Mountain View City Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga has her eyes set on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 5 seat, currently held by Joe Simitian, who terms out at the end of 2024.
Abe-Koga announced her bid for the position, which will be filled by voters in the November 2024 election, during a March 5 Lunar New Year event hosted by Assemblymember Evan Low. She’s the first local official to declare her intention to run for the District 5 seat, which represents Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View, among other South Bay cities. The seat she holds on the Mountain View council also terms out next year.
Regional leadership
In an interview with the Town Crier, Abe-Koga explained how her personal life experiences and time on the Mountain View council have prepared her for the role. She joined the council 16 years ago, became vice mayor in 2008 and mayor in 2009, and again served as vice mayor in 2019 and mayor in 2020.
She previously ran an unsuccessful campaign for the District 5 seat in 2012; she dropped out of the race and threw her support behind Simitian.
Abe-Koga said this time is different, as she’s had time to grow as a community leader.
“I’m much more seasoned,” she said. “That was almost 10 years ago, so (I’ve had) more time and public service in elected office and policymaking. I think I’ve gained a wealth of more experience and knowledge and expertise in some of the issue areas.”
During her time on the council, Abe-Koga has served on numerous boards and has focused on myriad issues that affect both the city and the region. Currently, she’s on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Administration Committee, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority Board of Directors and serves as president of the Cities Association of Santa Clara County.
She noted that many of the issues she’s focused on have been regional, including disaster approach related to climate change, youth mental health and homelessness, which contribute to her ability to serve effectively on the County Board of Supervisors.
“I’ve enjoyed and continue to enjoy my time at the city level, but a lot of the issues that the county deals with really speak to me,” she said. “And my lived experiences can really be the foundation for the type of leadership that I can bring to the county.”
Abe-Koga added that her past experience owning a small business, surviving breast cancer and navigating the health-care system will inform her policymaking and regional leadership.
“I think I can bring those lived experiences on with my many years of service and the experience I gained in policymaking and representing the community to the county, and I’m really excited about that,” she said.
Abe-Koga noted that she’s already garnered support throughout District 5, and she’s hoping to hear from community members and constituents.
“I look forward to hearing from folks and all the different perspectives on issues,” she said. “I’ll do my best to listen and to hear and to represent the entire district the best I can.”
