This general election, the Palo Alto Weekly/Palo Alto Online has brought back a voter guide that offers key takeaways for each race and measure, plus comprehensive candidate profiles, debate summaries and in-depth videos, in an effort to ease the decision-making process for local residents.
Your completed ballots can be submitted at drop-off locations through Election Day, The following locations will be open for in-person voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 8: Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road; Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road; Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road;Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road; Palo Alto Elks Lodge, 4249 El Camino Real; Stanford University's Tresidder Center, 459 Lagunita Drive; and Ventura Community Center, 3990 Ventura Court. For more information on voting, read our roundup.
For detailed coverage on state races and propositions, check out CalMatters' voter guide.
We'll continue to fill this page with more content ahead of Nov. 8. Come back to Palo Alto Online on election night for results, analysis and reactions as they become available.
Palo Alto City Council, local measures
Who's running? Residents have seven candidates to pick from — and none are incumbents. Three currently serve on city advisory boards: Utilities Advisory Commissioner Lisa Forssell and planning commissioners Ed Lauing and Doria Summa. The other four come from various backgrounds: Realtor Alex Comsa, software engineer Brian Hamachek, former Stanford University dean Julie Lythcott-Haims and patent attorney Vicki Veenker. Learn more about the candidates and view our editorial board's endorsements.
How many seats are up for grabs? Three. Watch them face off at our debate, learn where they stand when it comes to the rail crossings, housing and Cubberley Community Center's future, among many issues. Also, find out how much the candidates have raised for their respective campaigns.
Read more: Endorsements reveal political split among Palo Alto City Council candidates
What city measures are on the ballot? Two. Measure K would establish Palo Alto's first business tax to support affordable housing, rail improvement and public safety. It would be based on square footage starting at 10,000 square feet and exempt small businesses. View our editorial board's endorsement, as well as a guest opinion that supports the measure.
Measure L seeks to affirm the city's practice of using gas revenues to pay for basic services, such as maintaining parks and libraries. It's coming to voters following a 2020 ruling that found the transfers amounted to an illegal tax. View our editorial board's endorsement, as well as guest opinions that support and oppose the measure.
Palo Alto Board of Education
Who's running? Incumbent Shounak Dharap is pursuing a second term. There are also three newcomers: Businessperson Ingrid Campos, lawyer Nicole Chiu-Wang and school consultant Shana Segal. Learn more about the candidates and view our editorial board's endorsements.
How many seats are up for grabs? Two. Watch them face off at our debate, learn where they stand when it comes to the student achievement, mental health among students and Cubberley Community Center's future, among many education issues. Also, find out how much the candidates have raised for their respective campaigns.
East Palo Alto City Council, local measure
Who's running? Mayor Ruben Abrica is looking to retain his seat. The race also includes two current city commissioners: Mark Dinan (public works) and Q Smith (planning). Also running are coach Jeffrey Austin, teacher Martha Barragan, scientist Webster Lincoln and small business owner Gail Wilkerson. Learn more about the candidates.
How many seats are up for grabs? Two. Watch them face off at our debate. Here's more on their qualifications and top concerns. Find out how much the candidates have raised for their respective campaigns.
What city measure is on the ballot? One. Measure L would raise the existing business tax of 1.5% on a residential landlord's gross receipts to 2.5%. The funds would support general government work, such as affordable housing and protecting residents from displacement and homelessness.
Read more: East Palo Alto City Council candidate criticized for alleged misinformation
Santa Clara County sheriff
Who's running? It's a showdown between former Palo Alto police Chief Robert Jonsen and retired sheriff's Capt. Kevin Jensen, who were the top two vote-getters in the June primary. Learn more about the candidates and find out how much the candidates have raised for their respective campaigns. View our editorial board's endorsement.
Who are they trying to succeed? Whoever wins in November will replace Laurie Smith, who on Nov. 3 was found guilty of willful misconduct and corruption. She resigned on Oct. 31 after nearly 25 years in office. Watch them face off at our debate and learn how they'd address jails and staffing.
Read more: Accusations fly in Santa Clara County sheriff's race
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Who's running? Incumbent Gary Kreman is facing a challenge from Rebecca Eisenberg, a Palo Alto attorney, for the District 7 seat on the board of directors. Learn more about the candidates and find out how much the candidates have raised for their respective campaigns.
Ravenswood City School District board of trustees
Who's running? Incumbent Tamara Sobomehin is going for another term, as well as Mele Latu, who was appointed in December 2020 to fill a vacant seat following the resignation of Stephanie Fitch. The candidate pool also includes aerospace engineer Manuel López and educator Laura Nunez. Learn more about the candidates.
How many seats are up for grabs? Three.
Menlo Park Fire Protection District board of directors
Who's running? Current board President Chuck Bernstein, retired CEO Gary Bloom, incumbent Robert Jones and software engineer Dionis Papavramidis. Learn more about the candidates.
How many seats are up for grabs? Three.
Endorsements
Our editorial board has released its list of endorsements for the races and measures facing voters this fall:
• U.S. Congress: Anna Eshoo (incumbent)
• State Assembly: Marc Berman (incumbent)
• Palo Alto City Council: Vicki Veenker, Ed Lauing and Julie Lythcott-Haims
• Palo Alto Board of Education: Shounak Dharap and Shana Segal
• Santa Clara County sheriff: Kevin Jensen
• Palo Alto's Measure K, local business tax: Yes
• Palo Alto's Measure L, natural gas utility general fund transfers: Yes
Videos
Use our playlist to rewatch debates and one-on-one interviews with local candidates:
Comments
Registered user
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Oct 24, 2022 at 10:44 am
Registered user
on Oct 24, 2022 at 10:44 am
Interesting that Palo Alto Online isn't revisiting any of its endorsements in view of recent news and/or even covering the news angle itself.
