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Candidate forums 2026
I am so grateful for all the candidate forums that you provided this year. What a great service!
It is sometimes so difficult to find reliable information about local candidates and especially difficult, if not impossible, to gain that greater understanding of their positions via in-person interviews. Plus, I loved being able to watch the videos later if I wasn’t available to watch the in-person or live stream event.
I can’t fully appreciate how complicated pulling all these forums together must have been but I’m sure glad you were able to do it. I definitely will be donating.
Thank you!!!
– Patti Cole
I back Jack. You should too.
When I ran for City Council in 2024, I didn’t know Jack Balch and Jack didn’t know me. I supported his opponent, the incumbent mayor. I ran because I knew I was the best option for Pleasanton. Once Election Day passed, whatever differences we had, or didn’t have, were left behind and we both looked towards the future.
Since that time, I have come to know Jack very well. He is everywhere, all the time. He cares deeply about Pleasanton and its residents. He works harder for the city than I can express in words and presides with measured reason and forethought, making decisions based on evidence and pragmatism.
When the Little Fire broke out months ago, it was he who spent the night at City Hall and the Senior Center making sure the displaced residents were cared for.
It is he who reaches across all perspectives to gain consensus, constantly bearing the difficult duty to lead the council meetings and respectfully bring back the council’s attention to the task at hand. It is he who doesn’t pander to a certain group and who doesn’t promise undeliverables.
Sometimes being the mayor or a councilperson comes with the duty to make unpopular decisions. To be able to do that with class, dignity and integrity makes Jack the right person to continue to lead the city and see through the ideas he has brought forth.
I back Jack, and you should too.
– Matt Gaidos, Pleasanton vice mayor
Vote Testa for mayor
Pleasanton needs leadership who can bring respectful discussion to the dais. Julie has more than eight years of City Council experience, including two terms as vice mayor.
She has been active on regional transportation and legislative issues and advocated for maintaining local decision-making authority on housing and development.
She championed Pleasanton’s Alternative Response Unit, an approach that brings specially trained mental-health resources to appropriate calls rather than relying solely on armed police officers. The program received a Helen Putnam Award for Excellence.
With the city’s pressing financial and infrastructure challenges, she supports growing revenue and controlling costs without placing unnecessary costs on existing residents. Julie will be an intelligent experienced leader who will guide Pleasanton into the future.
– Sandra Yamaoda
Brady for LVJUSD Area 3
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for Angela Brady for the Livermore school board in Area 3.
As a local parent, Angela brings a deeply personal commitment to the educational success and well-being of our students. She understands firsthand the challenges and opportunities facing our schools today.
Equally important is her professional background as a data analyst. In a role that demands accountability and strategic oversight, Angela’s expertise in evidence-based decision-making will ensure that school resources are utilized effectively to drive real results for all children.
Angela combines a mother’s dedicated heart with an analyst’s rigorous mind. She will be a powerful, thoughtful advocate for our students, teachers and community.
Please join me in voting for Angela Brady for School Board, Area 3.
– Kate Runyon, former Livermore school board member (2002 to 2018)
Sewer rate increase
The city of Pleasanton has mailed a Proposition 218 notice proposing large, multi-year increases in the city’s sewer collection charge for single-family homes:
* Current rate: $31.53 bimonthly
* Jan. 1, 2027: $57.03
* Then further increases on each July 1 through FY 2030, to $62.74, $69.02, and $75.93
That more than doubles the city’s collection charge in a few years, with no cap after 2030. Treatment charges from DSRSD or Livermore are on top of this. Households already facing high housing, insurance, water and other utility costs cannot absorb this path.
I support a working sewer system. I do not support placing almost all of the capital burden on ratepayers in this short window. I ask you to:
1. Contact Mayor Jack Balch and the Pleasanton City Council before the Nov. 17, 2026 public hearing and urge a slower phase-in, greater use of reserves and debt, and a smaller first-year jump.
2. Help the city pursue Clean Water State Revolving Fund financing and other state infrastructure funding so less of the program is dumped onto sewer bills.
This is an urgent Pleasanton citizen issue.
– Andrew Blidy
Choi for PUSD Area 5
I support Thomas Choi for Pleasanton school board because:
1. With Trustee Brown leaving, every remaining trustee works (or worked) in schools: teacher, secretary, coordinator and teacher. That experience matters, but no one has a background in law, finance or business.
2. He is endorsed by CSEA, representing classified staff, and by the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce. He is not endorsed by a majority of the current board. This is a positive – we need diversity of perspective.
3. Thomas is a lawyer. Our district spends heavily on outside counsel and consultants. A trustee who reads contracts and the Brown Act fluently will ask sharper questions of both.
4. A negative budget certification is embarrassing for a district that prides itself on excellence. Academically, we perform well in aggregate. But this is also a business, and reserves were drained until the county stepped in. Students and staff paid for the recovery through budget cuts. Thomas has built his career on analysis and problem-solving.
5. Thomas spent the past year at board meetings advocating against classroom cuts and for transparency and logic-guided decisions.
