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Local parent and small business owner Pratima Sonavne presents a platform focused on what matters most to her and the community – “to protect what makes Danville special” – as she runs as the lesser-known candidate against two public service heavyweights vying for Town Council.
Framing her campaign as taking “a practical, people-first approach”, Sonavne told DanvilleSanRamon she is looking to draw on lessons learned from losing the election for Contra Costa County clerk-recorder in the June primary to bolster her bid for Danville council on the Nov. 3 ballot.
“The most important one: people respond to authenticity,” Sonavne said in an email interview. “That’s why this time I’m leading with who I truly am — a Danville mom raising kids here, the founder of a local childcare business that serves families every day, and someone with more than 20 years of hands-on HR and operations experience.”
“I’ve spent two decades building teams, fixing broken systems, managing budgets, and delivering results for the people those organizations exist to serve,” she added. “That background isn’t a line on a résumé — it’s how I think: practical, accountable, and focused on what actually works for people.”
Sonavne is competing for one of two at-large positions on the Danville Town Council against four-term Councilmember Robert Storer and retired San Ramon police chief Denton Carlson, who lives in Danville. One seat is wide open, as longtime Councilmember Karen Stepper is retiring after 24 years in office.
A resident of Contra Costa County for the past 14 years who moved in Danville in 2021, Sonavne said her campaign is built around “offering a straightforward promise: keep Danville’s small-town character strong while making sure the town stays safe, well-run, and focused on the people who actually live here.”
“I’m running because I love this town and I want to protect what drew so many of us here in the first place,” Sonavne said in a campaign launch press release. “Safe parks and trails, good schools, and that feeling that Danville is still a real community — not just another place that’s growing too fast. As a mom, I live these issues every day. I want to bring that same care and common-sense approach to Town Hall.”
She lists her six top campaign priorities as public safety, fiscal responsibility, smart growth, supporting families and small businesses, transparent government, and infrastructure and open space.
“Make sure any new development listens to residents first and respects neighborhood character, school capacity, and wildfire safety,” Sonavne said of her approach to residential growth.
“Push for policies that help working parents and keep downtown lively and welcoming for local owners,” she added about her perspective on economic development for Danville.
Sonavne also aims to leverage her experience and a new mindset after her attempt to unseat Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder Kristin Connelly in the primary, which saw the Danville newcomer lose by worse than a 4:1 margin.
Those lessons include the value of listening to local voters who want thoughtful, specific solutions and the need for resilience and staying grounded in a campaign.
“Authenticity, deep listening and steady focus — paired with two decades of real operational experience — are what I’m bringing to this campaign,” Sonavne told DanvilleSanRamon. “I want to earn the trust of Danville residents by being the same person in public that I am in my everyday life: a parent, a business owner, and someone who believes local government should work carefully and well for the people who live here.”
To learn more about Sonavne and her platform, visit countonpratima.com.
