SAN JOSE, Calif.

San Jose's minimum wage will soon be $10 an hour instead of $8 after voters approved the increase during Tuesday's election.

"We're ecstatic," said Elisha St. Laurent, a low-wage earner, single mother and behavioral science and sociology double-major who has been working on Measure D since its humble beginnings in a San Jose State University social action class two years ago.

Although the measure had some formidable opponents, including the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, it had garnered 59 percent support as of early this morning, with some votes remaining to be tallied.

A representative from the chamber could not be reached for comment.

The measure was born in the classroom of San Jose State professor Scott Myers-Lipton. Students in the class created a draft of the measure then collected enough signatures to place it on the ballot.

Myers-Lipton said that while opponents of the initiative put ads on television and radio stations, supporters focused on walking the local precincts.

"We had the whole community and they had money," Myers-Lipton said.

The measure's proponents made phone calls and visited about 150 church and temple services, he said.

"At one mass I talked to about 800 people. It makes a big difference when you have that kind of community support," Myers-Lipton said.

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Voters approve $10 minimum wage in San Jose