Working families in Silicon Valley are celebrating a huge victory today, after former South Bay Labor Council Executive Officer Cindy Chavez was elected last night to fill a vacant spot on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in District 2.

Chavez won more than 55% of the vote in the special election runoff against Santa Clara Valley Water District communications manager Teresa Alvarado, who brought in a little more than 44 percent of the vote.

Ben Field, Executive Officer of the South Bay Labor Council:

This election is another step toward addressing the critical unmet needs of working families in Silicon Valley. Voters embraced Cindy’s vision of a County government that focuses on the safety and health of the community.

The South Bay Labor Council ran a coordinated campaign with Chavez and the local Democratic Party in which the Labor Council filled 1,300 volunteer shifts and contacted 61,000 voters in the district, which includes downtown San Jose and the East Side.

Running the largest, most sophisticated organizational campaign operation in Silicon Valley, the South Bay Labor Council continues to make major strides in the local political arena. Chavez’s big win comes on the heels of two other major victories for working families in Silicon Valley last fall. The Labor Council led the campaign to raise the minimum wage in San Jose from $8 to $10 an hour, capturing nearly 60% support from voters. The increase went into effect in March. Voters also passed the first of its kind county sales tax increase to maintain health care coverage for low income children. The Measure A campaign, as it was called, was also led by the Labor Council.