Silicon Valley Metro

November 13, 2003

Pyle On

In what could be construed as more Tropicana fallout, Tropicana merchant and Redevelopment Agency foe Rich De La Rosa is wracking up the pro-business endorsements early in his bid for San Jose City Council's most conservative seat.

Termed-out council Republican Pat Dando tells Eye she's already giving her nod to De La Rosa in his effort to follow her in next year's election. That's because, Dando says, she digs that he's a longtime, local, active business guy, whose family owns De La Rosa Latin American Imports and who supports youth programs.

De La Rosa can add that back pat to the moderate Republicans' local Lincoln Club endorsement, plus one from county Supe Don Gage. Meanwhile, the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber passed over right-wing institution Claude Fletcher, Valley Christian School's chancellor, to support De La Rosa. (Fletcher--who was trounced by Tom McEnery in a mayoral race 20 years ago--tells Eye he decided last Friday not to run after doing some soul-searching.)

With a month to go before the filing deadline, only one person, Ronald Siporen, has officially pulled the papers to vie for Dando's seat. Eye's entrenched sources haven't heard of this guy. But they know De La Rosa, who, along with Evergreen College Trustee and previous council-race loser Nancy Pyle, and San Jose State poli-sci student Alexander Vassar, filed the required notice of intent to run with the city clerk. On Monday, Nov. 10, however, Vassar emailed De La Rosa to say he was dropping out of the running and giving his support to De La Rosa, even joining De La Rosa's campaign.

Almaden Valley businessman Matt Kamkar, who also thought about throwing in his hat, has promised to work on De La Rosa's campaign instead.

De La Rosa's campaign trigger (protecting the little guy against big government-subsidized developments) is cool right now, at least among the restless small-business factions. De La Rosa tells Eye that defending underdog property rights is not what his campaign is about. It's about public safety and neighborhoods and being Pat Dando Jr.

He's happy to brag about his business backing though. He also won a nod from Dawn Wright, who is chief of staff to council Conserva-Dem Chuck Reed and, more juicy, is one of Pyle's colleagues on the Evergreen Community College District Board. Former council Firefighter John Diquisto and Bob Dhillon, a San Jose planning commissioner and failed council candidate who supported the Tropicana owners against the city, lend their backing as well. Still, Pyle, touting her experience as the only candidate to have been elected to an office, insists that she will take this competition and make it her bee-yotch.