6. He has a bias for action, and I believe he can get things done. He organized more than 160 neighbors to protect the Hearst/PMS playfields. His platform is at savepusd.com.
I don’t live in Area 5, but this trustee votes on the whole district’s budget. Please vote for Thomas Choi.
– Christina Nystrom
Can Pleasanton be bought?
Following extensive discussion and public input about the role of money in local elections, in May of 2021, Pleasanton City Council members unanimously agreed to set a voluntary $1,000 per individual contribution maximum for city office candidates and with a 3-2 vote, set spending limits of $25,000 council members and $30,000 for mayoral candidates.
While these limits are voluntary, it’s worth paying attention to who chooses to adhere to this decision in this election and the last one.
Pleasanton can’t be bought … or can it?
– Karen Scott
An advocate for us
Please join me in voting for Julie Testa for mayor. Few people are more qualified to lead our lovely city.
For 40 years, Julie has been a tireless advocate for local residents. She thoroughly understands the operational mechanics of our city and grasps our financial landscape better than some paid staff. Many community benefits we enjoy today were inspired by her diligence, close observation and tenacity.
Preserving the unique charm and character of our town is an issue close to my heart. Julie actively fought to keep tall high-rises out of our downtown and prevent massive, underregulated housing projects at our borders, prioritizing the long-term impacts on traffic and infrastructure. She does her homework and asks the tough questions.
Equally important is her advocacy for all citizens, including the unhoused and those facing mental illness. Her work establishing the Police Department’s Alternative Response Unit has been a godsend to individuals and families in crisis. Her compassion and proactive concern have undoubtedly saved lives.
If you enjoy living in this city Julie has been a part of that.
Join me in electing Julie Testa for Pleasanton mayor this November.
– Laura Danielson
Balch for Pleasanton mayor
As a resident of Pleasanton for over 30 years, I know that right now, Pleasanton needs an engaged and involved mayor for the 21st century:
* Someone who has developed and maintains strong working relationships within our community and neighboring communities, so we can continue to collaborate successfully on regional issues.
* Someone who is not only intelligent but possesses the superior critical-thinking skills needed to understand and assimilate the broad impacts and nuances of complex issues facing Pleasanton — and who can clearly articulate that information to our community, and does so regularly through his personally-written newsletter.
* Someone in continuous conversation with residents, spending meaningful time in every corner of Pleasanton – each district, neighborhood, school and park – listening first to understand resident needs and priorities, and then formulating recommendations on how best to serve them.
* Someone with a proven track record of getting things done and making progress on projects and priorities one thoughtful step at a time to ensure Pleasanton remains a great place to live and work.
Fortunately, Mayor Jack Balch has been doing all this and more on our behalf for the past two years. That’s why #IBackJack for reelection as Pleasanton mayor.
– Susan Hayes
Jamie Yee for Pleasanton City Council
I had the opportunity to serve alongside Jamie when we were both elected school board trustees, she in Pleasanton and I in Dublin. We met through our appointments to the Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program board during a significant leadership transition. We were both new trustees, trying to navigate a difficult period for an organization we cared about deeply.
You learn a lot about someone when you work through hard things together.
Jamie was never afraid to ask difficult questions, but she also listened carefully to the answers. She did her homework, sought out different perspectives and took seriously the responsibility of representing her community. We did not always agree, and I think that made the respect I developed for her even more meaningful.
Over time, I came to know Jamie as thoughtful, hardworking, empathetic and deeply committed to public service. She understood that her decisions could have very real consequences for people and families. In my experience, Jamie approached that responsibility with care, preparation and integrity.
Somewhere along the way, our work together also became a friendship, one born from long meetings, many conversations, shared responsibility and a mutual desire to serve our communities well.
What I remember most is that Jamie never took the public’s trust lightly. She showed up prepared, listened, asked questions and never lost sight of the people affected by her decisions. She understands what it takes to represent others and I believe would be an excellent city councilmember.
– Amy Miller, former Dublin school board trustee
On District 1
A city is not a profit‑and‑loss enterprise and pretending it oversimplifies the real work of governing.
Businesses exist to maximize profit. Cities exist to serve people — all people — whether they generate revenue or not. A business can choose its customers; Pleasanton cannot choose its residents. We must maintain parks that don’t pay for themselves, repair roads that generate no profit, and support seniors, youth, and families because that’s what a community does.
Efficiency matters, but equity matters more.
Running a city requires transparency, public process, environmental review, long‑term planning and accountability. A CEO can make decisions behind closed doors. A council member cannot.
Government isn’t slow because it’s incompetent; it’s slow because it must be fair.
In District 1, we have candidates with very different histories. One candidate, Kathy Narum, has served Pleasanton for more than a decade and consistently earned voter support without excessive spending. Those facts speak for themselves, but the deeper issue is the philosophy of governance.
Pleasanton isn’t a corporation. It’s a community. We don’t need profit‑driven thinking; we need public‑minded leadership. Government shouldn’t be run like a business — it should be run like a responsibility.
