
With over
80% of voters casting ballots by mail in the county, candidates are actively walking
their precincts trying to garner as many votes as they can.
One of the high-profile races is the District 2 supervisorial race to replace the long-time political stalwart
Cindy Chavez. The two Vietnamese-American candidates, Betty
Duong and Madison Nguyen, are considered to be the front runners because of
their strong name recognition and financial backing.
The
two candidates are being viewed differently in the Vietnamese community and it affects
so far their campaigning strategies and outreach to potential voters. Vietnamese-American votes are about 18% of
the registered voters in District 2.
Betty
Duong is everywhere in the community as she always has been anyway before her
election campaign. Her various positions at the county give her a high profile and close
interaction to help the community. She was
at all major events during the Lunar New Year and often was introduced and given
the opportunity to speak. She has
walked and knocked over 20,000 doors just to be in touch with the voters.
Madison is taking a more passive approach and has limited her interactions with the community. She tried to have a campaign kick-off and fund raiser at Dynasty Restaurant in Vietnam town in June of last year and was met with about 80 protesters. After her bitter defeat to Ash Kalra in the 2016 assembly race, she disappeared from the community and moved to Nevada until she decided to run for the supervisorial seat. She hardly walks the precincts and rarely is invited to community events, partly because organizers did not want to have any commotions. The Vietnamese voters still hold their grudges after all these years for the divisiveness she caused.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zqm3JdpWSZ4&ab_channel=VIEMMAIVLOG
In 2016,
the D27 assembly race was for her to win against Kalra and she managed to snatch defeat from
the jaws of victory. The district had
20% Vietnamese registered voters in a presidential election pitting Donald
Trump against Hillary Clinton. Just like the majority of the country during
that time, the mostly conservative Vietnamese voting bloc was motivated by
Trumpism and had the highest turnout ever.
She
raised more than $1.2 million for the race, and her supporting PACs of mostly
Govern for California, Charter Schools Association, and California Association of
Realtors spent $3 million to defeat Kalra.
The list of billionaires behind her campaign was impressive with last names
like Fisher, Munger and Jobs.
Ash Kalra
could hardly raise over $650k and his supporting PAC’s spent about $1.3
million. He was trounced in the primary election by 15 points. Not many political pundits gave him a chance, especially in a district with a strong Vietnamese-American voting bloc.
It
was so bad that State Senator Janet Nguyen called one of his supporters and
suggested that he might consider taking a centrist position on several issues so that she
could try to convince the lobbyists in Sacramento to slow down their PAC
funding for Nguyen’s campaign.
Yet, Kalra
managed to beat her by almost 8% in the general election. It was a stunning defeat considering she was
banking on the Vietnamese voters to line up behind her. Meanwhile, on the Election Night of 2016, the
Viet community in general must have thought good riddance. And now they are motivated to help Betty
Duong.
Madison
Nguyen has been on a “ poor me “ tour with the Vietnamese-American media. She claimed that she was misunderstood and
voters should give her a second look.
She tried hard to reach out and apologized to the community leaders and
influencers for her role in the Little Saigon naming donnybrook.
Even though
big political names in San Jose like former Mayor Sam Liccardo had endorsed
her in the past, a lot of them decided to stay on the sideline this time. The new popular Mayor Matt Mahan also decided
not to endorse her although he is her friend and among her tight-knit of
supporters. He might not know the community well but he does not have a political
tin ear.
The
conventional wisdom suggests that both Duong and Nguyen are likely to be in the
runoff in November. In Orange County,
the supervisorial District 1 race is another heavily contested race between Janet
Nguyen and Van Tran. These are two
explosive races in the Vietnamese-American community with a lot of divisiveness
in the community and in the case of Janet vs. Van, everlasting bitterness and personal
hatred. What history has shown us in
the last 20 years is that in races pitting Vietnamese candidates against each other,
they will be close and could be decided by less than 3 votes.
Dear Chief Paul Joseph,
I am writing to you with deep concern regarding an incident that took place yesterday involving a physical altercation between the San Jose mayor’s security detail and a pedestrian. As the President of the San Jose Silicon Valley NAACP, I feel compelled to address this issue and share my perspectives on the matter.
Upon viewing the video of the incident, I was troubled by the rapid escalation of the situation into a physical altercation. It was distressing to witness the lack of attempts at de-escalation from the officers involved, and I believe this raises questions about the adequacy of their de-escalation training. In any situation where conflicts arise, it is critical for law enforcement officers to prioritize de-escalation techniques to ensure the safety and well-being of all individuals involved.
The officer involved in the altercation did not clearly identify himself as a law enforcement officer, and it appears that there was no legal basis for instructing the pedestrian to move from his location in a public space. The pedestrian’s reaction, although stating a warning, should have been met with a more measured response from the officer, considering the circumstances.
Furthermore, the presence of what seemed to be an object, possibly a metal rod, being thrown into the frame of the camera from outside raises serious concerns about the intentions behind this act. This action added a dangerous element to an already tense situation and warrants a thorough investigation to determine the source and purpose of the object.
Additionally, the bystanders’ reactions to the altercation were also troubling. Instead of intervening or seeking help, many individuals appeared passive, choosing to record the incident on their cell phones instead. This lack of active involvement from bystanders highlights the need for community education on how to safely and effectively intervene in such situations to prevent further escalation or harm.
As the head of the San Jose Police Department, I urge you to conduct a comprehensive review of the incident, including the actions of all parties involved, to ensure accountability and transparency. It is imperative that all officers receive ongoing training in de-escalation techniques and conflict resolution to handle challenging situations effectively and with respect for all individuals’ rights.
I also request that you provide updates on the investigation and any steps taken to address the concerns raised by this incident. Our community looks to law enforcement for protection and support, and it is essential that the public trust in the integrity and professionalism of our police force is maintained.
I am more than willing to discuss this matter further and collaborate on initiatives to improve police-community relations and ensure that incidents like this are addressed promptly and justly. Together, we can work towards a safer and more inclusive environment for all residents of San Jose.
Sincerely,
Rev. Jethroe Moore II
President
San Jose Silicon Valley NAACP