Joe Simitian

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}}{{#if:|{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}} }}{{#if:|{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}} }}{{#if:|{{#if:||{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}}}} }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| regexp1 = 1blankname[%d]* | regexp2 = 1namedata[%d]* | regexp3 = 2blankname[%d]* | regexp4 = 2namedata[%d]* | regexp5 = 3blankname[%d]* | regexp6 = 3namedata[%d]* | regexp7 = 4blankname[%d]* | regexp8 = 4namedata[%d]* | regexp9 = 5blankname[%d]* | regexp10 = 5namedata[%d]* | allegiance | alma_mater | regexp11 = alongside[%d]* | alt | regexp12 = ambassador_from[%d]* | regexp13 = appointed[%d]* | regexp14 = appointer[%d]* | regexp15 = assembly[%d]* | awards | battles | battles_label | birth_date | birth_name | birth_place | birthname | regexp16 = blank[%d]* | bodyclass | branch | branch_label | cabinet | candidate | caption | categories | regexp17 = chancellor[%d]* | children | citizenship | regexp18 = co%-leader[%d]* | commands | committees | regexp19 = constituency[%d]* | regexp20 = constituency_AM[%d]* | regexp21 = constituency_MP[%d]* | regexp22 = convocation[%d]* | regexp23 = country[%d]* | regexp24 = data[%d]* | date | death_cause | death_date | death_manner | death_place | demo | regexp25 = deputy[%d]* | regexp26 = district[%d]* | education | election_date | embed | father | regexp28 = firstminister[%d]* | footnotes | regexp29 = governor[%d]* | regexp30 = governor_general[%d]* | regexp31 = governor%-general[%d]* | height | honorific_prefix | honorific-prefix | honorific_suffix | honorific-suffix | image | image name | image_name_alt | image_size | imagesize | image_upright | incumbent | regexp32 = jr/sr[%d]* | regexp33 = jr/sr and state[%d]* | known_for | regexp34 = leader[%d]* | regexp35 = legislature[%d]* | regexp36 = lieutenant[%d]* | regexp37 = lieutenant_governor[%d]* | mainwidth | regexp38 = majority[%d]* | regexp39 = majority_floor_leader[%d]* | regexp40 = majority_leader[%d]* | regexp41 = majorityleader[%d]* | mawards | regexp42 = military_blank[%d]* | regexp43 = military_data[%d]* | regexp44 = minister[%d]* | regexp45 = minister_from[%d]* | regexp46 = minority_floor_leader[%d]* | regexp47 = minority_leader[%d]* | regexp48 = minorityleader[%d]* | regexp49 = module[%d]* | regexp50 = monarch[%d]* | mother | name | nationality | native_name | native_name_lang | nickname | nocat | regexp51 = nominator[%d]* | nominee | occupation | regexp52 = office[%d]* | opponent | regexp53 = order[%d]* | otherparty | parents | regexp54 = parliament[%d]* | regexp55 = parliamentarygroup[%d]* | partner | party | party_election | portfolio | regexp56 = preceded[%d]* | regexp57 = preceding[%d]* | regexp58 = predecessor[%d]* | regexp59 = premier[%d]* | regexp60 = president[%d]* | regexp61 = primeminister[%d]* | regexp62 = prior_term[%d]* | profession | pronunciation | rank | rank_label | relations | relatives | residence | resting_place | resting_place_coordinates | restingplace | restingplacecoordinates | regexp63 = riding[%d]* | runningmate | salary | serviceyears | serviceyears_label | signature | signature_alt | signature_size | smallimage | smallimage_alt | source | speaker | speaker_office | spouse | spouses | regexp64 = state[%d]* | regexp65 = state_assembly[%d]* | regexp66 = state_delegate[%d]* | regexp67 = state_house[%d]* | regexp68 = state_legislature[%d]* | regexp69 = state_senate[%d]* | regexp70 = status[%d]* | regexp71 = suboffice[%d]* | regexp72 = subterm[%d]* | regexp73 = succeeded[%d]* | regexp74 = succeeding[%d]* | regexp75 = successor[%d]* | regexp76 = taoiseach[%d]* | regexp77 = term[%d]* | regexp78 = term_end[%d]* | regexp79 = term_label[%d]* | regexp80 = term_start[%d]* | regexp81 = termend[%d]* | regexp82 = termlabel[%d]* | regexp83 = termstart[%d]* | regexp84 = title[%d]* | unit | unit_label | regexp85 = vicegovernor[%d]* | regexp86 = vicepremier[%d]* | regexp87 = vicepresident[%d]* | regexp88 = viceprimeminister[%d]* | regexp89 = assuming[%d]* | website | width | year }} Saren Joseph Simitian (born February 1, 1953) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the State Senator representing California's 11th State Senate district, which encompasses all or part of 13 cities in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties, from 2004 to 2012.<ref>Biography</ref> Approaching his term limit at the end of 2012, he ran for and was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.<ref>About Joe Template:Webarchive</ref> He was re-elected to the same seat in 2016 and again in 2020.

