By Allen D. Payton

The incumbents facing re-election this year for San Ramon city council will run again and face opponents. Two other candidates have filed to run, one in each of the two council districts, in the November 3, 2026 Municipal Election.

In Council District 2 election incumbent Richard J. Adler faces Chirag Kathrani and in the race for Council District 4 incumbent and current Vice Mayor Marisol Rubio faces Jeffrey Joh.

District 2 Race

According to his bio on the City’s website, Adler has been a San Ramon resident since 1997. He worked for State Farm Insurance for 30 years primarily in the Auto Claims and Litigation unit.

Adler has been married to Melinda McDonald since 1981 and they have two sons, Matthew and Cameron who attended Neil Armstrong Elementary School, Pine Valley Middle School and Cal High.

He is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science in 1975 and earned a J.D. degree from Peninsula University College of Law, now Lincoln Law School in San Jose in 1985.

According to his LinkedIn profile, since May 2008 Adler has served as a volunteer teacher for Junior Achievement in San Jose.

His ballot designation is Appointed Incumbent and in Adler’s candidate statement he wrote, “My top priority is to ensure the public safety of our growing and diverse community.” He is “also committed to ensuring our residents have access to mental health resources and support services that promote the well-being of our community members, especially to our children who are exposed to negative social media influence.”

Adler’s other issue is “providing the city services that our residents expect by maintaining our 63 beautiful parks, trails, community centers, libraries, recreational centers, and art and cultural programs.”

His campaign Facebook page so far only has a photo of the councilman, the phone number he has listed has one too many digits and Adler’s campaign website, https://adlerforsanramon.com currently shows his logo and just the message, “Coming Soon.”  For more information email him at rickeagle@comcast.com.

Challenger Kathrani’s ballot designation is Founder / Entrepreneur. According to his candidate statement, Kathrani ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2024 in which he received 11,000 votes or 31%, and has since then, he founded and has written articles for OpGov.news, 57 as an author and two as a co-author, about city council and school board meetings and matters and also founded OpGov.ai, which links to the same website.

In the June primary election, he ran unsuccessfully as an independent for State Assembly in the 16th District, placing a distant third out of three candidates with 3.68% of the vote.

According to his LinkedIn profile, since January he has been a full-time Community Organizer for the State of California. A self-described serial entrepreneur, Kathrani has been the self-employed President of Mangalm LLC since Feb. 2022 which works “with brands to expand in (the) United States and Canada with complete visibility of their overseas operational activities from marketing, product availability and competitors’ strategy.” He has also been the CEO of Enterprise Mobility, Inc., a software Development and consulting company, in San Ramon since August 2013.

In 2021, Kathrani founded Lead For Earth, described as a non-profit dedicated to environmental sustainability and youth empowerment.

He earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computers from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 1997.

On his campaign website, Kathrani writes several slogans including, “It’s time for Change, Checks and Balances are fundamental part of American democracy, San Ramon Council needs Checks and Balances. Your voice shouldn’t be shut, period, and Community First – Dedicated to listening and acting on behalf of District 2.”

His “Platform Priorities – My commitment to the residents of District 2 include, Your Voice Value, Restore Open Space Protection, Traffic Mitigation, Revive Local Economy and Responsive Representation. His “Key Priorities – Focused solutions for the challenges that matter most to our community” are Energy Costs & AI Industry, Small Business Protection, Democracy & Transparency, Affordable Housing & Integration, Plastic Reduction, Public Transportation and Appeal Fee Reform.

District 4 Race

According to her bio on the City’s website, Rubio served as Director and Vice President of the Dublin San Ramon Services District prior to winning her election for San Ramon City Council District 4 on November 8, 2022. She is running for a second term after having run unsuccessfully for State Senate against Tim Grayson in 2024.

Rubio earned a B.A. degree from the U.C. Berkeley with a major in Molecular and Cell Biology, Neurobiology emphasis. She also has a certificate in Spanish and Trauma and Resilience Training and three Associate Degrees in German, French, and Italian.

