Carmen Montano

Background

Carmen Montano has lived in Milpitas since 1964. She grew up there, attended its public schools and worked for many years as a teacher. She served eight years on the Milpitas Unified School District Board of Education, then was elected to the City Council for terms from 2012 to 2016 and from 2018 to 2022, serving as vice mayor. On the council she helped create a 2014 arts ordinance that requires new developments to include public art or pay into an art fund. In November 2022, while vice mayor, she was elected mayor, the first woman to hold the office. Milpitas elects its mayor at large to a two-year term.

In office

In February 2023 Montano, Vice Mayor Evelyn Chua and Councilmember Garry Barbadillo voted 3-2 not to renew City Manager Steve McHarris's contract, with Councilmembers Anthony Phan and Hon Lien opposed. Montano disputed that he had been fired, saying his contract ended in June. McHarris told San José Spotlight the council had given him no communication and no plan. He later alleged wrongful termination and intimidation, which Montano and councilmembers deny, and the city has sought a protective order against him.

In November 2024 she won a second term with 35.9 percent of the vote to Lien's 33.2 percent and Phan's 21.2 percent, in the count of November 8. In January 2025 she sought to deny Lien's request for city travel money to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, so the council would keep a quorum while others were away. The council voted 3-2 to deny it, and Lien called the decision unfair. In October 2025, after a city report found Chua had improperly tried to schedule a closed session, Montano said a censure was not needed and called it an honest mistake. She and Councilmember William Lam then voted, 2-1 with Lien opposed, for Chua to apologize.

In November 2025 she announced a campaign for State Senate District 10, naming public safety, affordable housing, education and insurance costs as priorities. In the June 2, 2026 primary she received 17,284 votes (9.5 percent) and did not advance.

Former Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves, endorsing her 2026 State Senate bid, said "Carmen Montano has always cared about her community" (The Milpitas Beat, November 10, 2025).

On the ballot

Montano announced on July 16, 2026 that she would seek a third term as mayor. Her ballot designation is Mayor/Educator. The other candidates are Councilmember Hon Lien, Voltaire S. Montemayor, a retired geologist, and Santosh Sahoo, a tech entrepreneur. Her stated priorities include public safety and emergency readiness, housing growth that respects existing neighborhoods, support for local business, infrastructure and financially disciplined government. The winner serves a two-year term.