Milpitas City Councilmember Anthony Phan, who’s currently serving his second term, is taking a shot at the Mayor’s seat…
Phan has served nearly a total of 8 years in office as a Councilmember. He points to his immigrant roots as the reason he has dedicated his life to public service: “It’s not a story that is unique to me,” he said, going on to state how he wished to “fight for people who feel like the system isn’t working for them.”
Phan has served some of his time as a Councilmember during the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking about that time period, he explained that “It was very difficult to move past it.” However, he elaborated on how during that period, “I saw our community come together; I saw what was possible when we put our differences behind us, when we unite and fight toward the same goals.”
This is not Phan’s first run for Mayor. During the 2022 election, Phan also ran for the Mayoral seat. He came in second after current Milpitas Mayor Carmen Montano.
When asked why he had decided to run for Mayor a second time, Phan simply stated, “We deserve better.” He added, “For too long, people at Milpitas have been let down by leadership that’s quite frankly stuck in the past.” He cites homelessness and government transparency as two of the main issues that lead to his run.
“We have a City Hall that’s become toxic,” he added. “It doesn’t matter what level of work you’re in in Milpitas, you know that it’s a toxic place to work and people don’t want to come here.”
Regarding this, Phan asserted that “I’m here to say: enough is enough.” He went on to describe his desire for a Council built upon transparency, accountability, and public safety, as well as his goal toward an “open government” that works for the whole community. He also stated that as Mayor, he would ensure that “government will serve the people, not special interests.”
Phan’s first priorities as Mayor also include tackling housing. His plans include building diverse levels of new housing, such as affordable housing, here in town. “I’m not afraid to say that we have a housing crisis, but we need to act now,” said Phan.
In regard to public safety, Phan plans to address the issue by tackling the root causes of crime, citing homelessness as one such cause.
When asked for his thoughts on the upcoming election, Phan stated, “It’s a turning point in our country.” He described the election as a crossroads. Still, he looks ahead to the future:
“Now is the time for a new generation of leadership to step up, and that’s exactly what I intend to do as Mayor.”
Phan is running against Carmen Montano, who is running for re-election as Mayor; Hon Lien, who is also a current Councilmember; and Voltaire Montemayor, a retired geologist.
Be sure to check out our upcoming Mayoral Candidate Forum, happening on October 9th at 6PM in the Milpitas Library Auditorium. RSVP here to attend.
