2020 General Election

2020 General Election

Here's who we recommend.

Cheat Sheet

Explanations for endorsements are below.

California State Senate

Dave Cortese

California State Assembly

Alex Lee

Santa Clara County

Otto Lee

Campbell

Anne Souza

Sergio Lopez

Cupertino

J.R. Fruen

Hung Wei

San Jose

David Cohen

Jake Tonkel

Santa Clara

Suds Jain

Anthony Becker

Endorsement Explanations

California State Senate

Dave-Cortese

CA State Senate District 15

Dave Cortese

Dave Cortese is currently the County Supervisor for District 3 and serves as the Chair of the Housing, Land Use, Environment and Transportation Committee. Two of his priorities for Santa Clara County have been focused on increasing affordable housing and finding solutions to homelessness. He has expressed support for housing along transit-corridors and voted for the CASA Compact, and is committed to expanding access to affordable housing.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY

California State Assembly

alexlee_vertical

District 25

Alex Lee

Alex Lee has worked as a Legislative Policy Advisor in the California State Senate and Assembly working on issues including housing, public safety, education and climate change. He believes housing is a human right and that the state must work towards building affordable housing faster, building stronger tenant protections, and take advantage of underused lots for mixed-use and mixed-income housing. He was a strong supporter of SB 50 and champions transit-oriented policies.

Santa Clara County

otto-lee

Santa Clara County Supervisor District 3

Otto Lee

Otto Lee formerly served the City of Sunnyvale as a council member and Mayor. He wants his daughters to live in a more walkable, diverse, social neighborhood, which is why he supports upzoning in cities across Santa Clara County. He supports housing development on land owned by transit agencies like VTA and BART; and supports building more affordable housing county-wide.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY

Campbell

Anne-Souza

Campbell City Council District 1

Anne Souza

Anne Souza is a renter in Campbell, who wants her son to be able to afford to live in the area. She supports expanding affordable housing; supportive housing with wrap-around services for formerly homeless neighbors; rent control and banning evictions due to the pandemic; and wants to expand Campbell’s safe parking program.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY
Sergio-Lopez

Campbell City Council District 2

Sergio Lopez

Sergio Lopez has experience at all levels of government and currently serves as an elected delegate to the California Democratic Party. He supported Senator Wiener’s SB 50; supports finding county and state legislation to increase funding for affordable housing; and wants to see Campbell integrate public transit into their land use and housing decisions.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY

Cupertino

JR-Fruen

Cupertino City Council At-large

J.R. Fruen

J.R. Fruen is a co-founder of Cupertino for All, and wants future generations to be able to thrive in Cupertino. He supports missing middle housing in single-family neighborhoods; increasing in-lieu developer fees to support affordable housing; and establishing navigation centers to help RV dwellers access resources and find permanent housing. If elected, he would be the only renter on the Council.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY
Hung-Wei-

Cupertino City Council At-large

Hung Wei

Hung Wei believes an inclusive city offers housing options for all. She supports partnerships with nonprofits to provide assistance to RV/vehicle dwellers; a regional structure to support transit; and tenant protection ordinances like Right of Return and Relocation Assistance. If elected, she will leverage state housing laws to challenge the current no-growth mindset of the Cupertino City Council.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY

Gilroy

Rebeca Armendariz

Gilroy City Council At-large

Rebeca Armendariz

Rebeca Armendariz wants everyone to be able to afford to live in Gilroy. She supports a commercial linkage fee to fund affordable housing; just cause evictions and rent stabilization; and safe parking programs. She sees the future California HSR station as a big opportunity for Gilroy to build transit-oriented development.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY
Zach-Hilton

Gilroy City Council

Zach Hilton

Zach Hilton believes in an affordable Gilroy for all. He welcomes city-wide rezoning; supports a Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance; and plans to introduce both TOD and TDM ordinances if elected. Zach also helped develop AB 3153 (Rivas), which would have allowed developers to reduce parking minimums in exchange for long-term bike parking. Zach is a member of South Bay YIMBY.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY

Mountain View

Alex-Nunez

Mountain View City Council

Alex Núñez

Alex Núñez is a strong housing and anti-displacement advocate in Mountain View. He supports building affordable housing for low- and middle-income workers; exploring additional business taxes to support BMR construction; and a strong Right of Return policy coupled with No-Net-Loss development standards.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY
Pat-Showalter

