Cupertino City Council

Mark Fantozzi, 75, is a structural civil engineer and a former member of Cupertino's Bicycle Pedestrian Commission, not aligned with either the pro-growth or slow-growth camp. He sued the city in May 2026 to try to stop a 51-home townhome project on Linda Vista Drive, arguing the site sits in a very-high fire-hazard zone with inadequate evacuation routes for the added density. His platform centers on streamlining city government and increasing spending transparency; he told San Jose Spotlight most municipal decisions "can be simplified" once broken down.

J.R. Fruen, 46, is the race's only incumbent, first elected to Cupertino's council in 2022. He's an attorney serving as chief of staff to San Jose Councilmember Rosemary Kamei, and co-leads the pro-growth "Cupertino Together" slate with Seema Sharma Lindskog and John Tang, aiming to retake the council majority the slate says pro-growth candidates lost in 2024. He argues the current slow-growth majority has blocked housing projects and triggered costly litigation, telling San Jose Spotlight that serious policymaking sometimes means "uncomfortable compromises."

Tracy Kosolcharoen, 40, chairs Cupertino's Planning Commission and sits on the VTA's Citizen Advisory Committee. She's part of the slow-growth alignment and campaigns on protecting retail as the city adds housing -- streamlined permitting, zoning that guarantees space for retail, and support for displaced businesses -- alongside preserving neighborhood character. She has questioned the cost of a roughly $54 million City Hall renovation, saying she sees ways it could have cost less. Her endorsements include Councilmembers Liang Chao and R "Ray" Wang, three former mayors, and three local school board trustees.

Gopal Kumarappan, 58, is a tech executive who chairs Cupertino's Parks and Recreation Commission and has volunteered as a teacher and coach for 25 years. Part of the slow-growth alignment, he argues that better educating residents about housing requirements could reduce opposition to development, telling San Jose Spotlight that "growth should strengthen Cupertino, not overwhelm it." He also wants to more meaningfully involve young adults in city commissions and initiatives beyond the youth-focused Teen Commission.

Seema Sharma Lindskog, 60, sits on Cupertino's Planning Commission and chairs Walk Bike Cupertino, a pedestrian- and cyclist-advocacy group. She co-leads the pro-growth "Cupertino Together" slate with J.R. Fruen and John Tang, and has criticized the current slow-growth council majority's record directly, telling San Jose Spotlight it has "nothing to show for the last 10 years, except failed policies." Her platform includes diversifying the city's tax base through new retail clusters, arguing Cupertino should not remain dependent on Apple -- what she calls "one trillion-dollar company" -- for its revenue.

Santosh Rao, 52, is a tech executive who chaired Cupertino's Planning Commission in 2025. Part of the slow-growth alignment, he prioritizes government efficiency and says he wants to hold City Hall accountable while working "across the aisle." He opposes some state-mandated housing projects, arguing state law allows more local deviation than the city has used, and frames pro-business policy as cutting regulation. His endorsements include Councilmembers Liang Chao and R "Ray" Wang, two former mayors, and three local school board members.

John Tang has served as San Jose's deputy director of water resources since April 2026, after more than 20 years as a public affairs executive at San Jose Water; he holds a civil engineering degree and teaches at San Jose State University. His age was not given in this pass's sourcing. He co-leads the pro-growth "Cupertino Together" slate with J.R. Fruen and Seema Sharma Lindskog, describing Cupertino as split between what he calls anti-development and pro-development camps, and argues turnover in the city attorney and city manager positions traces back to friction with the slow-growth council majority.

J.Z. "Jane" Wang describes herself as an engineer, caretaker, and businesswoman; her age was reported only approximately (around 50) in this pass's sourcing. She has filed multiple unsuccessful lawsuits against the city over roughly a decade, beginning with a dispute over a backyard structure that violated building codes. In 2023, a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge declared her a "vexatious litigant," a ruling that effectively bars her from further legal action against the city without advance court permission; the judge, quoted directly by San Jose Spotlight, said city officials "have expended tremendous, unnecessary resources to respond to (Wang's) seemingly endless filings and challenges." Wang says the city doesn't have enough public trust and argues past disagreements shouldn't block future collaboration.