San Jose City Councilman Ash Kalra, who is running for the state’s 27th Assembly District seat, said his opponent, Madison Nguyen, has received millions of dollars in support from special interest groups.
San Jose City Councilman Ash Kalra, who is running for the state’s 27th Assembly District seat, said his opponent, Madison Nguyen, has received millions of dollars in support from special interest groups.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Diya TV) — San Jose city councilman Ash Kalra took a shot at his former colleague Madison Nguyen for receiving money from “wealthy special interest” groups who’ve dropped $3 million into her campaign for the state’s 27th Assembly District seat.

The two are are vying for the seat of termed-out Assemblywoman Nora Campos. Nguyen led a pack of seven in the June primary with Kalra finishing second. The two will face off in November.

Much of that money, according to Kalra and public records, is being spent on campaign mail, including a misleading attack ad earlier this year that targeted his meeting attendance record. “They are attacking me because they cannot buy my vote,” he said Monday.

Nguyen fired back at Kalra, saying he’s also enjoyed support from special interest groups — primarily labor unions — and the stunt was nothing more than a “desperate” attack.

“Ash Kalra received nearly a half million in independent spending on his behalf in the primary – now he hypocritically attacks Madison,” said Julie Edwards, political director at Storefront Political Media. “Why? Because she beat him by 15% in June and is outpolling him now due to her stronger message and stronger record of working to expand opportunity in San Jose.”

However, Kalra said the support he’s received from allies is slim in comparison to the money Nguyen is pouring into her campaign — about $3 million as of last month, mostly from groups like Govern for California, the Charter Schools Association and the California Association of Realtors.

“There’s a big difference between money from out-of-state billionaires trying to influence a local election and janitors, teachers and nurses who live in the community,” Kalra said.

Kalra on Monday was joined by San Jose teachers, fire and police unions leaders, including Paul Kelly, president of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association, which has endorsed Kalra. He criticized Nguyen’s support of 2012 pension reforms he said destroyed the police department. Kalra and former councilmen Kansen Chu and Xavier Campos voted against placing the measure on the ballot.

“She was bought off here, and she’ll be bought off up there,” Kelly said.