Milpitas Mayor Carmen Montano has announced her intention to run for State Senate in California’s district 10, asserting more moderate voices are needed to collaborate across partisan lines.
“I’m not really about the party, I’m about the people and the community,” said Montano. “I feel that I could make a difference in people’s lives.”
Montano, 70, is a retired schoolteacher who has long been a figure in Milpitas public office. She served for eight years as a school board trustee for Milpitas Unified School District starting in 2000, before being elected to city council in 2012, where she served for two non-consecutive terms. In 2022, Montano made history when she became the first woman to be elected mayor of Milpitas, and in 2024 was re-elected as a mayor in a close race with a crowded field of four candidates.
Montano said she would prioritize public safety and “accountability” for those who commit crimes — including by providing more funding for Prop 36, which has struggled to meet its promise of mass treatment — citing smash-and-grabs as a particular concern. She also touted “balanced housing policies” for affordable housing, improving literacy and academic success and working on ways to make home insurance more affordable.
Montano also called both parties “too extreme and out of touch with everyday needs” and focused on “common-sense” solutions. “People forget that they’re representing the people and not just representing the party,” she said.
California’s district 10 includes Fremont, Hayward, Union City, Newark, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara.
Currently, State Senator Aisha Wahab represents District 10. Wahab also made history in 2022 when she became the first Muslim elected to the California State Senate. She previously served as a mayor of Hayward City Council and currently is chair of the Senate Housing Committee and Assistant Majority Leader in the Senate. Wahab’s campaign did not respond to an email inquiry for this story.
Primaries for the California State Senate will take place in June 2026, after which the top two candidates will continue to the general election in November.