Mountain View voters fill three open City Council seats on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, choosing from eight candidates, none of them incumbents. The top three vote-getters win.

Why it matters: Nearly half the seven-member council turns over. Councilmembers Alison Hicks, Ellen Kamei and Lucas Ramirez leave in January after two consecutive terms. The winners join Chris Clark, John McAlister, Emily Ann Ramos and Pat Showalter.

The eight candidates

  • Samuel Ali, Google security specialist; priorities are affordable housing, public safety and jobs.
  • Alexander Amoroso, U.S. Army officer.
  • Robert Cox, retired Intel project lead.
  • Paul Donahue, engineer.
  • James Kuszmaul, software engineer.
  • Silja Paymer, Los Altos High School teacher.
  • Erik Poicon, longtime community organizer; ran in 2024.
  • IdaRose Sylvester, entrepreneur and local activist; ran in 2024.

Six are first-time candidates, according to the Mountain View Voice.

Housing near Caltrain (SB 79)

State law SB 79 allows denser housing near major transit stops, including the downtown Caltrain station. At an Oct. 8 forum co-hosted by the Voice and the League of Women Voters, several candidates backed a local alternative plan that could shift density away from downtown. "I am a firm advocate for a SB 79 local alternative plan that will allow our council to retain control over our downtown historic retail district," Cox said; Donahue also criticized "one-size fits all" state housing laws. Kuszmaul supports SB 79, saying it helps more people live near transit. Sylvester, Paymer and Poicon want to keep building out objective design standards.

RVs on city streets

A legal settlement that limits Mountain View's ability to restrict RV and trailer street parking expires early next year. Donahue and Paymer proposed exploring bans on "vanlording," renting out RVs parked on streets. Cox wants a study session on the city's legal options. Ali and Amoroso favor more safe parking sites and paths to permanent housing; Kuszmaul warned that tighter limits would push people further into homelessness. Poicon and Sylvester want street-by-street reviews.

The Trump administration

All eight backed existing city policies such as barring federal authorities from using city property for civil immigration enforcement and joining a legal brief against the planned ICE detention center near Gilroy, the Voice reported.

Also on Mountain View ballots: Measure E and Measure F. See every race in our Election 2026 guide.