The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority announced June 9 that Measure D, a voter-sponsored parcel tax to fund open space conservation across Santa Clara County, has received enough votes to pass.
The announcement came as updated tallies from the June 2 California statewide direct primary continued to show incumbent candidates holding decisive advantages in countywide races.
With 144,326 yes votes, or 55.33%, against 116,537 no votes, or 44.67%, Measure D has cleared the simple majority required for approval as a voter-sponsored initiative. The measure will generate about $17 million annually for the Open Space Authority.
Open Space Authority General Manager Andrea Mackenzie credited the grassroots effort that put the measure on the ballot.
“We are profoundly grateful to those who led the voter-sponsored initiative and to the voters for their continued support and trust in the Authority’s land protection and management work,” Mackenzie said. “Even in challenging economic times, our communities chose to prioritize investing in a sustainable future.”
Board Chair Kathy Sutherland described the vote as a defining moment for conservation in the South Bay.
“By passing Measure D, residents made it clear that caring for nature is a shared priority,” she said. “Their support reflects an understanding of the urgency and importance of protecting our natural lands and a deep trust in our organization to meet that need.”
Measure D qualified for the June 2 ballot as a citizen’s initiative after organizers collected more than 43,000 signatures. It levies a tax of 2 cents per square foot of building area annually, with a $7,500 per-parcel cap. Exemptions are available to qualifying seniors age 65 and older and specified low-income households.
In the race for Santa Clara County District 1 Supervisor, incumbent Sylvia Arenas has surpassed the majority threshold needed to win the nonpartisan seat outright. With 49,532 votes, or 63.59%, Arenas has secured more than a majority against challenger Rebecca Munson, who received 28,290 votes, or 36.32%, according to the registrar of voters office.
Because the race is a nonpartisan contest in which a candidate receiving a majority wins outright, Arenas is on track to retain her seat without proceeding to a November runoff, pending final certification of results.
Arenas, first elected to the position in 2022, has pointed throughout the campaign to what she describes as a sweeping expansion of county services in South County as an argument to retain her seat.
Munson, a Morgan Hill Unified School District trustee and first-time candidate for county office, challenged Arenas on fiscal oversight and responsiveness, arguing that South County communities needed a stronger advocate at the county level.
In the race for U.S. Representative for Congressional District 18, incumbent Democrat Zoe Lofgren leads the four-candidate field with 34,285 votes, or 58.94%, according to results posted by the California Secretary of State’s office. Republican Shane Lewis is in second place with 15,838 votes, or 27.23 percent. As a top-two primary, both candidates will advance to the November general election.
Democrat Luis Arreguin received 10.83% of the vote, while independent Chris Demers of Gilroy trailed with 2.97 percent.
Lofgren, who has represented parts of the South Valley in Congress since 1995, has cited federal infrastructure investment in the region, including funding for flood protection along Coyote Creek and seismic retrofitting of Anderson Dam, as central accomplishments of her tenure.
Lewis, an R&D electrical test engineer and former U.S. Marine, and Arreguin, who has a background in education and community advocacy, both challenged the incumbent’s record.
In the State Assembly District 28 race, incumbent Democrat Gail Pellerin has received 60,577 votes, or 67.53%, with Republican challenger Carol Pefley receiving 29,113 votes, or 32.45%, according to the secretary of state. As the only two candidates in a top-two primary, both will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
District Attorney Jeff Rosen leads challenger Daniel Chung with 205,647 votes, or 58.72%, compared to Chung’s 144,314 votes, or 41.21 percent. As a nonpartisan contest in which a candidate receiving a majority wins outright, Rosen is on track to retain his position without proceeding to a November runoff, pending final certification of results.
County Assessor Neysa Fligor and County Sheriff Robert Jonsen both ran unopposed and will retain their seats. Fligor was elected to fill the position in a special election last year after former longtime Assessor Larry Stone retired in July 2025.
Results remain unofficial pending final certification by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. As mail-in ballots have continued to be counted in precincts across the county, reported voter turnout has risen substantially from an election-night estimate of roughly 19% to 38.94% at the time of reporting, according to the latest results posted by the registrar’s office.