Mountain View City Council

Pat Showalter

Pat Showalter is a former Mountain View City Council member with experience advocating for housing. She supports streamlining the entitlement and permitting process; finding additional funding sources for affordable housing; and rent control protections for mobile home communities. Pat is active on the League of Women Voter’s Housing Committee and the Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Housing.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY
John-Lashlee

Mountain View City Council At-large

John Lashlee

John Lashlee is an experienced housing and tenants’ rights advocate. He believes in an “all of the above” strategy to aggressively build public and private housing; supports expanding Mountain View’s head tax to fund affordable housing; and supports renters’ access to legal representation during eviction proceedings.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY
Sally-Lieber

Mountain View City Council At-large

Sally Lieber

Sally Lieber is an experienced local politician and former State Assemblywoman. She supports plex-zoning citywide; increased funding for affordable housing through bonds, land banks, and public/private partnerships; and wants to see rent control expanded to protect mobile home communities.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY

Palo Alto

Cari-Templeton

Palo Alto City Council At-large

Cari Templeton

Our members strongly support Palo Alto Planning Commission Chair Cari Templeton!

Few housing projects have come to the Commission during Cari’s tenure. She understands structural changes are imperative to get affordable housing into Palo Alto’s pipeline.

Endorsing chapters
  • Peninsula for Everyone
Raven-Malone

Palo Alto City Council

Raven Malone

We’re thrilled to support Raven Malone’s candidacy. Raven came to politics through the Black Lives Matter movement and is pushing for climate justice action. Raven is determined to right systemic injustices in Palo Alto’s zoning code.

Endorsing chapters
  • Peninsula for Everyone
Steven-Lee

Palo Alto City Council

Steven Lee

Candidate Steven Lee will be a strong voice for diversity and inclusion.

As a renter, Steven understands the consequences of Palo Alto’s inaction on housing issues, and will work to undo the city’s legacy of exclusion.

Endorsing chapters
  • Peninsula for Everyone

San Jose

David-Cohen

San Jose City Council District 4

David Cohen

David Cohen is a member of the Berryessa Union School District Board and has seen how San Jose’s lack of affordable housing has impacted teachers in the district. He supports expanding opportunity housing city-wide; strengthening San Jose’s mobile home conversion ordinance; and wants the city to focus on infill development.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY
Jake-Tonkel

San Jose City Council District 6

Jake Tonkel

Jake Tonkel has a vision for thriving, inclusive neighborhoods in San Jose. He supports opportunity housing city-wide and protections for low-income renters; a higher commercial linkage fee to fund affordable housing; and access to attorneys for renters facing eviction.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY

Santa Clara

Suds-Jain

Santa Clara City Council

Suds Jain

Suds Jain is an experienced planning commissioner who has consistently fought for more deeply-affordable housing. He supports updating Santa Clara’s outdated zoning codes; safe parking programs; and has pushed for BRT lanes on El Camino Real. Suds is a member of South Bay YIMBY.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY
Anthony-Becker

Santa Clara City Council District 6

Anthony Becker

Anthony Becker wants to see more affordable housing built in Santa Clara and will bring the voice of renters to City Council. He supports rent control and safe parking programs, and has advocated for more LGBTQ+ homeless support centers and housing.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY

Sunnyvale

Alysa-Cisneros

Sunnyvale City Council District 2

Alysa Cisneros

Alysa Cisneros is running “to build a Sunnyvale for all.” She believes in enhancing tenant protections (like expanding Ab 1482’s just cause eviction protections); exploring safe parking programs; and expanding shelter capacities. She is committed to holding Sunnyvale accountable for market-rate and affordable home construction.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY
Omar-Din

Sunnyvale City Council District 6

Omar Din

Omar Din is running for Sunnyvale City Council in District 6. “I am fighting for an affordable Sunnyvale because after graduating college, I found myself priced out of my hometown.” He supports upzoning all of Sunnyvale; expanding just cause eviction protections; and wants Sunnyvale to be a walkable city.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY
Leia-Mehlman

Sunnyvale City Council District 6

Leia Mehlman

Leia Mehlman is also running for Sunnyvale City Council in District 6. As a mobile home owner renting the lot she lives on, she supports a city-wide rent control measure to stabilize lot rents. She believes in more affordable housing; supports upzoning; and supports safe parking programs.

Endorsing chapters
  • South Bay YIMBY

Want to vote on our endorsements?

Official members are eligible to vote in our endorsements process, influencing the positions we take during elections.