Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Santa Clara Mayor & City Council Election 2026

3 of 7

council seats up

3 contests

10 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

Gary FerrarisRetired City of Santa Clara Public Works supervisor and former president of the AFSCME Santa Clara chapter; now a union representative with AFSCME Council 57.5sourced
Karen HardyCouncilmember, District 3; term ends 20266sourced
David KertesSenior director of sales for North America at Novanta; member of the city's Salary Setting Commission and a youth coach with West Side Little League and Santa Clara Youth Soccer.5sourced
Kevin ParkCouncilmember, District 4; term ends 20286sourced
Kathy WatanabeSanta Clara Unified School District trustee since 2024; served eight years on the City Council (2016-2024) and earlier on the city's Library Board of Trustees.5sourced
Mike WiltbergerScientist and medical-device entrepreneur who has founded technology companies; his campaign says it is 100% self-funded.5sourced

City Council District 2 · 1 seat

City Council District 3 · 1 seat

All city voters pick one candidate for mayor. Only voters who live in District 2 or District 3 also pick one candidate for their district's council seat. Each race is won by the top vote-getter.

4 notes on these statements

The Silicon Valley Voice asked all six mayoral candidates the same seven questions and published their answers verbatim; it said it would post questions to the council candidates later. Silicon Valley Voice · Oct 1, 2026

The Sept. 27 forum for the District 2 and 3 candidates was co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of San Jose/Santa Clara, the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and San José Spotlight. Silicon Valley Voice · Sep 30, 2026

All mayoral candidates except Kathy Watanabe agreed to the city's voluntary campaign expenditure limit. Silicon Valley Voice · Aug 27, 2026

In the council races, all candidates except Yvonne Inciarte agreed to the voluntary expenditure limit. Silicon Valley Voice · Sep 10, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Kelly CoxCouncilmember, District 6; term ends 20284sourced Albert GonzalezDistrict 1 councilmember.4sourced Suds JainCouncilmember, District 5; term ends 20285sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesData centers and electric rates, Infrastructure and Measure C, Levi's Stadium and the 49ers Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots begin mailing (week of)

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Data centers and electric rates

Where it standsSanta Clara has more standalone data centers than any other California city, and its city-owned utility, Silicon Valley Power, is expanding to meet their demand. Electric rates rose 4% in January 2026.

What's on the tableWhether to pause new data center approvals, how grid-upgrade costs are split between data centers and households, and future electric rates.

The city has 55 data centers in operation and three in the pipeline, and receives $40.9 million a year from them through taxes and utility payments. San José Spotlight · May 30, 2025
Silicon Valley Power has had requests to add 500 megawatts of load, against a current peak of about 720 megawatts. San José Spotlight · May 30, 2025
In December 2025 the council raised electric rates for all customer classes by 4.0%, effective Jan. 1, 2026 (passed 5-2; Park and Gillmor voted no). City Council minutes · Dec 16, 2025
Councilmember Karen Hardy's campaign says her proposed emergency data center moratorium and a ban on officials signing nondisclosure agreements with tech developers are set for a first reading on Oct. 6, 2026. Karen Hardy campaign press release · Sep 18, 2026

Infrastructure and Measure C

Where it standsVoters approved the $400 million Measure I bond in 2024, but the city counts a larger infrastructure backlog. Measure C on this ballot would change how the city contracts for public works.

What's on the tableHow to spend the remaining bond money, how to fund repairs the bond doesn't cover, and, if Measure C passes, the rules for using its new contracting options.

In September 2025 the council unanimously allocated about $100 million in Measure I bond money, including about $22.2 million for the International Swim Center, against a $624 million infrastructure deficit. San José Spotlight · Sep 24, 2025
The charter amendment on the ballot would raise the threshold for council approval of public works contracts from $1,000 to $250,000 and allow methods such as design-build. City Attorney's impartial analysis of Measure C
The council voted 7-0 in July 2026 to place the public works procurement measure on the November ballot. City Council minutes · Jul 14, 2026

Levi's Stadium and the 49ers

Where it standsThe council also sits as the Stadium Authority board, and its relationship with the 49ers' stadium company has been the subject of years of disputes.

What's on the tableHow the city manages its stadium contracts, event agreements and finances with the 49ers' stadium company.

In May 2024 the Stadium Authority and the 49ers settled disputes, reducing what the Stadium Authority owed the 49ers by $7.5 million. City of Santa Clara news release · May 23, 2024
In February 2025 the council approved the FIFA World Cup 2026 agreements 5-2; Vice Mayor Cox and Mayor Gillmor voted no. City Council minutes · Feb 11, 2025
At a Sept. 27 forum, all four District 2 and 3 candidates agreed the council should be on better terms with the 49ers. Silicon Valley Voice · Sep 30, 2026

Development and housing

Where it standsThe Related Santa Clara project on city-owned land north of Levi's Stadium remains unbuilt, and the city is planning more housing along El Camino Real.

What's on the tableHow to move the Related project forward, how to zone El Camino Real, and how to fund housing for the lowest-income residents.

In July 2025 the council voted 4-3 to let the Related Santa Clara project replace planned offices on two parcels with light industrial uses; Chahal, Park and Jain voted no. City Council minutes · Jul 8, 2025
A substitute motion that would also have required all data centers to use carbon-free electricity failed 3-4. City Council minutes · Jul 8, 2025
In July 2026 the council voted 7-0 to commit up to $6,592,139 toward operating a Homekey family interim housing project at Benton Street and Lawrence Expressway. City Council minutes · Jul 14, 2026
In April 2026 the Planning Commission voted 6-1 to recommend a revised El Camino Real Specific Plan, with new mixed-use and residential designations of up to 100 homes per acre. Planning Commission minutes · Apr 8, 2026

How the council works

Where it standsA 2024 county civil grand jury report criticized dysfunction on the council, and meetings often run past midnight.

What's on the tableCouncil meeting rules, and whether the new council works together on the issues above.

A June 2024 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report said the council's inability to communicate respectfully had undermined governance and staff morale. San José Spotlight · Jun 12, 2024

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

1. Santa Clara has dozens of data centers, and Silicon Valley Power is expanding its grid largely to serve them. Which comes closest to your view on new data centers?
2. Silicon Valley Power has raised electric rates several times since 2022. How should future increases be handled?
3. The City Council also sits as the Stadium Authority board that oversees Levi's Stadium. Should that change?
4. Santa Clara council meetings often run past midnight. Which comes closest to your view?
5. Measure C would let the city use design-build and other contracting methods for public works, and raise the threshold for council approval of contracts from $1,000 to $250,000. Where do you stand?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

Vote-by-mail ballots begin mailing (week of)Santa Clara County Registrar of VotersOct 5, 2026
Last day to register to vote (conditional registration after)Santa Clara County Registrar of VotersOct 19, 2026
11-day vote centers openSanta Clara County Registrar of VotersOct 24, 2026
4-day vote centers openSanta Clara County Registrar of VotersOct 31, 2026

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Kelly Cox, Albert Gonzalez, Suds Jain3 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

The council has six members elected by district plus a directly elected mayor, all to four-year overlapping terms with a limit of two consecutive terms. City of Santa Clara
Councilmembers have been elected by district since a July 2018 court order; only voters in a district vote for its seat. City of Santa Clara
The mayor, District 2 and District 3 seats are termed out in 2026 and are on the Nov. 3 ballot. City of Santa Clara

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