The election year is young, and already, three candidates have officially declared they are running for three open seats in November on the Los Altos Hills City Council.
Incumbents Linda Swan, who served as mayor for 2023, and new Mayor Stan Mok said Friday they will seek re-election in the Nov. 5 general election. Rajiv Bhateja, chairperson of the town’s technology committee, also has declared his council candidacy.
Swan, a 35-year resident of the town, was active in the Westwind Community Barn and the town’s historical society prior to her election to council in 2020. The mechanical engineer considers herself a preservationist looking to retain the rural nature of the town.
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” she said of Los Altos Hills and her intention to stay indefinitely. “I want to give back and I want people to enjoy what we have with our pathways, our open space, the ability to have horses, and I have learned so much on the council.”
She said she has gained experience in talking to other cities about the latest in fire fighting and prevention – an area of particular concern to the town given its rural landscape.
Bhateja, a retired tech executive who worked for eight different startups, has volunteered for the town’s technology and community relations committees.
A resident of the town since 2005, he’s been active in championing for automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and supplementing Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office coverage with private patrols.
Public safety and fiscal responsibility are priorities for Bhateja.
He said he’s been outspoken on issues of importance to residents.
“It’s just something that comes naturally to me and I feel like I want to be involved and contribute,” Bhateja said.
Mok, appointed mayor last month, loves his role on the council and sees a second term as the opportunity to take care of some unfinished business.
A financial expert who runs his own firm, Mok’s experience on the council, as well as on the town’s finance and investiment committee before that, has contributed to the town’s sound fiscal state.
Among his priorities is resident safety and improved internet access.
Mok discovered through his election to the council in 2020, that he enjoyed meeting and talking to people. He plans to do more of the same this year.
“It was really challenging at first but then I started really enjoying it,” he said.
