Fremont Races

Race to Watch

Mayor

Why does this race matter?

Fremont, the fourth-largest city in the Bay Area, is a hub for biotech and an outpost for many tech companies. But in recent years, the city has grappled with a lack of affordable housing, coupled with rising homelessness and leaner budgets.

What does a mayor do?

A mayor’s role varies from city to city. In some jurisdictions, a mayor leads council meetings, but largely has similar responsibilities as other council members: voting on city ordinances, development proposals, contracts and the budget. In San Francisco, the mayor has broader powers to sign or veto bills, oversee city departments and make appointments.

Key Candidates

This list represents the most notable candidates running for the seat.
Vinnie Bacon
Vinnie BaconFormer City Council Member, Fremont
Rohan Marfatia
Rohan MarfatiaCEO, Tech Consulting Firm
Raj Salwan
Raj SalwanCity Council Member, Fremont

Key Supporters

This list represents notable organizations and individuals who have taken a position on the ballot measure or candidate, or who are funding campaigns in support or opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.

For Bacon

  • Liz Ames, board director, BART 
  • Jenny Kassan, City Council member, Fremont
  • Alex Lee, state Assembly member
  • Aisha Wahab, state senator
  • Working Families Party

For Marfatia

  • Pravesh Kumar, candidate, Fremont City Council
  • Dr. Glen Qin, president, California Science and Technology University
  • Lee Webb, president, Mission Valley Track and Field Club
  • Michele Wu, former mayor, Los Altos Hills

For Salwan

  • Ro Khanna, U.S. representative 
  • Eric Swalwell, U.S. representative
  • Alameda Labor Council
  • Business for Good Government (Fremont Chamber of Commerce PAC) 
  • Fremont Firefighters (IAFF Local 1689)
 

Positions on Key Issues
Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, questionnaires, statements made at debates and public events, and past news coverage.

Homelessness increased by about 70% in Fremont from 2019 to 2022. Despite a recent decrease, more than 800 people are still listed as unhoused in the city. What is your plan to address this crisis?

Bacon says the council has rejected bigger efforts that could have made more of a change. “The bottom line is we need to do more,” he says. He wants the city to explore preventing homelessness through rental assistance programs, and wants it to open its own safe parking sites, instead of leaving it to nonprofits and faith-based organizations. “We have to approach it from a standpoint of compassion,” he says.
Marfatia says he’d like to see a more data-driven, results-oriented approach to the issue of homelessness in Fremont. As a political newcomer, he says he’ll bring a “citizen lens” to the table. And he says not all services being offered to unhoused people in the city are being accurately captured in public databases. “So in a certain capacity, we are literally flying blind.”
Salwan says “homelessness is a challenge we need to address both with compassion and practicality.” He wants to increase emergency shelter space, advocate for more affordable housing, and increase mental health services and substance abuse treatment programs. He says the city should also continue to work with nonprofits and faith-based organizations to pitch in. “I think we need to do an all-of-the-above approach.”

Fremont is facing a state-issued housing target to add roughly 13,000 homes by 2031, more than half of which need to be affordable to lower-income residents. How will you encourage more equitable housing development?

Bacon calls this “arguably the most important issue facing Fremont.” He says developers often build homes that cost $1.5 million or more, and pay fees instead of adding affordable homes in their projects. “Those fees provide some affordable housing but they in no way compensate for the affordable housing demand that new development puts on Fremont,” he says. He also wants to seek regional bond money to create more middle-income housing near transit.
Marfatia says he seeks to “bring a fresh perspective,” and aims to talk to various city departments and community members to learn about local housing problems and policies. He also wants to consider launching “neighborhood planning committees” to help meet the need for increased housing while maintaining neighborhood character. He wants to launch a task force to study the effectiveness of current approaches to housing in Fremont.
Salwan thinks “housing is a fundamental right, [and] every resident deserves a safe and affordable place to call home.” He says he advocated for a 50% reduction in impact fees for affordable housing developers, and says he supports streamlining the housing development process. He wants a focus on workforce housing creation. “We have built more affordable housing now than ever before. But we have built zero middle-class housing for teachers, firefighters and janitors,” he says.

