The Sunnyvale City Council welcomed new and familiar faces Tuesday, as incumbent Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein began his second term with Councilmember Linda Sell serving as vice mayor.
While Sunnyvale residents vote directly for their next mayor and participate in a district-based election system for electing councilmembers, the vice mayor position is decided every year by the council. Sell succeeds Councilmember Murali Srinivasan, who will continue to serve on the council until 2026.
Councilmember Alysa Cisneros also returns as the District 2 representative, while newcomers Charlsie Chang of District 4 and Eileen Le of District 6 round out the six-person council. Cisneros, who first joined the council in 2020, won against former Councilmember Jim Davis to secure her spot, while Chang proceeds Russ Melton and Le replaces Omar Din.
The new council will navigate the city through its ambitious plans to become an environmental leader and a well-known hub for regional transportation and affordable housing projects. City leaders will also have to grapple with a city and region-wide demand for more affordable housing and an increase in homelessness in Sunnyvale and other Santa Clara County cities.
At the new council’s swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, Klein thanked voters for their “trust and faith” in allowing him a second term. Klein was first selected by the council in 2019 to lead the city. He then became Sunnyvale’s first mayor to be elected from an at-large election the following year, when the city adopted the new voting system.
“This is not just a job for me, but a way to give back to my adopted city,” Klein said.
Klein ran against Melton in the recent elections, and won with 72% of the voteS. Klein said his highest priority is getting the new council to work together alongside Sunnyvale’s recently hired city manager and city attorney. In the upcoming years, Klein said he wants to continue working on community projects, including finishing the construction of the Lakewood Library and Fire Station 2, and find “humane” ways of dealing with a rise in housing stock and homelessness.
“We don’t know what will happen at a national level,” he said. “But we’re ready to fight and protect residents and do what’s right.”
Sell joined the council in 2023 and previously served as the city’s Housing and Human Services Commissioner. Outside the city, Sell was involved in starting multiple eco-friendly community organization, including the Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action and Bay Area for Clean Environment.
Sell was the only councilmember nominated by the council for the vice mayor position. Sell said she looks forward to facilitating council study sessions, which are public meetings led by the vice mayor in which the council analyzes city-related issues.
“I am so excited to see all the wonderful ideas that will come from those study sessions,” Sell said Tuesday, “and listening to community, coming up with good ideas and deliberating, and getting staff input.”