Milpitas Mayoral Race: Who’s running and what to watch for on the campaign trail

With Election Day coming up on November 5, the Milpitas mayoral race is in full swing. The Beat will be hosting a live mayoral Candidate Forum on October 9. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the players on the board…

Mayor Carmen Montano, the first woman mayor in Milpitas history, is the incumbent, up for re-election in the four-way race. Montano has distinguished herself from her predecessor Rich Tran by leading relatively quietly, at least insofar as social media is concerned. She also boasts strong historical roots in Milpitas, having been a leading name in town for many years — someone who represents faith and creativity. She also consistently comes out to community events to mix with the people and lend her support. Montano won handily in 2022, with Anthony Phan and Karina Dominguez coming in second and third, respectively, and splitting the city’s progressive vote in the process. And speaking of…

Councilmember Anthony Phan…He’s going after the mayoral seat, as well, this time with no fellow progressives bumping into his elbows. An intelligent, somewhat wonkish yet also charismatic player, Phan tends to connect and cultivate good vibes when he’s out mixing with the public. If he plays the Milpitas long game and knocks on endless doors, he might be able to carve out a space for himself on top. But as he’s doing so, like Montano, he’ll have to think about…

Councilmember Hon Lien. The elegant career entrepreneur, former school board trustee, and current city councilmember has been drawing attention lately for breaking with conformity on the dais. It’s not unusual for Lien’s votes to be distinct from those of her colleagues, and many residents seem to be impressed and refreshed by it. In Phan, she faces a young progressive who’s been a familiar face on the council for years. In Montano, she faces a seasoned local name who’s been serving Milpitas for decades. Yet by way of her composure and cool intelligence, Lien has been steadily gathering light. The question is whether it will be enough to outshine her rivals.

Voltaire Montemayor, Milpitas’ self-declared “6th councilmember,” is also taking a shot at the mayoral seat, but Montemayor’s run is more a show of city allegiance than a competitive campaign. A friendly, smiling mainstay at every city council meeting, Montemayor is never doubted for his pride and passion, but it would be a stunning upset if he won.

The race among the other three is tight, however, and unusually hard to call. We’re accustomed to Montano as our mayor, but she never took the seat for granted back when she ran in ‘22. If she wins again, it’ll be because moderate and working class voters aligned in force. Lien, however, can tap the very same moderate, common sense sensibility. On the other hand, this is the San Francisco Bay Area, where progressivism famously predominates. So just maybe, when all the votes are counted, the public will be picking up what Phan is putting down.

It’s anybody’s guess, and it’s tense out there. In the weeks to come, we’ll be covering it all.