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Following a deadline extension triggered by the decision of incumbent San Ramon Mayor Dave Hudson not to seek reelection to the position, the race for a new mayor of the city has shifted to be a competitive one with two candidates running, one of whom emerged just in the last week.
In the wake of Hudson’s decision to step down at the end of his term, District 2 Councilmember Mark Armstrong had been the only candidate to step up as his potential successor as of the final day of the regular nomination period on Aug. 9.Â
Tech entrepreneur and longtime city resident Chirag Kathrani moved quickly to formalize his candidacy in time for the extended deadline which ended on Aug. 14. His decision to join the race came upon learning about the potential of a non-competitive mayoral race from local media coverage following the initial Aug. 9 deadline.
“On August 11, I discovered that the current candidate for Mayor of San Ramon is running unopposed,” Kathrani said. “To my surprise, Sridhar Verose from District 3 is also unopposed, and in District 1, both candidates filed during the extension period. This situation reflects poorly on our city, with over 50,000 voters and a population of 85,000, yet we struggle to find residents willing to lead. If I had not stepped up, and if Marisol (Rubio) wins State Senate District 9, we could end up with one elected official and four appointed representatives.”
Kathrani said that he had elected not to seek signatures immediately after filing candidacy papers, instead knocking on doors to introduce himself and hear from residents directly.
“While I heard many positive things, I was surprised by how many were unaware of the 1% sales tax increase on the ballot or that the Mayor was running unopposed,” Kathrani said. “This lack of awareness points to a failure in leadership. City staff and leaders should have proactively engaged with residents, particularly those on the 21 committees, to encourage civic participation. I pledge that when I leave office, our youth will be prepared to take on leadership roles in our city.”
Kathrani pointed to both civic engagement and ongoing budget struggles as the most urgent issues facing the city that he would seek to address if elected.
A 13-year resident of the city, Kathrani said he was drawn to San Ramon for its well-regarded public school system for his three children, including one with special needs.
“As a parent of a special needs child, I’ve learned that basic things should never be taken for granted,” Kathrani said.
One of the several companies and initiatives that Kathrani has led over the course of the past 18 years since founding his first company in 2006 is Lead4Earth, a sustainability nonprofit that he said is “inspired by the youth of San Ramon.”
“Our city leaders are primarily focused on attracting external businesses to the community,” Kathrani said. “However, I have spent my life inspiring youth to pursue entrepreneurship, including supporting the establishment of three businesses in San Ramon. Small and medium-sized businesses run by locals are key to a thriving community. We have abundant opportunities to nurture our youths’ talents and prepare them as future community leaders.”
More information about Kathrani’s campaign is available at chiragformayor.com.
