49ers owner Jed York sinks $3M into Santa Clara council elections
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York has sunk a jaw-dropping $3 million into four City Council races in this Silicon Valley capital that's home to his team's glittering Levi's Stadium — a move that opponents say would turn Santa Clara into "Yorkville."
York, whose family grew the NFL team into a multibillion-dollar enterprise, is spending big political money after years of feuding with city leaders over everything from youth soccer fields to rent owed during coronavirus shutdowns. He's dropped $1.5 million in the last week alone, and his total campaign spending breaks down to $100 per registered voter in the City Council districts he's targeting. It's an unprecedented amount of cash in a city that has a voluntary candidate spending limit of $25,000.
The team owner has a ripe opportunity. Two open seats are on the Nov. 3 ballot, while two incumbents running for reelection face criticism for working with Mayor Lisa Gillmor to protect at-large city contests despite a 2018 Voting Rights Act order that intended to diversify the council by creating six districts. Five white members currently fill six seats, though white residents comprise only about 40 percent of the city's population.
But his opponents say that's a pretense for an audacious move at local politics by a major U.S. sports team and one of the world’s most valuable sports franchises. And they note that York is taking aim at the city's female leadership, with five women in power, led by Gillmor.
MORE: https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/10/21/49ers-owner-jed-york-sinks-3m-into-santa-clara-council-elections-1325422
QUOTE (from the link): “He sold the city people all these fantastic deals, and once the stadium was up, he reneged on his promises. He’s got a stadium — now he wants to buy the City Council.’’ Burt Field, local businessman and activist against York.
York is trying to buy himself a sweeter deal from Santa Clara by remaking the city council.