EducationEdit

Simitian graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1970.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He attended Colorado College and earned a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in political science. He earned a Master of Arts in international policy studies from Stanford University, a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.Template:Citation needed

Early political careerEdit

Simitian was President of the Palo Alto School Board, and served as a member from 1983 to 1991.<ref>Sen. Joe Simitian – Friends of UC Santa Cruz</ref> He was on the Palo Alto City Council from 1992 to 1996 and served as Mayor for part of that time.Template:Citation needed He was represented District 5 on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors from 1996–2000.

California state legislatureEdit

File:Joe Simitian.jpg

Simitian in 2010

State AssemblyEdit

Simitian was elected to the California State Assembly's 21st District in November 2000, and re-elected to a second term in November 2002.

State SenateEdit

Simitian was elected to the California State Senate in November 2004 for District 11. He defeated former Assemblyman and San Mateo County Supervisor Ted Lempert in the Democratic primary election, also prevailing in the general election. Simitian was re-elected to a second term in 2008. His second term ended in 2012. Simitian was one of only four Democratic Senators to vote against California's ambitious High Speed Rail plan.

Simitian authored California's hands-free cell phone bill.<ref>New California Hands Free Law</ref><ref>Schwarzenegger outlaws text-messaging while driving – Los Angeles Times</ref>

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has put Simitian on a list of individuals banned from entering the country. The decision was made after Simitian travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh without Baku's permission.<ref>California senator declared persona non grata in Azerbaijan Template:Webarchive</ref>

Santa Clara County Board of SupervisorsEdit

Simitian was elected again to the District 5 seat of the Board of Supervisors in 2012, after reaching his term limit in the State Senate. He was re-elected in 2016 with 89 percent of the vote<ref>Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, June 2016 Presidential Primary Election Results</ref> and ran unopposed for re-election in 2020.<ref>Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, March 2020 Presidential Primary Election Results</ref>

Simitian served as President of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 2018 and 2019, and after winning reelection in 2020, continues to represent District 5 (Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Mountain View, Saratoga, and Stanford, as well as portions of San Jose). He was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in November 1996, serving from 1997 to 2000. In 2022, redistricting adjusted the cities Simitian represents to include Los Gatos and Monte Sereno.

As Supervisor, Simitian is credited with saving the 400 units of affordable housing at the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park,<ref>Mercury News editorial: Saving Buena Vista in Palo Alto still is worth doing</ref> and he has proposed the building of affordable teacher housing in Palo Alto for teachers across the county.<ref>Silicon Valley Seeks Solutions for Affordable Housing ABC 7</ref><ref>Palo Alto Board Considers Building Teacher Housing Near Courthouse</ref> He also successfully pushed the County to fund multiple new playgrounds accessible to special needs children, following the creation of Palo Alto's Magical Bridge Playground.<ref>Santa Clara County Puts $10 Million Toward Inclusive Playground Mercury News</ref>

Simitian has advanced multiple privacy-related initiatives at the county level. Under his guidance, Santa Clara County became "one of the first in the country" to hire a privacy specialist in a designated role to oversee its data-driven programs.<ref>Santa Clara County Hires First Chief Privacy Officer Next City</ref> He also secured passage of a surveillance ordinance, the first of its kind in the United States, requiring that police forces get explicit permission for new surveillance technology.<ref>Meet Joe Simitian, Silicon Valley's surveillance technology watchdog The Guardian</ref>

Simitian pushed for more civilian oversight for Sheriff and county jails<ref>Santa Clara County Approves Civilian Oversight for Sheriff's Office Jails Mercury News</ref> and secured approval for body-worn cameras for Sheriff's Deputies and jail guards.<ref>Santa Clara County Body Cams Approved for Deputies and Jail Officers Mercury News</ref>

2024 U.S. House of Representatives electionEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In 2024, Simitian ran to represent California's 16th congressional district to replace the retiring Anna Eshoo, earning her endorsement in the primary.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His candidacy prompted an unusual occurrence; despite announcing on election night that he was in the top two candidates, and would consequently advance to the November run-off,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as votes were counted in the following weeks, Simitian constantly traded places with another candidate, Evan Low, for second and third place. The final results saw the two tie, and as a result both – alongside first-placed Sam Liccardo – were expected to be on the ballot for the general election, in only the second three-way election since California adopted the top-two primary system in 2012.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Given the close result, the possibility of a recount has been raised, but SFist reported that neither campaign had the funds available to support one.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Both campaigns released statements indicating that they intend to compete in the general election.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

However, after a poll believed to be conducted on behalf of supporters of first-placed Sam Liccardo testing two-way match-ups was fielded,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> two residents of the district, including former Liccardo campaign finance director and current donor Jonathan Padilla, requested a recount; Liccardo himself is ineligible to because he does not live in the district.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Liccardo's campaign denied responsibility, though they agreed the recount was necessary, saying "every vote should be counted."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

At the conclusion of the recount, Simitian was ultimately eliminated and Low advanced to the general election by a 5-vote margin.<ref name="recountend">Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal lifeEdit

Joe Simitian is married to Mary Hughes, a Bay Area political consultant. Simitian proposed to Hughes on election night in 1996 upon being elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.<ref>Palo Alto Online</ref>

ReferencesEdit

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