This November, Mountain View will have three City Council seats up for election. The seats are currently held by Mayor Lenny Siegel, Councilmember Ken Rosenberg and Councilmember Pat Showalter. Siegel and Showalter are running for reelection, while unexpectedly, Rosenberg has decided to step down after his first term.
Siegel and Showalter have both consistently fought for more housing and are popular with their constituents. The incumbents’ good standing with their community makes it unlikely either will lose their council seat.
Now enter the new candidates: Lucas Ramirez and Ellen Kamei. While Mountain View elects its Councilmembers at large, Siegel and Showalter’s incumbency means that, as a practical matter, Ramirez and Kamei will compete for Rosenberg’s open seat.
In many ways, Ramirez and Kamei are similar. Both are progressives. Both have run previously for Mountain View City Council and lost. Both now sit on their city’s planning commission. However, they appeal to slightly different voter bases. Ramirez was active in the successful campaign to pass rent control in Mountain View. Kamei is expected to draw strong support from the city’s Asian voter base.
The August 10th filing deadline gives others thinking about throwing their hat into the ring a few weeks to join the fray.
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