Gonzalez: Why I can’t vote for Kathy Watanabe

I have known Kathy Watanabe for more than 16 years. She hosted a campaign event at her home during my second run for the Santa Clara Unified School District Board in 2012 and was among the first people I told when I decided to run for the District 1 Santa Clara City Council seat.

In fact, when I told her of my plans, she said that if I ran for council, she would run for my school board seat, a position I had held for 16 years. I thought her experience in city government could be an asset to the district. Looking back, it was an interesting moment because less than two years later she was running for mayor.

Because of that long friendship, I was surprised by what happened after the 2024 election. While I did not expect congratulations or special treatment, I hoped we could continue to work together for the good of Santa Clara. Instead, for months after the election, Kathy would not acknowledge me or engage in conversation.

I wondered whether I had somehow offended or disrespected her, but I could think of no reason. Then, at the April 16 grand opening celebration for Ellore Senior Living, I approached Kathy and her husband, Karl. After I greeted them, only Karl responded so I remarked that the election was behind us and that it was time to move forward.

Kathy responded that people were disappointed in me and that the District 1 council seat was not mine, adding that her endorsed candidate had worked hard for it. In that moment, I realized the issue was not something I had done. The issue was that I had won an election as a candidate she had not endorsed.

Ironically, I agree with her on one important point: the District 1 seat is not mine. It belongs to the voters of District 1. Likewise, the mayor’s office belongs not to any individual politician, but to the people of Santa Clara. Public office is earned from the voters and entrusted to those they choose to represent them.

That is why leadership matters. Santa Clara needs leaders who can accept election results, work collaboratively with colleagues and focus on solving problems rather than reliving political campaigns. We need leaders who bring people together, not divide them based on past elections, disagreements or council votes.

The challenges facing Santa Clara are too important for grudges. We have already seen the loss of valued community assets such as Fire Station 10 and the International Swim Center. Residents deserve leaders focused on protecting city services, preserving community resources and strengthening our quality of life.

For those reasons, I will not be voting for Kathy Watanabe for mayor.

Albert Gonzalez is vice mayor of Santa Clara and represents District 1 on the City Council.