Media Coverage: San Jose Spotlight - Will Cupertino City Council’s majority flip?
October 26, 2024
Two opposing candidate duos are trying to nab the two available Cupertino City Council seats to have power over one of the city’s most divisive issues — development.
Councilmember Kitty Moore and former Planning Commissioner R “Ray” Wang, want to flip the the existing development-friendly council majority, while Councilmember Hung Wei and former Mayor Rod Sinks want to keep the pro-development stronghold. Both groups want to mold their vision of how one of Cupertino’s most controversial and largest housing projects, The Rise on the former Vallco Mall site, will be developed. The project has sparked ongoing controversy for about a decade.
Wei and Moore are up for reelection, creating the opportunity for either camp to snag the majority. Wei, Mayor Sheila Mohan and Vice Mayor J.R. Fruen hold the existing majority that has often led to a 3-2 split on development and housing issues, with Moore and Councilmember Liang Chao in the minority.
The candidate duos are a unique factor this election and could impact the results. Other candidates include Parks and Recreation Commissioner Claudio Bono and former Mayors Gilbert Wong and Barry Chang, who are also somewhat development-friendly.
Wei and Sinks
Wei and Sinks’ candidacy is complicated by Wei’s diagnosis with stage four lung cancer. The councilmember briefly suspended her campaign last month to focus on her health before reentering the race about a week later. She is seeking medical treatment in Taiwan, where she has family, with the election just weeks away. She said she’s been able to manage her health and council responsibilities, adding her passion for Cupertino is stronger than ever.
The last time the council majority flipped was in 2022 when voters elected Fruen and Mohan. They have made the council more development-friendly.
Sandhana Siva, board member of pro-housing group Cupertino for All, is worried the council could flip again because she’s seen Moore and Wang’s message resonate with the older and first-generation Asian population. Approximately 70.2% of Cupertino’s population identifies as Asian, according to 2020 U.S. Census data.
Siva said she still thinks Wei and Sinks, who are endorsed by Cupertino for All, can win. She said Wei’s diagnosis could impact votes, but Wei’s decision to reenter the race shows her resilience.
Moore and Wang
Moore and Wang are running their campaigns on the idea of putting residents first through scrutinizing developments like The Rise for the environmental issues it could cause. They say they’re not anti-development, but rather want more transparency and resident input on bigger projects.
Moore and Wang said they want to hold developers accountable for affordable housing, rather than allowing them to pay an in-lieu fee to avoid building them, something they’ve said other candidates have mentioned.
“It’s interesting that we’re considered against housing (because) it’s like, no (we’re not),” Moore told San José Spotlight.
Moore said it’s important to flip the existing council majority because while she’s been part of the voting minority, she hasn’t felt like she’s had room to fully dissect issues.
Wang said Moore and Chao ask important questions, but aren’t heard. They are supported by historically anti-development group Better Cupertino, who didn’t respond to requests for comment. Wang said he and Moore aren’t extreme in the negative way opponents have painted them.
“(We’re) extremely resident focused. We’ll take that label,” Wang told San José Spotlight. “I think that’s the important part, we’re here for the residents. And if that is seen as extreme, then I would say, I wouldn’t apologize for it.”
Moore and Wang said they wish Wei well, but think her health could impact the votes she gets.
Cupertino resident Sashi Begur, who’s lived in the city since 1996, said she used to vote for candidates such as Sinks and Chang. She now supports Wang and Moore after she looked more into city policy. She said city politics are so split because of the important issues at hand.
“We’re not divisive for the sake of being divisive,” Begur told San José Spotlight. “We’re saying, ‘Hey, we have rights. We are the taxpayers. We need to understand what is going on. Give us the transparency.'”
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Please vote number 1 (Kitty Moore) and number 5 (Ray Wang) on your ballot statements.
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