Name: Anthony Tordillos
Running for: San Jose City Council District 3 (Sworn-in this past June)
Location: San Jose, CA
****All Candidates have been endorsed by The Victory Fund******
What are the major issues that are getting you into public service as a politician?
Our housing affordability crisis was the defining issue that got me involved in local politics. A recent report from Chapman University found that San José is the least affordable city anywhere in the country, and one in five renters in our city are paying over half their monthly income toward rent. Addressing our twin crises of housing affordability and homelessness is my top goal in elected office.
That said, the desire to see queer representation returned to City Council also weighed heavily on my decision to run. In a time of increasingly vitriolic rhetoric against LGBTQ+ folks, when our fundamental rights are under attack, it was personally important to me to be a visible and vocal advocate for our community.
What is the core of your platform that represents you today?
The cost of housing is too much of a burden for too many people in our community. Our housing affordability crisis was why I chose to apply for the Planning Commission and what spurred me on to run for City Council. Housing is also deeply connected with many other city goals, like ending homelessness, supporting transit ridership, revitalizing our downtown, providing economic stability, and combating climate change.
What is the thing you are most proud of achieving thus far, and how will it help you as an elected official?
I’m proud to have led our dark horse campaign to victory. From the beginning we ran a grassroots, corporate-free campaign on an unabashedly progressive platform. Despite being outspent 3:1 during the primary, we managed to advance to the run-off election by just 6 votes. After knocking over 30,000 doors, our campaign was able to transform that 6 vote margin from the primary to a resounding 29 point victory in the run-off. All of that time engaging with residents at the doors helped us build stronger relationships with the community, which will help me to serve our constituents more effectively in office.
What goals are you trying to accomplish?
It’s long past time to tackle our housing affordability crisis. I want to thoughtfully streamline government processes so that it’s faster and cheaper to build abundant, affordable housing in San José. Doing so will help us to build a more vibrant and walkable city, support our local businesses, generate tens of thousands of jobs, and strengthen the city’s financial footing.
We also need to take a holistic approach to ending our homelessness crisis that combines immediate action to shelter our unhoused neighbors and connect them with supportive services with long term investments in affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs.
What are your political ambitions?
I entered public service to address our housing crisis. This is a crisis that was decades in the making, and I intend to use every moment of my time in office to fight for a San José that is safe, affordable, and welcoming for everyone in our community.
Who inspires you to keep fighting even when the battles seem too much?
My family, team, and supporters, who took a gamble on our campaign when many had already written us off. They share my belief that, with a little courage and a lot of grit, a better future is possible.
Who is your role model from history in public service?
Senator Elizabeth Warren was the first politician who inspired me to roll up my sleeves and get off the side lines to fight for the future I wanted to see. I was drawn to her people-centered vision and her willingness to propose policies that rise to the scale of the challenges confronting our country. Now that I’m serving in elected office myself, I aspire to follow her example of policy-centric leadership as we “dream big and fight hard” on behalf of our city.
What advice do you have for the community to help make change happen, beyond voting?
My advice is to get involved locally in whatever capacity you’re able. Long before I ever decided to run for office, I was proud to represent my community on the San José Planning Commission. This allowed me the opportunity to advise the City Council on land use and redevelopment issues and advocate for policies to address housing affordability and promote more vibrant and resilient communities.
If you aren’t interested in or ready to step into public service yourself, volunteering for local candidates who share your values is a great way to make a direct impact on the future of your community.
