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Mountain View’s City Council race is wide open this year with a trio of seats up for grabs in the November election.
The top three vote-getters in the Nov. 3 election will replace outgoing City Council members Alison Hicks, Ellen Kamei and Lucas Ramirez. All three will leave office in January after serving two consecutive terms. They are not eligible to seek reelection until 2028.
Candidates have until Aug. 7 to enter the race, and three have already thrown their hats into the ring, according to documents filed with the city. Mountain View residents Robert Cox, a retired Intel project lead, Silja Paymer, a Los Altos High School teacher, and Erik Poicon, a longtime community organizer, are the first to submit campaign finance paperwork.
Cox and Paymer are new contenders while Poicon ran unsuccessfully for City Council two years ago. At the time, there were nine candidates vying to fill four council seats.
It is likely that more contenders will enter this year’s race before the formal nomination period closes in August. Write-in candidates have until Oct. 20, according to city records.
Whoever is elected to the dais in November will join Mayor Emily Ann Ramos and City Council members Chris Clark, John McAlister and Pat Showalter, who were all last elected in 2024.
Robert Cox
Robert Cox, a retired engineer, is no stranger to local politics. Currently, Cox serves on the Rental Housing Committee, which oversees the city’s rent control laws. From 2013 to 2020, Cox served on the Environmental Planning Commission, an advisory body that makes recommendations to the City Council on land use issues, including housing development proposals.
Cox is also involved in local neighborhood groups and associations, such as the Mountain View Historical Association, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter and Livable Mountain View, a historical preservation advocacy group. Cox recently opposed state Senate Bill 79, which allows for denser housing near major transit stops.
“I’m a ‘housing and’ candidate, not a ‘housing only’ candidate,” Cox told the Voice, adding that he believes new housing should be built with other amenities like parks and supportive infrastructure.
Silja Paymer
Silja Paymer, a Los Altos High School physics teacher, is running on a platform that emphasizes her experience as a community advocate for sustainable growth. Paymer is a founding member of GreenSpacesMV, a local environmental group, and an initiator of the Cuesta Pollinator Habitat, which seeks to bring native wildflower habitat to the Cuesta Annex, an open space area next to Cuesta Park.
Paymer is also an advocate of transportation safety and says she wants to promote strategies to make streets “safe for all,” especially for children and students traveling to school.
“Right now, Mountain View is facing important decisions about growth, housing, transportation, public safety, infrastructure and how we balance progress with quality of life,” Paymer said in a press release announcing her candidacy. “I’m stepping up because I believe we need transparent, community-centered leadership that prioritizes our children and the environment.”
Erik Poicon
Erik Poicon, a longtime community organizer, filed finance campaign paperwork this month indicating his intention to run for City Council. Reached for comment, Poicon said he was traveling and would respond at a later time.
Poicon serves on the city’s Human Relations Commission, an advisory body that weighs in on economic, political and social issues.
When Poicon ran for City Council in 2024, he campaigned on issues related to housing affordability and climate change. Strengthening public services and safety also were top priorities for Poicon at the time.
My husband and I are always amused at people who are “too busy” because they are traveling. Aren’t you sitting on a plane for hours? Why does work stop when you change locations? Do you check your email less? Of course maybe he is on vacation.
I look forward to learning more about these people in this esteemed paper.
That Robert Cox is running for Mountain View City Council is very good news for residents. Robert is very knowledgeable of City and State requirements. It takes a lot of effort and dedication to stay informed on MV City issues. Robert has done this for years. I’ve known Robert for over 10 years as he has been on the board of our neighborhood association in Old Mountain View (OMVNA). I will be happy to vote for Robert.
Robert’s in-depth knowledge of how the city actually works was instrumental in helping us to defend our neighborhood of Stierlin Estates against the city’s massive redevelopment effort know as the Terra Bella Visioning Plan. I know of no one who is better qualified to serve on the City Council who will put the interests of current residents first. I’m glad that Robert is running and heartily support him.
Although I did not come to know Robert as a neighbor or a coworker, I have had the opportunity to meet him through many community events over the past 10 years—and that has been more than enough to understand his character. In those settings, I consistently witnessed his balanced, thoughtful approach and genuine commitment to the community. Robert Cox has long been a cornerstone of Mountain View, dedicating his time and energy to the city’s steady and inclusive progress, including his service as an EPC (Environmental Planning Commission) committee member. He does not take sides, but instead focuses on what best serves residents and small business owners alike. Through these experiences, he has earned both my trust and deep respect, and for that reason, he has my full support as he runs for Mountain View City Council.
I have worked with Robert Cox on our respective local neighborhood issues and he has been a great resource for me regarding the Wagon Wheel Neighbourhood Association.
I’m glad to see that Robert is running for the Mountain View city Council. The expertise he has gained from serving on the Environmental Planning Commission and the Rental Housing Committee, as well as his in-depth knowledge of state development regulations and of the history of Mountain View make him a great candidate For City council.
Nicky Sherwood
I’ve long hoped Robert would run for City Council — and now, fortunately, he’s doing just that! I’ve observed, over several years, his commitment to Mountain View residents’ well-being, along with his keen understanding of how the city operates. His philosophy is one of fairness for all while the city grapples with several pressing issues often at odds with one another: housing, commercial development and environment concerns. He will make a fantastic council member and serve Mountain View well!