Forum for Cupertino City Council candidates set for Oct. 9

The League of Women Voters of Cupertino-Sunnyvale is hosting election forums for Cupertino voters to familiarize themselves with local candidates and measures, as well as state propositions.

The six candidates vying for two open seats on the Cupertino City Council are set to discuss their platforms at an Oct. 9 online forum at 7 p.m.

Incumbent Kitty Moore is facing five challengers this November as the city reckons with an affordable housing crisis, the revitalization of the old Vallco property and a budget deficit following the loss of millions in sales tax dollars.

Other candidates include Barry Chang, who served as a mayor for one term and a councilmember for eight years; Claudio Bono, who serves as managing director for the Cupertino Hotel; Ray Wang, who was appointed chair of Cupertino's Planning Commission in 2019, but was ousted from his post last year following accusations of harassing community members and city officials; Gilbert Wong, a Foothill-De Anza Community College District trustee who previously served two terms as Cupertino's mayor, nine years as a council member, and six years as a planning commissioner; and Rod Sinks, another former Cupertino mayor whose term as a board trustee for the Fremont Union High School District ends this year.

Councilmember Hung Wei initially ran for re-election, but recently announced she will suspend her campaign to focus on her recovery from Stage 4 lung cancer.

An Oct. 6 forum set for 3 p.m. at the Cupertino Library will address the pros and cons of the 10 state propositions on the Nov. 5 ballot, as well as Measure Z, a $347 million school bond measure proposed for the Cupertino Union School District. The measure, which requires a 55% majority vote to pass, earmarks the funds for roof and plumbing repairs and the expansion of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classrooms.

An online forum set for Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. will also address Measure Z.