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Mayor of Milpitas

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City of Milpitas

Mayor of Milpitas

This person would serve as Mayor of Milpitas. Milpitas is a Santa Clara County city of about 80,000 people. The Mayor presides over City Council meetings and casts one vote. The Mayor also has ceremonial duties. The term is two years. Other Council members serve staggered four year terms. All five seats, including Mayor, are elected citywide, not by district.

Four candidates are running for Mayor of Milpitas on November 3, 2026. They include incumbent Carmen Montano and a sitting City Councilmember. Whoever gets the most votes wins, with no primary or runoff.

This person would serve as Mayor of Milpitas, a Santa Clara County city of about 80,000. They preside over City Council meetings and cast one vote as a member of the five-person Council, alongside the ceremonial duties of the office. The term is two years, half the length of the other four Council seats, which serve staggered 4-year terms. All five seats, Mayor included, are elected citywide (at-large) rather than by district.

Milpitas is a council-manager city; day-to-day operations are run by an appointed City Manager, not the Mayor. Two Council seats (Evelyn Chua and William Lam, both elected 2024) aren't up this cycle; the other two, held by Hon Lien and Garry Barbadillo (both elected 2022), are -- Lien is a candidate in this Mayor's race rather than seeking reelection to her own seat, and Barbadillo is running for reelection to his Council seat, a separate contest on this same ballot.

Hon Lien

Hon Lien has been a Milpitas City Councilmember since 2022. She wants new leadership. She points to high turnover among city executives and delayed permitting. She lost the 2024 mayor's race to Carmen Montano and is running again.

Santosh Sahoo

Santosh Sahoo is a first-time candidate for Milpitas office. He calls himself a tech entrepreneur. He runs on safer streets at dangerous intersections. He also wants clearer city budgets and permits. He filed no candidate statement with the city.

Carmen Montano

Carmen Montano is Milpitas's incumbent Mayor. She was first elected in 2022 and reelected in 2024. Her campaign lists public safety, affordable housing, business development, infrastructure, and fiscal transparency as priorities. She is now seeking a third term.

Voltaire Montemayor

Voltaire Montemayor is a geologist. He has never held elected office. His platform covers earthquake and disaster preparedness. He also backs small businesses and a freeze on housing and rent prices. Milpitas Beat reports this is his sixth run for Mayor.

Your pick

A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.

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