Registered user
Adobe-Meadow
on Oct 30, 2022 at 11:42 am
Registered user
on Oct 30, 2022 at 11:42 am
JLH=AOC: I watched Julie on forums and her Podcast. She is the Queen of drama. I try to watch every CC meeting live online and I don’t want to be watching a Shakespeare tragedy instead. She let the ‘f’ bomb fly and as far as I know has never apologized for it. She would not work well with other CC members. She appears to not have the ability to question the so-called housing experts and the state mandate to add 6000+ housing units and shows naïveté in how to accomplish that. She should read our highly touted (at the time) Comprehensive Plan that had a housing goal of adding 300 units a year starting with the year it was approved. I think we were down 200-250 units that year. All our pro growth and pro housing advocates stumble when asked about housing for the low and very low income people who come to town to serve us every day. And of course their fallback position is to label people like me and my neighbors NIMBYs. I’d like to have candidates come to my house for coffee. I would tell my story about moving here so we could own a house/home in a nice diverse (race, religion, occupation, and income) neighborhood in 1963. Then I’d ask them to step into my shoes and try to feel how I feel about the recent state laws that could dramatically change my quality of life. Of course they couldn’t because they wouldn’t have all the good memories of my past experiences.
Registered user
College Terrace
on Oct 30, 2022 at 12:51 pm
Registered user
on Oct 30, 2022 at 12:51 pm
@Gale - those are noble thoughts and good ideas, but I think those who are convinced that being a SFH owner is equivalent to being a NIMBY are not likely to consider anything that doesn't fit that narrative. I'm guessing your income in 1963 was drastically lower than what tech jobs are paying now (even adjusted for time) and that you saved to come up with 20% down and then find a house for sale that you could afford. What happened to that model?
And what happened to logic? It is true that Palo Alto is expensive, that there are limitations to what can be built here (some of which are geographic, some due to the already-built environment) and that we cannot possibly accommodate the desire of all people to live here. Like 'em or not, those are just facts. A BIG part of the problem is who is elected. I am not a Republican, but I think we have sent so many Democrats to Sacramento that healthy two-party debate that might lead to reasonable policy has been lost and we end up with remote policy makers mandating illogical, impractical laws.
And I agree with you about JL-H. City Council struggles as is to get through their weekly agenda; drama would only slow that down.
Registered user
Adobe-Meadow
on Oct 31, 2022 at 4:16 pm
Registered user
on Oct 31, 2022 at 4:16 pm
@Annette: You guessed our entry into home ownership in PA pretty well. We rented a 2 bdrm unit at 3153 Alma ($130/mo) when we first moved to PA when I started working for Philco’s Western Development Laboratory on Fabian Way. We learned very quickly about the cost of homes here. I think it was the goal/dream of young couples starting their families to own their own single family home on a good sized lot. We spent many weekends driving to Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and San Jose, to look at model homes that were being shown at new tract home developments. Prices were much cheaper than anything we could afford in PA at the time. But I also heard from co-workers the horrible commute stories they told. We had also settled into a comfortable life style here…church, family doctor, dentist, bank, insurance companies, restaurants, movie theaters, YMCA, auto repair, parks, golf course, and even started gaining interest in city government and the issues of the time. We made the choice to continue to rent and save money for a bigger down payment until we found something on the market in our price range. That finally happened and as the saying goes, “The rest is history”. My wife, Garnet, passed away 8 years ago, but I’m still here in my twice expanded starter home.
I’m going to take a post break but will come back later to describe this neighborhood then, and now, and add more comments about candidates for CC.
Registered user
Old Palo Alto
on Nov 4, 2022 at 3:44 pm
Registered user
on Nov 4, 2022 at 3:44 pm
Vote like lives depend on it: quality of living, growing for all ages, abilities, incomes:
CC Lythcott-Haims, Lisa Forssell, Vicki Neenker
PAUSD: Nicole Chiu-Wang, Shounak Dharpa
US Rep: Rish Kunar
Water Board: Rebecca Eisenberg
Yes on K, No on L (flawed arguments for and against)
We deserve stronger representation for all people not a few wealthy. Let’s occupy Main Street and take Wall Street back.
Registered user
Old Palo Alto
on Nov 4, 2022 at 7:27 pm
Registered user
on Nov 4, 2022 at 7:27 pm
Someone hacked my endorsement from Anna Eshoo to Rishi. Vote Eshoo!!! Vote to take back Wall Street and return it to Main Street. Eshoo's weekly town halls during the crisis of Covid saved many from oblivion and illness.
Vote like lives depend on it: quality of living, growing for all ages, abilities, incomes:
CC Lythcott-Haims, Lisa Forssell, Vicki Neenker
PAUSD: Nicole Chiu-Wang, Shounak Dharpa
US Rep: Eshoo
Water Board: Rebecca Eisenberg
Yes on K, No on L (flawed arguments for and against)
We deserve stronger representation for all people not a few wealthy. Let’s occupy Main Street and take Wall Street back.