Palo Alto City Council · Nov 3, 2026

Vicki Veenker

Candidate for City Council (incumbent)

8 candidates · 3 seats15 sourced positions

Vicki Veenker, 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

Palo Alto's mayor in 2026 and a council member since 2023. She is a patent and intellectual property attorney and mediator, and founder of Sibling Cities USA. She represents Palo Alto on the Northern California Power Agency and the Bay Area Air District board.

Endorsed by: Rep. Sam Liccardo; former Rep. Anna Eshoo; state Sen. Josh Becker; Assemblymember Marc Berman; District Attorney Jeff Rosen; Supervisors Otto Lee and Margaret Abe-Koga; Vice Mayor Greer Stone; council member George Lu; former mayors including Karen Holman, Yoriko Kishimoto, Liz Kniss and Greg Scharff. Vicki Veenker campaign site
Campaign website: www.vickiforcouncil.com

The Santa Clara County Democratic Party endorsed Yudy Deng and Vicki Veenker for the council. Palo Alto Daily Post · Sep 15, 2026

Where Vicki Veenker stands: positions on the record

Housing7 sourced positions

as reported by Palo Alto Online from the Sept. 15 Chamber of Commerce forum; not a direct quote
Supported focusing growth near transit and agreed that the city's SB 79 alternative plan could help address SB 79's impacts.
Forum answerPalo Alto Online (Chamber of Commerce forum, Sept. 15) · Sep 16, 2026
Moved 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
as reported by Palo Alto Online from the Sept. 15 Chamber of Commerce forum; not a direct quote
Supports encouraging accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in single-family neighborhoods.
Forum answerPalo Alto Online (Chamber of Commerce forum, Sept. 15) · Sep 16, 2026
Voted no on 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
Moved 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 improving the process for ADUs in single-family neighborhoods among her housing priorities.
“Improve the process for ADUs which add a diversity of housing to single family neighborhoods.”
Own statementVicki Veenker 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 it is too soon to consider a citywide ban on RVs.
“Some people would likely end up in our parks or our parking garages if we just said, ‘Go away,’”
Own statementPalo Alto Daily Post · Sep 21, 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 she wants to wait for the results of the police auditor's review before deciding whether to keep license plate reader cameras.
Forum answerPalo Alto Online (Chamber of Commerce forum, Sept. 15) · Sep 16, 2026

Cubberley2 sourced positions

Voted to place a half-cent sales tax measure (now Measure J) on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot to support improving Cubberley Community Center (passed 7-0, June 2026).
Council voteCity Council action minutes · Jun 8, 2026
as reported by Palo Alto Online
Supports Measure J; Palo Alto Online reported that the entire council supports it and that all seven council members have donated to the Measure J campaign.
Own statementPalo Alto Online · Sep 24, 2026

Business1 sourced position

Moved 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
Said she has struggled to find the right balance between her role and City Manager Ed Shikada's, and that at times the opposite of what she expected was done.
Own statementPalo Alto Daily Post · Sep 29, 2026

What Vicki Veenker said vs. how Vicki Veenker voted

Housing

In their words

Lists improving the process for ADUs in single-family neighborhoods among her housing priorities.
Vicki Veenker 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
Moved 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
Moved 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
Voted no on 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 it is too soon to consider a citywide ban on RVs.
Sep 21, 2026 ·Palo Alto Daily Post · Sep 21, 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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