Who Has Promised to Conduct an Ethical Campaign in Santa Clara 2024?

All 18 candidates for Santa Clara City Council, Police Chief, and City Clerk have signed the State’s Code of Fair Campaign Practices, pledging to uphold principles of honesty, fairness, and decency in their campaigns. 

Four candidates—Satish Chandra (District 1), Teresa O’Neil (District 4), David Kertes (District 5), and Kelly Cox (District 6)—went further by signing the Santa Clara Pledge, which commits them to ethical campaigning and rejecting negative tactics, especially from independent expenditures.

Some candidates, like Teresa O’Neil and David Kertes, signed with reservations, while others, such as Police Chief candidate Cory Morgan, expressed their commitment to ethical campaigns without signing. City Clerk candidate Bob O’Keefe did not sign due to legal advice related to his Civil Grand Jury service but reaffirmed his dedication to ethical conduct.

A few candidates declined the pledge, viewing it as a political stunt or preferring the state Code they had already signed. Importantly, all candidates have pledged to run ethical campaigns, which means focusing on relevant issues, telling the truth, respecting opponents, and publicly rejecting support from third-party groups that run negative campaigns.

For this commitment to make a difference, Santa Clara voters need to make ethics an important part of your voting choice.  Let the candidates know you’re paying attention and holding them accountable for their conduct during the race and how they respond to outside interference. I’ll be posting updates, including campaign and media report cards, to track ethical behavior and ensure transparency during this election cycle.

Stay tuned for more insights and let others know about this independent and nonpartisan effort to promote ethical campaigns.

Dr. Thomas Shanks, Ph.D, Pen Founder