Fremont voters will fill three of the city's six City Council seats on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. District 2 is a rematch of the 2022 race, District 3 has an appointed incumbent facing her first election for the seat, and District 4 is open. Mayor Raj Salwan is not on the ballot; his term runs until November 2028, as do the terms for Districts 1, 5 and 6, according to the city.
Why it matters: Fremont elects council members by district, so only voters who live in Districts 2, 3 and 4 will see a council race this year. Candidates must live in the district they want to represent. All three seats carry four-year terms.
District 2: Desrie Campbell vs. Keith Parker
District 2 covers Fremont's northern neighborhoods, including Niles, Brookvale, Parkmont and Cabrillo, Bay City News reported. Incumbent Desrie Campbell beat Keith Parker for the seat in 2022, and the two are facing off again.
Campbell is director of clinical operations for Bay Area Community Health. She served 10 years as a Fremont Unified School District trustee, from 2012 to 2022, before joining the council. She told Patch her top issues are hiring police officers and firefighters, delivering balanced budgets without drawing on reserves or cutting services, removing permitting barriers for businesses, and keeping the city's climate and Vision Zero traffic-safety commitments. Her first-year priority is continuing the city's Homeless Response Plan, which focuses on preventing homelessness.
Parker has worked in tech marketing for data storage, networking and AI. He sits on the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee for Washington Hospital and is treasurer of the Centerville PTSA. He told Patch that Fremont's unhoused population grew 6% in the last two years while it fell 13% across Alameda County, and said he wants targeted homelessness programs built with local nonprofits. He also called for a fully staffed police department and a faster permitting process for new businesses.
District 3: Kathy Kimberlin vs. Vipin Sharma
Kathy Kimberlin was appointed to the District 3 seat on Sept. 10, 2024, to serve out the rest of the term, according to the city. Her campaign says she has lived in Fremont for 45 years. She is president of the Centerville Business and Community Association, co-founded the Tri-City Nonprofit Coalition and is president of the Fremont Education Foundation. She lists small businesses and nonprofits; growth, traffic and public safety; and help for unhoused and underserved residents as her priorities.
Challenger Vipin Sharma's campaign site lists four areas of focus: safe, well-maintained neighborhoods; transparent and responsible budgeting; growth that keeps pace with infrastructure; and city government that explains its decisions in plain terms. He says he would look at homelessness through several lenses at once, including safety, mental health, housing and how well programs work.
District 4: an open seat
Councilmember Yang Shao's second consecutive term ends this year, leaving District 4 open. The district covers eastern neighborhoods including Kimber/Gomes, Cherry/Guardino, parts of downtown and Lake Elizabeth, Bay City News reported.
Bay City News describes it as a three-way race among mental health advocate Manisha Pathak, Alameda County Water District director Aziz Akbari and business owner Ying Min Li. A fourth qualified candidate, Anurag Mishra, is still listed on the city's candidate page, but he announced on Oct. 7 that he was withdrawing and endorsing Pathak, IndiaPost reported. Pathak lists public safety, homelessness and mental health services, traffic and infrastructure, responsible housing growth and environmental sustainability among her priorities.
How to vote
Every registered voter gets a mail ballot. Ballots sent by mail must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and arrive at the county by Nov. 10, and drop-box ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Patch reported. For every Bay Area race and measure we have covered, see our Election 2026 guide.