Palo Alto City Council · Nov 3, 2026

Ed Lauing

Candidate for City Council (incumbent)

8 candidates · 3 seats12 sourced positions

Ed Lauing, the incumbent, is running for Palo Alto City Council in the Nov 3, 2026 election; 8 candidates are running for 3 seats.

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Vote-by-mail ballots start going out · Mon, Oct 5, 2026

Today

Council member since 2023 and Palo Alto's mayor in 2025. He works as an executive recruiter. He previously chaired the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Planning and Transportation Commission.

Endorsed by: Former Supervisor Joe Simitian; Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga; state Sen. Josh Becker; Rep. Sam Liccardo; Vice Mayor Greer Stone; council members Pat Burt and Keith Reckdahl; planning commission chair Bryna Chang; former mayors Karen Holman, Liz Kniss, Yoriko Kishimoto and Greg Scharff. Ed Lauing campaign site
Campaign website: www.edlauing.com

Where Ed Lauing stands: positions on the record

Housing6 sourced positions

Said the best response to SB 79 is adopting an alternative plan more aligned with the community's wishes, as the law allows.
“We shouldn’t rush to change that, which is something some councilmembers were trying to do”
Forum answerPalo Alto Online (Chamber of Commerce forum, Sept. 15) · Sep 16, 2026
Voted for a motion directing staff not to adopt an interim urgency ordinance excluding transit-area sites from SB 79 (passed 5-0, two members recused, June 2026).
Council voteCity Council action minutes · Jun 15, 2026
Moved a substitute motion sending an ordinance to allow separate sale of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to the Planning and Transportation Commission first (passed 4-3, Aug. 2026).
Council voteCity Council action minutes · Aug 17, 2026
Voted for a motion directing staff to explore accelerating housing production on California Avenue and nearby El Camino Real and return with zoning revisions (passed 4-1, June 2026).
Council voteCity Council action minutes · Jun 15, 2026
Voted for endorsing a core scenario for the San Antonio Road Area Plan as the basis for further analysis (passed 6-1, June 2026).
Council voteCity Council action minutes · Jun 8, 2026
Lists housing that is truly affordable as a priority for a second term.
Own statementEd Lauing campaign site

RVs and oversized vehicles3 sourced positions

Voted for a 12-month pilot that allows permitted oversized vehicles such as RVs to park on parts of Embarcadero Road and Coyote Hill Road (passed 7-0, Aug. 2026).
Council voteCity Council action minutes · Aug 24, 2026
Said he is willing to take more legal risk on RVs now that the council has agreed to permit up to 37 RVs on two roads.
“I don’t feel any need to go beyond that … We have to cap the incoming number, or this is just a merry-go-round”
Own statementPalo Alto Daily Post · Sep 19, 2026
Voted for ordinances prohibiting detached trailers on public streets and prohibiting the rental of vehicles for people to live in (passed 6-1, Jan. 2026).
Council voteCity Council action minutes · Jan 12, 2026

Public safety1 sourced position

as reported by Palo Alto Online from the Sept. 15 Chamber of Commerce forum; not a direct quote
Said he wants to wait for the police auditor's review before deciding on license plate reader cameras, and voiced distrust of Flock.
Forum answerPalo Alto Online (Chamber of Commerce forum, Sept. 15) · Sep 16, 2026

Business1 sourced position

Voted no on adding "Enhance Business Vibrancy" as a fourth 2026 council priority (passed 5-2, Jan. 2026).
Council voteCity Council action minutes · Jan 24, 2026

City Hall1 sourced position

as reported by the Palo Alto Daily Post; not a direct quote
Criticized City Manager Ed Shikada for replacing the city's wooden park signs without first going to the council or the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Own statementPalo Alto Daily Post · Sep 29, 2026

What Ed Lauing said vs. how Ed Lauing voted

Housing

In their words

Lists housing that is truly affordable as a priority for a second term.
Ed Lauing campaign site

On the record

Voted for endorsing a core scenario for the San Antonio Road Area Plan as the basis for further analysis (passed 6-1, June 2026).
Jun 8, 2026 ·City Council action minutes · Jun 8, 2026
Voted for a motion directing staff not to adopt an interim urgency ordinance excluding transit-area sites from SB 79 (passed 5-0, two members recused, June 2026).
Jun 15, 2026 ·City Council action minutes · Jun 15, 2026
Voted for a motion directing staff to explore accelerating housing production on California Avenue and nearby El Camino Real and return with zoning revisions (passed 4-1, June 2026).
Jun 15, 2026 ·City Council action minutes · Jun 15, 2026
Moved a substitute motion sending an ordinance to allow separate sale of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to the Planning and Transportation Commission first (passed 4-3, Aug. 2026).
Aug 17, 2026 ·City Council action minutes · Aug 17, 2026

RV parking

In their words

Said he is willing to take more legal risk on RVs now that the council has agreed to permit up to 37 RVs on two roads.
Sep 19, 2026 ·Palo Alto Daily Post · Sep 19, 2026

On the record

Voted for a 12-month pilot that allows permitted oversized vehicles such as RVs to park on parts of Embarcadero Road and Coyote Hill Road (passed 7-0, Aug. 2026).
Aug 24, 2026 ·City Council action minutes · Aug 24, 2026

Also running for City Council

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