Six candidates face off for three Los Gatos council seats

Los Gatos voters have a choice between six candidates vying for three seats on the Town Council this fall — a big change from 2024 when the city held no election because two incumbents ran unopposed.

In the Nov. 3 at-large election, two incumbents are seeking another term on the five-member council — Councilmember Mary Badame and Mayor Rob Moore. Councilmember Rob Rennie decided not to seek reelection, leaving an additional seat up for grabs.

Los Gatos is an affluent community of about 33,000 residents, with an average home price of $2.6 million. The town failed to meet the Jan.31, 2023 state housing certification deadline, which opened the door to more than a dozen high-density builder’s remedy projects that are effectively exempt from local control.

Lee Fagot, co-founder of the local civic group Democracy Tent, said resident anger with these projects is driving more candidates to run than two years ago, when he said the two incumbents — Councilmembers Matthew Hudes and Maria Ristow – were seen as unbeatable.

“This time, that’s not the case because people are pretty upset with what’s been happening in the town regarding the impact of all the new housing that’s been approved, because the councilmembers did not get a (state-approved plan) that was accepted in a timely fashion,” Fagot told San José Spotlight.

Other hot-button topics include wildfire safety and managing weekend beach traffic that spills over from Highway 17 to create gridlock on the town’s streets.

Here are the six candidates in alphabetical order by last name:

Mary Badame

Mary Badame describes herself as the most experienced candidate in the town council race after serving on the Planning Commission for seven years and then joining the council in 2020.

“I have a track record — anybody can go and look at the votes I’ve made on major issues,” Badame, 69, told San José Spotlight. “I care about the town of Los Gatos and our future.”

Badame’s top issues are preserving the town’s character while continuing to add housing at all income levels, responding to beach traffic and maintaining public safety.

“People and businesses need to feel safe,” Badame, the retired owner of a local insurance agency, said. “When businesses feel sale, you’re going to reduce crime and people are going to want to come here to shop.”

Endorsements include District 5 Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga and seven former Los Gatos mayors.

Rob Moore

Rob Moore, a lifelong Los Gatos resident and health policy aide for Supervisor Abe-Koga, enjoys being a cheerleader for his hometown.

“Serving as mayor has been the greatest honor of my professional life and nothing else comes close,” Moore, 28, told San José Spotlight. “I love the work and I also think there’s a lot of work still to do.”

Moore’s one-year term as mayor ends in December, but he wants to stay on the council to focus on issues including youth mentorship, wildfire preparedness, rental assistance for older adults, mitigating beach traffic, decreasing homelessness and maintaining compliance with state housing law.

“One other thing that I’m really proud of is I’ve spent a lot of my time promoting and supporting our local businesses,” Moore said. “They continue to need attention and love and new shoppers.”

Endorsements include Santa Clara County Firefighters Local 1165, the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Santa Clara County Democratic Party and Abe-Koga.

Heidi Owens

Heidi Owens, a senior management analyst for the Santa Clara County California Children’s Services program, wants to serve as a middle-of-the-road bridge on the town council between the conservative and progressive members.

“I see factions on the current council as essentially disabling it, and I think I could bring consensus-building to get it functioning and moving forward effectively,” Owens, 53, told San José Spotlight.

Owens, who first ran for council in 2020, wants to push forward a passion project: the proposed Pinehurst Community Garden near Union Middle School. She said it can build community by “bringing people together off their phones and out of their houses.” She also wants to increase public involvement in housing by forming an advisory board to work with the council on the next state-mandated housing cycle, due  Jan. 31, 2031.

“I would start planning now,” Owens said. “Because the real problem is when (the housing plan) doesn’t get approved on time and the builder’s remedy kicks in.”

Endorsements include District 4 Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, Los Gatos Councilmember Rob Rennie, Valley Water Director and former state Sen. Jim Beall and California State Board of Equalization Chair Sally Lieber.

Steve Raspe

Steve Raspe aims to use his experience serving on the Planning and Historic Preservation commissions to encourage carefully planned growth. A real estate attorney who works with nonprofits, Raspe said building new housing near downtown could also help alleviate traffic jams by making the town more walkable.

“The biggest issue, of course, is growth and building,” Raspe, 62, told San José Spotlight. “Everything stems from that. I think change is inevitable and in some cases even desirable. We need to encourage housing stock for our seniors, our young people, our teachers, our firefighters and our peace officers.”

Raspe supports the proposed expansion of the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department to protect Saratoga, replacing the county sheriff in that city, because it could deliver cost savings by eliminating duplicate resources by serving three cities.

“Having served on both the planning commission and as a real estate lawyer, I’ve been able to spot issues and identify solutions to those issues without getting bogged down in ideological discussions,” he said.

Endorsements include Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, Councilmember Rennie and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

Rob Stump

Rob Stump, a retired tech executive, is proud of being a third-generation Los Gatos resident whose grandfather moved to the town in 1924. He said he wants to preserve the town’s character.

“I’ve got a really clear vision for Los Gatos over the next decade,” Stump, 69, told San José Spotlight. “I believe we can solve our beach traffic problem. We can be better protected from wildfires. And we want to keep housing decisions in local hands.”

A member of the planning commission who ran for council in 2022, Stump would seek to manage beach traffic by introducing an “urgency ordinance” giving the council special powers to restrict access to city streets on summer weekends.

“This would be implemented next year,” Stump said. “We’re not waiting five years to get something done through extended negotiations with county and state transportation agencies.”

Endorsements include Planning Commissioners Jeffrey Barnett, Susan Burnett and Joe Sordi, as well as eight former mayors.

Jeff Suzuki

Jeff Suzuki grew up in Los Gatos and wants more affordable housing in the town and an end to beach traffic. An economic analyst for a legal research firm, he has worked on housing and beach traffic as a former planning commissioner and serves on the Complete Streets and Transportation Commission. He also founded and runs the Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition.

“People who work in Los Gatos should be able to live in Los Gatos,” Suzuki, 28, told San José Spotlight. “Growing up, many of my teachers often lived an hour and a half away and were forced to commute. That’s why I support a balanced approach to affordable housing through projects under local control.”

To reduce school drop-off and pick-up traffic, Suzuki has also worked on a plan — yet to be implemented by the city — to purchase $500,000 worth of VTA bus passes for just $20,000 to be distributed to students and staff at Los Gatos High School. To limit beach traffic, Suzuki advocates congestion pricing that would charge a fee on summer weekends to non-residents who drive on city streets rather than staying on Highway 17.

“I believe I can bring a lot of insight into things we can do in the short run and in the long run to alleviate the negative impact of beach traffic,” Suzuki said.

Endorsements include former Los Gatos Mayor Marico Sayoc, Supervisor Abe-Koga, the Santa Clara County Democratic Party and 10 present and former Los Gatos town commissioners.

Contact Mike Langberg at [email protected].