Mayor Steve Tate says he will seek fifth term; Siebert, Constantine also running again for council

Published in the July 23 – August 5, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was slightly revised from the print version after Morgan Hill Life learned an elected official would run for re-election on the school board.)

By Staff Report

Local residents have started the process of campaigning for various elected offices in Morgan Hill and the county. The filing period started July 14 and goes to 5 p.m. Aug. 8.

Here are the local candidates who have announced to Morgan Hill Life that they will run in the Nov. 4 election or according to the Santa Clara Registrar of Voters have pulled papers as of Thursday afternoon.

Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate

Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate

Currently Morgan Hill’s Mayor, Steve Tate announced that he would seek another two-year term.

“Having served eight years as mayor, I have been contemplating whether it is time to turn it over or continue on,” Tate said in a press release. “I still love the job and believe I can continue to lead in a very positive direction, attaining many of our ongoing goals to take Morgan Hill to the next level. That will set the stage for new leadership to come in and achieve an even higher level of excellence. Therefore I’ve concluded that I will seek another term as mayor in order to help complete these efforts.”

Incumbent City Council members Gordon Siebert and Rich Constantine will also see re-election in November. Morgan Hill resident Joseph Carrillo, who owns a video production company, said he will run to represent his fellow citizens on the council. This is Carrillo’s third time running for the seat.

As of Thursday July 17, no one pulled filing papers at the Registrar of Voters for the City Council or the mayor race for Morgan Hill.

Morgan Hill resident Dennis Kennedy announced he will running for the District 1 seat for the Santa Clara Valley Water District, which includes all of the South Valley.

Last year, Kennedy was appointed to the water district’s board after Don Gage left to serve as mayor of Gilroy.

Gilroy resident and winemaker Thomas Kruse pulled papers for the water district race last Wednesday, according to the Registrar of Voters.

The four-year terms of Board President Don Moody, Vice President Shelle Thomas and trustees Claudia Rossi and Ron Woolf will terminate this year. Morgan Hill Life sent emails to all four asking if they plan to re-run. Woolf responded that he intends to run for re-election on the board. Rossi announced she’s running in the Santa Clara County Board of Education race for the seat currently held by Julia Hoover-Smoot, who is also running for re-election.

Gerard announced to Morgan Hill Life that he will run for the school board. The four-year terms of Board President Don Moody, Vice President Shelle Thomas and trustees Claudia Rossi and Ron Woolf will terminate this year.

In the Santa Clara County Board of Education race, Rossi has announced she will run for the seat currently held by Julia Hoover-Smoot who is also running for re-election.

As of Thursday, no potential candidate pulled papers for the county’s Area 7 trustee area which includes both Morgan Hill and Gilroy unified school districts.

Any person intending to be a candidate for the Morgan Hill City Council, mayor, school board, county board of education, or water district should email Morgan Hill Life’s editor at [email protected] so we can include him or her in a round-up candidates story in the Aug. 6 issue.