Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein is up against Councilmember Russ Melton this November for a chance to lead the seventh largest city in the Bay Area.
The next mayor will guide the city through its ambitious plans to become an environmental leader and a well-known hub for regional transportation and affordable housing projects. Sunnyvale is on track to implement its Climate Action Playbook, which aims to cut carbon emissions in the city in half by 2030 through supporting clean electricity and building decarbonization. In the upcoming years, Sunnyvale will also break ground on the Moffett Park Specific Plan, which will turn approximately 1,156-acres in northern Sunnyvale into a mixed-use district with thousands of new homes and millions of square feet in commercial space.
Whoever helms the city will be tasked with address pressing public safety concerns, including a shortage of ambulances in the city and an increase in crimes. According to the state, violent crime in Sunnyvale has increased by more 125% in the past decade and risen by 15.6% in the last year. The mayor also will have to prepare to pitch and support ideas to tackle a steady rise in homelessness in Sunnyvale and the wider Santa Clara County.
Larry Klein
In the last four years as mayor, Klein, 57, has led Sunnyvale through economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and tackled various housing and development projects.
If reelected, Klein’s priorities include continuing to make Sunnyvale a sustainable city. “I’m a big advocate for active transportation, getting people out of their cars and creating walkable and bikeable communities,” he said. Klein plans to continue supporting a city-wide shuttle service and transit-oriented mixed use development. Some of Klein’s initiatives on the council include advocating for the Evelyn Trail project — which will connect downtown Sunnyvale and Mountain View — dedicating funds for design and construction of the ongoing Stevens Creek Trail extension and lowering the speed limit along the busy El Camino Real.
When it comes to housing, Klein said he favors a “mixed stock” of choices for residents ranging from affordable and senior housing to mobile home community protections, Assessory Dwelling Units and multi-family homes. He is also interested in looking into Safe RV Parking and providing services to get homeless residents into transitional and permanent housing. “We’re looking into converting more shelters into family shelters. The more affordable housing we can build will be better for everyone,” Klein said.
Klein first served as a councilmember in August 2016 and was reelected in November that same year. The council selected him to be mayor in January 2019. He became Sunnyvale’s first mayor to be elected from an at-large election in 2020, when the city adopted the new voting system. He is known by locals for launching Eat Sunnyvale, also known as the Mayor’s Restaurant Project, in which he spotlighted more than 250 local eateries.
As mayor, Klein said he has prioritized meeting residents, hearing their concerns and partnering with them to find solutions. “For me the role of mayor is being a community leader and the biggest cheerleader for the city,” he said.
Klein’s campaign has raised $30,254 and spent $19,234 as of Sept. 26. His largest contributor so far hails from the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council POWER, a political initiative that is affiliated with the carpenters’ union, which poured $5,000 to his campaign on Oct. 7.
Russ Melton
After serving eight years on the city council, Melton, 58, feels ready to take on the role as mayor. “For me, it’s all about making a difference,” he said. “It’s also about making and keeping Sunnyvale a great place to live and work.”
Some of Melton’s priorities related to public safety include hiring more police officers and creating a year-round Burglary Suppression Unit to focus on property crimes. Russ also wants to bring advanced paramedic services under Sunnyvale’s control and complete the rebuilding of Fire Station 2 — a regional firefighter training center. Melton also aims to implement a Safe RV parking program that will be accompanied by a stronger abatement of RVs parked illegally in neighborhoods.
If elected as a first-term mayor, Melton aims to continue the city’s commitments to the state-mandated Housing Element by increasing the number of housing and affordable housing units in Moffett Park, Downtown Sunnyvale, El Camino and Lawrence Station. Melton said he will work with residents to ensure new housing projects do not interfere with their standard of living, including by looking into overflow parking and noise impact studies. “These sort of things that can maintain our quality of life even as we grow high density residential developments,” he said.
Melton said he is excited for the Climate Action Playbook to move forward and bring new eco-friendly technology and initiatives to Sunnyvale, and plans to work with the council to wrap-up any last-minute amendments to the climate guide.
Melton has served on the Sunnyvale City Council since 2016 and became vice mayor in 2019. He also serves as chair of the Santa Clara Local Agency Formation Commission and Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Authority, as well as the Santa Clara County Airport Land Use Commission and the League of California Cities Revenue and Taxation Committee.
Melton said deciding to run for mayor was an “easy choice, based on my love for Sunnyvale.”
His campaign has raised $11,496 and spent $25,584 as of Sept 26. The remainder is covered by funds Melton raised prior to 2024. His largest contributor so far comes from A Better Bay Area that was sponsored by California Alliance of Family Owned Business, which donated $5,500 to his campaign on Oct. 3.