Fremont’s police department has struggled in recent years to fill vacancies for sworn officers, even as pay and perks have generally increased. How will you help shore up the numbers?

Bacon says “we definitely have a vacancy problem.” He says he’d support city staff in pursuing a “very aggressive policy” to attract officers to the city to help cut down on overtime, including offering hiring and referral bonuses to existing employees who help bring more officers to the city.
Marfatia wants to ensure “that we honor, recognize and retain our officers,” and wants to put a focus on modernizing training and equipment. He says he is concerned about the police department’s performance and believes a data-driven approach with “predictive analytics” will help improve policing in the city. If those steps are taken, he says, “I think filling out these vacancies would kind of automatically be resolved.”
Salwan says, “Absolutely we need to hire more police officers.” He supports efforts like increased bonuses for lateral transfers, but says the “political climate” drives people away from the profession. “If something happens, they’re afraid the public will not be supportive of them.” He says the city should focus on increased training and choosing the right people as officers. “Then we have to have some faith to let them do their jobs.”

The city has taken a number of steps to improve traffic safety and reduce cut-through traffic in neighborhoods, but congestion is still a major issue. How would you try to tamp down on traffic?

Bacon says this is “a huge issue and it’s rather controversial.” He says the council’s plan to reduce traffic deaths and injuries upset some people due to intersection modifications and bigger bike lanes. Bacon says it’s possible some areas could be “reworked” if there is too much congestion, but that would need to be on a case-by-case basis. “As a public official, safety has to be one of your main concerns.”
Marfatia says the city’s recent efforts to remove or narrow some traffic lanes and add more bike lanes is not a sane approach, and should have been done more gradually. “We are not in The Netherlands,” he says. “The recent changes which have been implemented by career politicians, they lack common sense.” He says more collaboration and transparency is needed around road layouts, and wants to start a task force on the subject.
Salwan says, “We're implementing smarter signal timing to help move traffic faster.” He wants to focus on improving public transit service in the city’s priority development areas to encourage greater use of it. While he supports bike and pedestrian safety measures, he says he opposes removing traffic lanes to make way for bike lanes noting that he voted against a roadway reconfiguration for a portion of Paseo Padre Parkway in 2022.

In what areas is Fremont already doing well in addressing environmental and climate change issues? What will the city do better under your leadership?

Bacon points to traffic improvements the city has put in place to facilitate safer walking and biking. In addition to encouraging more alternate forms of transportation, he says the city also needs to adopt better urban design strategies, with denser, “true mixed-use development” so people can live within walking distance of transit, retail and other daily necessities.
Marfatia says he thinks the city has done a “decent job” with regards to environmental stewardship, but he is concerned about whether the maintenance of various city open spaces and assets is up to grade, especially after the recent massive fish die-off at Lake Elizabeth. “Protecting our natural resources and wildlife is definitely a priority for me.”
Salwan says he thinks Fremont has a lot of open space that is well preserved, both in city and regional parks, and is proud of how many residents drive electric vehicles. He wants more cars in the city’s fleet to be electric, and wants more chargers installed citywide. He also says that in the long term, getting more people to live near transit and reducing sprawl is an important part of cutting down on greenhouse gasses.

Additional Candidates

Hiu Ng
Hiu NgRetired Technology ExecutiveNg did not respond to requests for comment. An active candidate website, social media account or platform for Ng could not be located at the time of this writing. Prior to running for mayor, Ng unsuccessfully ran for Fremont’s school board five times since 2012.

City Council, District 1

What does a council member do?

City and town council members can propose new city ordinances and vote on a range of issues, including housing development, business ventures and contracts. They also help draft the city or town budget.

Candidate Statements

Candidate Statements are excerpted from the statements provided to election offices, where available.