She has a daughter who is attending college.

Rubio’s ballot designation is Councilwoman / In-Home Provider and her candidate statement says during her four years on the council she has served on 19 “regional, six city advisory, three council and three city foundation committees.” Rubio also points out she’s the only woman on the council and is a “trained scientist, former educator, and longtime environmental, disability, labor, small business and foster care advocate.” She also lists her accomplishments and ends with, “While much has been accomplished, work remains to ensure that San Ramon continues to be a safe, vibrant, and innovated model city with a strong economy.”

She includes her campaign website, www.marisolforsanramon.com, but it is not currently working but Rubio can be followed on her Facebook page.

Challenger Joh’s ballot designation is Technology Strategist. In his candidate statement the challenger writes, San Ramon has been his “home since childhood…and growing up here and attending local schools gave him a deep commitment to the community.”

He has worked in technology start-ups and while attending U.C. Berkeley, where he earned a B.A. degree in Molecular and Cell Biology in 2015, Joh served on the City of Berkeley Transportation Commission. According to his LinkedIn profile, he describes himself as, “Web3 hacker, investor, and community builder” and “Fixing science in my spare time.” His most recent job was as an Investment Manager with tokentus investment AG in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany from 2021-22.

He lists his priorities as, “First, balancing growth with preservation; Second, protecting local schools;. Third, making government fair and accessible; and Fourth, creating a connected community.”

Joh’s statement ends with “Jeffrey offers independent leadership free from special interest influence. With deep local roots and a global mindset, he will work every day to keep San Ramon vibrant and prosperous.”

On his campaign website Joh describes himself as “San Ramon-raised. Globally experienced. Community-First.” He offers, “Practical leadership for a thriving local economy, well-kept neighborhoods, and the everyday services that make San Ramon feel like home.”

Joh offers five priorities which he describes as “A practical local agenda for managed growth, strong families, responsive government, reliable infrastructure, and a civic life that brings neighbors together.” They are “Balancing Growth with Preservation, Investing in Youth & Families, Fair & Accessible Government, Infrastructure & Fiscal Discipline, and Culture & Local Vibrance”

For more information email Joh at sanramon@jeffreyjoh.com.

19-year-old runs to be “the youngest mayor in California history.”

By Allen D. Payton

The incumbent facing re-election this year for San Ramon mayor will run again for another two-year term and face two opponents in the November 3, 2026 Municipal Election. Mayor Mark H. Armstrong is being challenged by 19-year-old student Emma Chigbu and local non-profit organization leader and swim coach Paschalis Ntatsos.

Armstrong Again

According to his bio on the City’s website, Armstrong was initially appointed to the City Council following the 2020 election and elected to his second term in 2022, then elected Mayor in 2024. A California and San Francisco Bay Area native, he has been a resident of San Ramon since 2004.

Armstrong is a Retired Colonel, having served for 30 years as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer in a variety of Army, multi-service, and interagency command and staff assignments in the U.S., Europe, Middle East, Indo-Pacific and Caribbean.

He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Armstrong later worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IX based in Oakland in a variety of response and recovery senior leadership positions including as a Presidentially-appointed Federal Coordinating Officer Cadre.

He has received numerous military awards and decorations including the U.S. Army MacArthur Leadership Award and was also selected as the Military Emergency Manager of the Year by the International Association of Emergency Managers.

Locally, Armstrong has participated in numerous volunteer and speaking activities in San Ramon and the surrounding area. An Eagle Scout himself, he served as an adult leader and Assistant Scoutmaster as his sons progressed through Scouting to earn their Eagle Scout rank.

Armstrong and his wife Brenda have four children who are all graduates of California High School.

His priorities as a councilmember have included Public Safety, Protection (of) Neighborhoods and Open Space, Fiscal Responsibility and Quality of Life.

