Mountain View’s city council candidates are reaching the final stretch of the 2026 local election season, with eight candidates running for three open seats.
Each candidate had the opportunity to publicly voice their platform and central goals at an Oct. 8 forum, hosted by the Mountain View Voice in collaboration with the League of Women Voters.
All candidates voiced their support for the city of Mountain View’s ongoing efforts to resist certain policies and actions taken by the federal government under President Donald Trump, including the construction of an ICE facility in Gilroy.
Additionally, the forum narrowed in on questions surrounding housing, public safety and green infrastructure.
Samuel Ali
Ali emphasized that, although he does not have local government experience, he understands Mountain View through and through and has called the city home his entire life.
Ali’s priorities center on bolstering the city through policies centered on economic growth and affordable housing for the people who live and work in Mountain View. This translates to a strong community, which Ali ties to his own experience growing up locally.
“At the end of the day, we’re conduits for the city; we don’t have all the answers,” Ali said. “You have the answers as residents here in Mountain View, and so I would open that up to the community to help us figure out things that are best for the city in which you live. That’s what I would work for.”
Alexander Amoroso
Amoroso pointed to his background in military leadership and work with Veterans Affairs as indications of his leadership potential and ability to address community needs.
“My job literally is working with and leading people, both as an Army officer and also what I do for the federal government,” Amoroso said. “I would absolutely utilize that same experience … working with folks in the community, and bringing folks together to best lead forward.”
Amoroso said that his main priority is implementing a strong career pipeline through partnerships with the city and local organizations, tied to education accessibility. This could also include job training and, potentially, universal basic income.
Amoroso also listed environmental stewardship and affordable housing through public-private partnerships as central priorities.
Robert Cox
Cox’s experience in local action spans almost two decades, with “17 years serving Mountain View,” as Cox puts it. This includes chair positions on various city of Mountain View commissions and committees.
Cox’s priorities center on revitalizing Mountain View’s downtown by supporting new business growth while protecting the area’s existing businesses. This also includes supporting affordable and livable housing policy, which Cox influenced while on the city’s Environmental Planning Commission. Cox also helped to found Livable Mountain View.
Cox pointed to these as the most pressing issues faced by Mountain View residents, something which he is well aware of due to actively engaging with the community.
“I’ve learned what the hot button issues are for people, so I’m interested in having town halls on particular issues where you draw people together and have serious civic dialogs about those issues,” Cox said. “If I get elected to council, I want to be appointed to the council neighborhoods committee because I think neighborhoods are the greatest way … to reach people.”
Paul Donahue
Similar to Cox, Donahue pointed to community engagement as a driving force behind his campaign.
“I cannot lead people without knowing what the people want,” Donahue said. “I will never lose sight of that. I will keep the dialog open between me and the residents … it’s easy to get sort of lost in the sauce with people who know way too much about how the city operates, and it’s been a welcome refresher, actually knocking on doors.”
Donahue has been involved with civic leadership for over 20 years, including work with both Santa Clara County and the city of Mountain View. This includes positions with environmental planning, libraries, parks and downtown planning.
Donahue’s main priorities focus on housing, economic growth and environmental protections. These goals have a strong intersection as more residents necessitate more parks and green spaces for those residents to enjoy, while encouraging new business growth, according to Donahue’s campaign website.
James Kuszmaul
Kuszmaul’s campaign focuses on public safety, housing growth and overall community advocacy. Specifically, Kuszmaul points to a need to protect and improve street safety for children, bikers and other non-drivers.
This connects to Kuszmaul’s experience on the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advocacy Committee, which he said provided key insight into this specific issue.
Additionally, Kuszmaul voiced support for modernized housing policy that protects residents, as well as advocacy against the current presidential administration and overall government efficiency.
“I have focused so much on making sure that we are efficient about delivering our streets infrastructure projects so we do not have to spend as much time and money farming out work that we could do more efficiently ourselves,” Kuszmaul said.
Silja Paymer
Paymer’s main goals focus on environmental advocacy, which includes city-wide walkable infrastructure, alongside overall inclusivity. This includes supporting green infrastructure focused on street safety for people of all ages and ability levels, as well as encouraging local native biodiversity.
Paymer has been involved with local environmental activism for over 20 years, including involvement with the Cuesta Pollinator Habitat. Additionally, Paymer is a teacher in a public high school.
Paymer also pointed to a need for safe housing that would foster strong communities, particularly for those at risk.
“I’m running for city council with the goal of making Mountain View even better. I want it to be the best place in the world for kids to grow up,” Paymer said. “(That) looks like a city hall that truly listens, where residents’ voices shape decisions, and more neighbors are invited to help build the community we share. Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in our charge.”
Erik Poicon
Poicon identified himself as a community outreach specialist, and his campaign reflects that same notion by focusing on accessible and affordable housing which serves Mountain View’s community first and foremost.
Poicon tied his understanding of this issue to his own experience with housing insecurity, promising to aid those who need it most.
Poicon emphasised the need for accessibility across housing, not just affordability.
“I want Mountain View to be a city where people build their own lives, grow up here, get their first job, raise a family and grow old,” Poicon said. “Our city already has ambitious plans for housing, safer streets, parks, and climate, and I’m ready to help turn those plans into results while making sure that the people who make Mountain View what it is can afford to remain as part of its future.”
IdaRose Sylvester
Sylvester’s campaign prioritizes building a city-wide strong and prosperous present and future. This includes development and protection of housing-focused and environmentally conscious infrastructure.
Over the past decade, Sylvester has filled leadership positions on the city’s parks and recreation commission, human relations commission and environmental sustainability task force.
Sylvester also listed community advocacy and care as main priorities of hers, pointing to work founding Appetite for Good during the pandemic. This program supported local businesses while feeding the community, Sylvester said.
“I love this city, its diversity, history and its kindness…. I also know we are at a moment when the choices we make will shape who gets to have a future here, what that future looks like, how we manage that change, and how we create the community of our future together,” Sylvester said. “That work taught me something important. Progress happens when I listen deeply, bring people together for the common good, and then actually get things done.”