Teresa Keng

  • Fremont City Council Member, District 1
  • Experience: “Since being elected in 2018, I have demonstrated I have the values, commitment, and experience to represent our district on Fremont City Council.”
  • Accomplishments: “I have earned a reputation for listening to all sides of an issue, promoting good governance, problem solving, and fiscal responsibility.”
  • Priorities: “Continue to ensure public safety, build strong partnerships between City Hall and our schools, reduce traffic, increase pedestrian safety, fix our roads, and to support entrepreneurs and local businesses.”
  • www.teresalovesfremont.com

Ranvir Sandhu

  • Attorney/entrepreneur/father
  • Growth: “I’ve witnessed a tremendous amount of growth and change as this city has evolved. Growth has its positives and negatives.”
  • Priorities: “My main focus will be on better safety, education, infrastructure, transportation and quality of life.”
  • Experience: “I can help accomplish a lot with my strong communication and negotiation skills as a licensed California attorney with vast experience working across the table.”

Pravesh Kumar

  • Senior DataOps engineer
  • Statement pending or not available.

City Council, District 5

What does a council member do?

City and town council members can propose new city ordinances and vote on a range of issues, including housing development, business ventures and contracts. They also help draft the city or town budget.

Candidate Statements

Candidate Statements are excerpted from the statements provided to election offices, where available.

Sterling Jefferson Engle

  • Entrepreneur 
  • Experience: “My entrepreneurship and engineering background brings a unique perspective and proactive approach to problem-solving.”
  • Public Safety: “Collaborating with first responders and community organizations to ensure safe neighborhoods for all residents.”
  • Growth: “Promoting responsible development that respects our environment while providing affordable housing and boosting local businesses.”
  • www.sterling4fremont.com

Yajing Zhang

  • Fremont Unified School District Board Member
  • Priorities: “I will ensure public safety, expand affordable housing, and champion local small businesses to create a thriving, vibrant city.”
  • Collaboration: “Listening closely to residents, I will work efficiently with city resources and take a collaborative, data-driven approach to problem-solving.”
  • Experience: “Drawing on my experience as President of Fremont Unified School District board of education, I have a proven record of balancing budgets, negotiating win-win agreements, and partnering with the city.”
  • www.yajingzhang.com

Chandra Wagh

  • Program management 
  • Experience: “I am president of the nonprofit Circle of Consciousness & Happiness Bay Area. I used my program management expertise to organize multiple community and charity events.”
  • Priorities: “I want to address Fremont’s challenges, including public safety, the increasing homeless population, traffic congestion, and declining student opportunities.”
  • Transportation: “I am actively working with the county’s transportation commission to construct a sound barrier by I-680.”
  • www.chandrawagh.com

City Council, District 6

What does a council member do?

City and town council members can propose new city ordinances and vote on a range of issues, including housing development, business ventures and contracts. They also help draft the city or town budget.

Candidate Statements

Candidate Statements are excerpted from the statements provided to election offices, where available.

Teresa Cox

  • Fremont City Council Member, District 6
  • Public Safety: “As Fremont City Council member … I championed for public safety.”
  • Housing: “I supported affordable housing for the Doug Ford Senior Housing in our district.”
  • Priorities: “I will continue to bring a unique voice to City Council for greater collaborations between the city, county, state, federal, and schools, champion for good-paying jobs, economic relief, scholarships, quality parks and community centers, and a safe environment.”
  • www.teresacox.org

Raymond Liu

  • Engineer 
  • Vision: “I, Raymond Liu, am running for Fremont City Council to restore integrity and accountability to our local government.”
  • Homelessness: “The rising homeless population is a stark indictment of the current council’s failed policies and lack of effective leadership.”
  • Priorities: “I am committed to transparency, ethical governance, and implementing practical solutions to address homelessness.”
  • www.electraymondliu.com

More Races

All Alameda County Elections

Find information about more elections on the Alameda County ballot.

Have a correction? Contact voterguide@kqed.org.