Six candidates vie for Santa Clara mayoral seat

A seismic change is about to take place in Santa Clara politics, when Mayor Lisa Gillmor terms out at the end of December. For the first time in 10 years she will not serve in the city’s top spot come January 2027. Instead, six individuals from various sectors of industry and the community are vying for the job.

The crowded field includes current and former councilmembers, a longtime city employee and labor leader, technology and business executives and community leaders. The candidates are campaigning to change Santa Clara’s divided City Council and aging infrastructure. They will need to meet the state’s housing mandates, tackle city finances and strengthen relationships with major businesses.

Below is the list of candidates in alphabetical order.

Armando “Gary” Ferraris

Ferraris, 59, is a former Santa Clara maintenance worker and labor representative who has lived in the city for about 24 years. He worked for the city for about 15 years before retiring two years ago and moving into a staff role with AFSCME Council 57. He said he has considered running for office for about eight years, but could not do so while working for the city because he would have had to resign if elected.

Ferraris said one of Santa Clara’s biggest problems is the political tension on the city council, which he believes has affected city employees and the services they provide. Improving relationships between elected officials, residents, city workers and businesses while restoring morale is one of his priorities.

He also wants the city to address deferred maintenance and aging infrastructure, saying Santa Clara should maintain its facilities rather than allow them to deteriorate and later borrow money for repairs through a multimillion-dollar infrastructure bond measure — such as Measure I. Ferraris supports housing and commercial development, but wants the city to take a measured approach that balances growth with neighborhood character.

“I do a lot of contract negotiations, and I’ve become very good at listening to both sides, hearing what the pain points are, finding out what’s really important to both sides and then really focusing on what we have in common,” Ferraris told San José Spotlight. “I’m really good at bringing the two sides together to find a reasonable compromise that works for everybody.”

David Kertes

Kertes, 55, has lived in Santa Clara for more than 28 years and is the senior director of sales for North America at Novanta, with more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and leadership. His professional experience includes working with Fortune 100 companies such as Honeywell and Danaher, as well as leadership roles with Meggitt, TT Electronics and private companies. He also serves as a commissioner on the city’s Salary Setting Commission and has experience in negotiations, contracts, strategic planning and business development.

Kertes said he is running because he believes Santa Clara needs a long-term strategic vision and change in leadership. His priorities include improving services for children and older adults, maintaining public safety and strengthening infrastructure. For children, he wants to add community sports, pools, STEM programs and a dedicated recreational center. Kertes said older adults need more community activities to combat loneliness and a new senior center on the Northside could help those who lack access to one.

He wants the city to add more restaurants, shops and small businesses while encouraging development that produces benefits for residents. He said Santa Clara needs a balance between commercial development and housing so the city does not become a place where people live but work elsewhere.

“What makes me the most qualified is the business and leadership experience that I’ve had,” Kertes told San José Spotlight “We don’t have to be best friends, but we should be able to work together. Look at the pros. If there’s cons, how do we work through those? And that’s my business skills. That’s my negotiation.”

Kevin Park

Park, who is in his mid-50s, has served on the Santa Clara City Council for six years and has lived in the city for about 30 years. He spent three decades working in the technology industry, including as a senior engineer at Google and in roles at Unisys, DoorDash and Digitate. He said he spent the last few years of his technology career designing artificial intelligence services for data centers. He left his job at Datatron in 2022 to focus on his daughter and his work on the city council.

Park said he is running for mayor in part because of his technology background and his concerns about how the city makes decisions affecting residents. He specifically raised concerns about placing data centers near residential neighborhoods and said elected officials should focus on whether city policies provide a benefit to residents.

His first priority as mayor would be to ensure the city is well managed financially and the needs of parks, libraries, swim centers and infrastructure are addressed. He said the city has accumulated new challenges as it has grown, making maintenance and financial management increasingly important.

Park also defended lengthy council meetings, saying residents and councilmembers need opportunities to question experts and discuss complicated issues.

“Any meeting where we’re worried about people asking questions is not a meeting,” Park told San José Spotlight. “Meetings are exactly for the purpose of asking questions. The mayor sets the tone for meetings.”

Karen Hardy

Hardy, 65, has lived in Santa Clara for more than 40 years and has served on the council since 2018. She served as vice mayor in 2020 and has held leadership roles on several city and regional boards, including her current position as vice chair of the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency.

She retired from Santa Clara Unified School District in June 2025 after teaching mathematics and computer science at Wilcox High School. She started the district’s computer science program and, with fellow educator Suds Jian, launched an after-school robotics program in 2014. Jain is also a councilmember.

Hardy’s campaign is focused on expanding housing, keeping utility costs down, maintaining infrastructure and providing strong city services, including police, fire, utilities, roads and parks. She has also emphasized her regional work on water resources and public safety communications.

She describes her governing style as one based on “engagement, respect and decency” and said every Santa Clara resident deserves to have their voice heard.

“I never felt I needed to be mayor. But I’m willing to serve,” Hardy told San José Spotlight. “If there were anyone else in the race I felt comfortable with, I would not do it. But I’m willing to serve the city.”

Kathy Watanabe

Watanabe, 66, is seeking to return to Santa Clara City Hall after serving eight years on the council before terming out in 2024. She has lived in Santa Clara for 21 years and serves on the Santa Clara Unified School District board, a position she would resign from if elected mayor. Before entering public office, Watanabe spent four decades as a legal assistant at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York.

Watanabe said she wants to strengthen the relationship between the city and school district and make sure Santa Clara has the amenities families need to remain in the community. She pointed to schools, libraries, healthcare and other services as important components of a sustainable city and said she would like to bring the city, school district, medical and business leaders together to identify opportunities for students and families.

Her campaign lists fiscal responsibility, public safety, housing, neighborhood quality of life, economic development and environmental sustainability among her priorities.

Watanabe also emphasized her relationships with the business community and said Santa Clara needs to maintain strong partnerships with major companies. She said she met with San Francisco 49ers President Al Guido earlier this year to discuss improving the city’s relationship with the team.

“I wanted to focus on having the public-private relationship that the city agreed to with the 49ers back in 2010,” Watanabe told San José Spotlight. “Talking about the future, having a voice, having transparency and just having a better working relationship.”

Mike Wiltberger

Wiltberger, a longtime Santa Clara resident and technology entrepreneur, said he has lived in the city for more than 40 years, where he raised his family and built multiple technology companies. He worked for Johnson & Johnson and co-founded Insightful instruments.

He describes himself as a scientist and tech founder of Optimedica whose work focuses on medical devices designed to restore sight to blind people. Wiltberger’s campaign website says his work has resulted in more than 100 patents and publications and the sale of multiple companies valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.

According to his campaign website he is 100% self-funded and is not accepting outside money.

Wiltberger said he is running to preserve the opportunities Santa Clara provided him. He wants to build a more cohesive council and make city government more responsive to residents. He wants to move beyond what he calls “establishment politics” and address divisions on the council, while focusing on the city’s budget, downtown redevelopment, retail and infrastructure.

He also emphasizes Santa Clara’s identity as both a center of global innovation and a community with a small-town character.

Wiltberger did not respond to requests for comment.

Contact Maryanne Casas-Perez at [email protected] or @CasasPerezRed on X.