– Michael Austin
What makes Christiaan run
Christiaan VandenHeuvel is running for election as District 5 LVJUSD trustee.
To understand the values that inform Christiaan’s tenure as trustee, it’s helpful to understand the faith that guides him.
Christiaan is pastor of care and support at Cornerstone Fellowship in Livermore, where he has served for 25 years.
Cornerstone’s values focus explicitly on inclusion:
* We include everyone, especially those not like us.
* All people have equal worth and value.
* God’s love is radically inclusive and excludes no one.
* We seek to share any advantages we have with those who are less advantaged.
Cornerstone’s philosophy emphasizes human dignity, welcoming people who are different, crossing barriers to build relationships, tolerance, compassion, social justice and service to disadvantaged people.
“My faith is where my values come from, but how that plays out in board work isn’t about religion,” Christiaan says. “It’s about how I treat people and how I make decisions. I believe you can disagree with someone strongly and still treat them with respect…
“It’s why I pay attention to the students who are furthest behind. And it’s why, when things get tense in the room, I try to stay calm and keep us focused on what’s good for kids, not on who’s winning the argument.”
Christiaan embodies the values that are foundational to Cornerstone Fellowship. He is also brainy, deep-thinking, kind, always upbeat, a bit goofy (in a really endearing way) and an amazing human. District 5 voters please consider Christiaan in November.
– David Jonas
Larry Bird for LARPD board
I am proud to support Larry Bird for the LARPD board. Larry is an outstanding man whose integrity, character and commitment to our community make him an exceptional candidate for this important role.
With nearly three decades of service in law enforcement, Larry has spent his career serving others, working with people from all walks of life, and demonstrating strong leadership, sound judgment and accountability. Those qualities are exactly what we need in someone helping guide the future of Livermore Area Recreation and Park District.
Larry’s dedication to our community extends far beyond his professional career. Through his many years of coaching, he has had a positive impact on countless young people and families. He understands firsthand how important parks, recreation programs, sports, and community spaces are in bringing people together and creating opportunities for children and adults alike.
What stands out most about Larry is that he genuinely cares about Livermore and the people who live here. He is involved, approachable, dependable and committed to making our community an even better place. His experience in public service, combined with his passion for youth, recreation, and community involvement, gives him a valuable perspective that would serve LARPD well.
The LARPD Board needs leaders who will listen, make thoughtful decisions, work collaboratively and always keep the best interests of the community in mind.
I wholeheartedly support Larry Bird for the LARPD board and encourage our community to learn more about him and consider supporting him in the upcoming election.
– Jeannine Rinetti
Fiscal responsibility, public safety and infrastructure
I’ve lived in Pleasanton for more than 40 years, and I’ve seen our city grow and change. When I decide who I want as mayor, I look for someone who understands the basic responsibilities of city government, plans for the future and is fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars.
That’s why I’m supporting Jack Balch for reelection.
Jack has consistently supported our police officers and firefighters, including the recently approved three-year contracts. Recruiting and retaining experienced first responders matters, as does making sure they have the equipment and resources they need when we call for help. Public safety is one of the most important investments our city makes.
I also appreciate Jack’s attention to our water system. Pleasanton has aging water infrastructure that cannot simply be ignored or passed along to the next generation. Jack supported the Water Master Plan and financing necessary to make critical improvements and help ensure a safe, reliable water supply for the future.
I attend City Council meetings regularly, and I know these decisions aren’t always easy or inexpensive. Fiscal responsibility doesn’t mean avoiding necessary spending. It means planning ahead, setting priorities, understanding long-term costs and spending taxpayer dollars wisely.
I want a mayor who will protect essential services while keeping a close eye on our city’s finances. Jack Balch has demonstrated that kind of responsible leadership.
That’s why I’m supporting Jack Balch for another term as mayor.
– Vicki LaBarge
Lucky Pleasanton citizens have a choice
Pleasanton residents are lucky to have veteran City Councilmember Julie Testa throwing her hat into the race for mayor. Few others can match her knowledge, skill and courage to fill this position. Her history of speaking up for the residents’ point of view and best interests is well established.
Testa has served on the City Council for eight years. She has accumulated troves of knowledge about one of the most important issues facing Pleasanton residents: housing and the safety, traffic congestion and fire risks that go along with density.
Not only that, but Julie has a statewide network of mayors and city council members who are equally strong advocates for local control. Years ago, not satisfied to sit on the sidelines, Julie took the initiative to start a statewide organization to join forces for education and action. She doesn’t stop there.
She courageously shares her knowledge with residents, colleagues and elected representatives in Sacramento. Some object to her passion but consider the good fortune to have a mayoral challenger who is willing and capable of solving multiple city issues, all of which protect the safety and quality of life in Pleasanton.
– Susan Kirsch, founder and director, Catalysts for Local Control
Group of Pleasanton residents seeks stronger data privacy restrictions for fleet of robotsOctober 7, 2026 1:37 pm
