Here are the candidates I’m endorsing in the upcoming election, in no particular order

Ray Mueller

District 3 County Board of Supervisors

I’ve known Ray for years, as he’s a long-term member of the Menlo Park City Council. He’s a staunch environmental advocate, a champion of women’s rights — not just in the reproductive arena, but also in other critical areas, like domestic violence — and someone who enjoys developing workable solutions for complex public issues. And all public issues are inherently complex, particularly for a rapidly changing and economically vibrant region like San Mateo County.

Ray is also one of the most decent people I ran into on the “council circuit”. His values are solid, he’s a great listener…and he cares. About everyone, not just the people who support him.

Neil Layton

San Carlos School Board

Neil is sharp, pays attention to details, particularly financial details, and works hard to ensure the District provides a great education for all students despite its limited budget. As an attorney in the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office, Neil is no stranger to the problems facing communities. His first term saw a truly amazing number and variety of challenges, from significant turnover of the Board due to resignations, through needing to hire a new superintendent, up to and including helping lead the District as it dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. Through all of that, Neil’s can-do attitude and optimism shined through.

Tracy Park

San Carlos School Board

I just met Tracy during this election cycle. She impressed me with the depths of her volunteer work in the District over the years, and with her broad commitment to seeing all our kids get the best education possible. She’s helped pioneering non-profit educational organizations achieve their goals, in the US and around the world, and is also a substitute teacher in the district. Her heart is clearly in this, and I believe she’ll make a great addition to the Board.

Jessica Rowe

San Carlos School Board

I’ve known Jessica for a number of years, since she reached out to me for advice on dealing with some issues at the district while I was serving on the City Council. She’s another dedicated volunteer, having, like Tracy, committed a lot of time to various district initiatives aimed at making the education our kids receive as great as it can be. She’s sharp, and will bring a clear-eyed perspective to the Board, as well as the kind of out-of-the-box thinking which pays large dividends in the public sector.

Adam Rak

San Carlos City Council

Adam and I didn’t overlap on the School Board, as he joined it right as I was elected to the Council in 2011. But he quickly impressed me with his dedication, values and creative approaches to forging political compromises. After he joined the Council, I often looked to him to come up with the compromise approaches that enabled decisions to be reached quickly. As for his values, he is an Eagle Scout…and while he doesn’t wear that on his sleeve, it shows in his commitment to every community he’s lived in. San Carlos is lucky to have him.

Sara McDowell

San Carlos City Council

I met Sara when she ran for and was elected to the Council in 2018. As colleagues, I appreciated not only her out-of-the-box thinking but also her willingness to challenge the status quo. She’s been a steadfast supporter of many important initiatives the Council is pursuing, ranging from affordable housing through envisioning, along with Adam, a new approach for what’s called the “industrial arts district”¹, as well as the need for better mental health care. But beyond that, what always impressed me about Sara is her compassion: she cares deeply about people. And she never hesitates to make government live up to its obligations to the people it serves.

Pranita Venkatesh

San Carlos City Council

I met Pranita during this election cycle and was very impressed by her vision for San Carlos’ future and how we can balance competing priorities in the face of the current massive wave of commercial development. But more importantly, I admire her commitment to giving everyone in San Carlos a say in its future. Because what was once a relatively sleepy community — always wonderful, mind you — is now reaping the benefits of being tolerant and prizing neighborliness above all else. Pranita embodies the good things that have happened to San Carlos, and her commitment to seeing that more good things get put in place will serve the community well.

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1. south of Howard, bounded east/west by Industrial and Old County ↩