Wins In California: Fremont Mayor, City Council Seats

Photo: Raj Salwan

India-West Staff Reporter

LOS ANGELES, CA – In the November 5 local elections across California, several Indian American candidates competed in a range of races, from city councils to county supervisor positions. While some candidates emerged victorious, others faced stiff competition in their bids for public office.

Raj Salwan, two-time vice mayor, emerged victorious in the race to replace Fremont Mayor Lily Mei, who is terming out after two four-year terms. In the four-candidate race Salwan received 47% of the vote, and defeated second place former councilman Vinnie Bacon, with 31%.

Salwan’s victory came after significant backing from labor groups and business leaders. His strong political endorsements, along with his eight years of service on the Fremont City Council, played a key role in his success.

Both leading candidates raised approximately $200,000 for their campaigns, primarily to counter negative advertisements from their opponents, tricityvoice.com reported.

Salwan is focused on key issues such as homelessness, public safety, traffic solutions, infrastructure improvement, and climate change.

Nicole Fernandez won the San Mateo City Council District 2 seat with a decisive victory, securing about 70% of the vote. Fernandez, a career public servant, works for State Senator Josh Becker. Of Goan and Karachi descent, Fernandez was born and raised in San Mateo as the first American-born member of her family. Her victory is a significant milestone for the Indian American community in the area, especially as the district covers neighborhoods like North Central, downtown, and North Shoreview. The seat became available after incumbent councilmember Amourence Lee chose not to run for re-election, instead endorsing Fernandez for the position.

In Emeryville, incumbent Sukhdeep Kaur secured re-election to the City Council, receiving 20% of the vote. Kaur continues to represent the growing diversity in the city and maintain her position on the council, where she has been a key figure in local governance. Her re-election highlights the increasing representation of Indian Americans in city politics.

The race for the Foster City Council was highly competitive, with Richa Awasthi finishing with 15% of the vote. Awasthi ran against several other candidates, including Phoebe Shin Venkat, who garnered 17%. Venkat, who is married to an Indian American, was one of the strongest contenders in the field. Suzy Niederhofer and Patrick J. Sullivan emerged as the top two candidates, both receiving 25% of the vote, securing seats on the council. Awasthi’s performance, while not enough to secure a seat, reflects the growing involvement of Indian Americans in local political races.

In the La Palma City Council race for District 3, incumbent Vikesh P. Patel was reelected with 682 votes.

In the San Francisco Community College Board race, Aliya Chisti ran a strong campaign but finished second with 18.08% of the vote, totaling 88,880 votes. The winner, Heather McCarty, secured 19.85% of the vote. Chisti’s showing in a field of eight candidates demonstrates the increasing political engagement of Indian Americans, even as she fell short of securing the position.

Finally, in the County Supervisor race for District 11, Adlah Chisti faced an uphill battle and garnered only 5% of the vote. Despite the low percentage, Chisti’s candidacy reflects the continuing rise of Indian Americans in county-level politics, though the race did not result in a victory for her.