Milpitas voters will choose a mayor and fill two at-large City Council seats on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Mayor Carmen Montano is running for a third term against Councilmember Hon Lien, tech entrepreneur Santosh Sahoo and retired geologist Voltaire Montemayor. The mayor's job in Milpitas is a two-year term, this one running through 2028. Council seats are four-year terms through 2030, and voters citywide pick two of five candidates.

The mayor's race

Carmen Montano (ballot designation: Mayor / Educator) has been mayor since 2022 and served on the council from 2012 to 2016 and 2018 to 2022, after time on the Milpitas Unified school board. In her ballot statement she says she has "led efforts to reduce our structural deficit by 45% without cutting jobs and services" and lists public safety, emergency preparedness, affordable housing, new businesses and balanced budgets as priorities. The Milpitas Beat notes that a win would be her third mayoral term, the most the city's six-year limit on the office allows. She ran for state Senate District 10 in June and finished with 9.5% of the vote.

Hon Lien (Councilmember) is giving up a chance at re-election to her council seat to run for mayor. Her statement opens with "Milpitas needs new leadership," says the city has lost 10 senior executives in five years and "has violated numerous Municipal codes." She calls for stronger traffic enforcement, a new parking enforcement division, faster development projects and a council that stays out of the city's day-to-day operations.

Santosh Sahoo (Tech Entrepreneur) and Voltaire Montemayor (Retired Geologist) did not file candidate statements. All four took part in an Oct. 8 forum at the Milpitas Library hosted by The Milpitas Beat, the League of Women Voters San Jose/Santa Clara and the Sunnyhills Neighborhood Association; the video is posted on the Beat's site.

City Council: five candidates, two seats

  • Garry Barbadillo (City Councilmember / Attorney), the vice mayor and the only incumbent running, says he has managed the budget "without increasing costs on families" and lists public safety as his top priority. He represents the city on Valley Water, Silicon Valley Clean Energy and regional emergency communications boards.
  • Bill Chuan (Engineer / Business Owner), an Army veteran who chaired the Planning Commission and served on it from 2019 to 2024, says he would focus on public safety, affordable housing and infrastructure "amid staffing challenges and budget uncertainty at City Hall."
  • Dipak Awasthi (Milpitas Planning Commissioner), a 30-year resident and retired market owner, promises faster permits, clean streets and parks, and homelessness services. He lists endorsements from Mayor Montano and Councilmembers Evelyn Chua and William Lam.
  • Seema Kanani (Clinical Social Worker), a health care worker and union member, says she wants better-lit, safer neighborhoods, well-kept parks and housing for seniors, people with special needs and city workers.
  • Ha Phan (Community Volunteer) did not file a statement.

Also on the Milpitas ballot

Milpitas voters will also decide Measure K, which would replace the city's 50-year-old business license tax with flat fees plus a gross-receipts tax on larger businesses, raising about $3 million a year. The city suggests anyone voting by mail send their ballot back by Wednesday, Oct. 28, because of recent Postal Service changes.

See every South Bay race and measure on our Bay Area Election 2026 hub.