According to Armstrong’s Candidate Statement, he says, “I support policies that strengthen public safety, preserve our parks and open spaces, support local businesses, and ensure that new development is accompanied by appropriate infrastructure and city services.”

On his campaign website, he shares his platform writing, “As your mayor I will prioritize: Public Safety, Protecting our Neighborhoods and Preserving Open Spaces, Quality of Life (and) Fiscal Accountability.” Armstrong “supports ensuring our Police Department is fully funded, well-trained, and properly equipped” as well as “the city’s plan to focus new housing in the City Center and transit areas.” He is “committed to maintaining…63 parks, miles of trails, community centers, libraries, recreational facilities, and vibrant arts and cultural programs…and ensuring city programs, parks, and facilities continue to serve our growing and diverse community.” Finally, Armstrong says he is “committed to responsible budgeting, long-term planning, and protecting taxpayer dollars.”

Challenger Chigbu

According to her candidate filing documents, Chigbu’s ballot designation is “Student”, and she marked the box that reads, “I do not wish to file a Candidate Statement.” But on her campaign website, Chigbu shared some information about her background writing, “San Ramon has always been my home. When my parents first immigrated from Nigeria to California, they knew San Ramon would be the city that would give their children a strong quality of life. I’ve benefitted first-hand from our exceptional schools, beautiful parks and open spaces, and safe community.

“As a young professional still living in San Ramon, I have witnessed how young families are struggling to live in our beautiful city. City council is not representative of the younger residents of San Ramon. I feel it is my duty to give back to the city that made me who I am. Young families and professionals should have the same opportunities to live here that my family was blessed to have.”

Chigbu’s platform posted on her campaign’s Instagram account includes: preventing overdevelopment, fiscal stability, community engagement and wildfire prevention.

Another Instagram post reads, “Kind of chic to help elect California’s youngest mayor” and written on her website includes the message, “help elect the youngest mayor in California history.” Nowhere on her website or social media does it show Chigbu’s age, what she does for work or her educational information. However, according to fastpeoplesearch.com, she is 19 years old.

New Ntatsos

Paschalis Ntatsos lists his ballot designation as a Nonprofit Director / CEO and his Candidate Statement shows he moved to San Ramon in 2009. His platform includes a balanced budget, a connected community with “a responsible, accountable and transparent City Hall”, wellness for children and households, and smart, local economic growth and says, “We must keep San Ramon affordable, safe, and financially sound.”

On his campaign website Ntatsos says he “was born and raised in Greece” and offers more of why he’s running writing, “streamlining City Hall and cutting waste…balance a budget…fix our infrastructure, keep our streets safe, and protect the multicultural character.” His Five Priorities are listed as, Put Residents First, Smarter Budgets, Invest in Our Youth, Local Business & New Investment and Support for Our Seniors. His campaign slogan is “People over politics. Accountable to you.”

Ntatsos also shares, “I’m proud of what I’ve built in our sports community and in business.”

According to his LinkedIn profile, he is Founder and CEO of EliteSwim, DBA ElitSwim in San Ramon since 2013 and since Dec. 2022, Founder and Executive Director of ElitSwim Club a year-round competitive USA Swimming Club, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Ntatsos previously worked as an Age Group Swim Coach for San Ramon Valley Aquatics.

He also served in the Greek Navy, was a member of the Greek National team as a 23-year swimmer and has several honors and awards including: National Record Holder of Greece – 100m Free, 200m Free, Seniors (1996-1999); Gold Medalist in 200m Free, Silver 100m Free, Military World Championship, St. Petersburg, Russia (1995); National Swimmer of the Year, Greece (1996); Olympic Games Torch runner, (1996); and Open Water, Alcatraz Invitational Event, overall 7th place in 2009, and 4th place in 2011 out of 600+ swimmers.

Ntatsos’ education includes a B.A. in Physical Education and Sport Science (BSS) with a major in swimming from the University of Athens, Greece in 1999 and Certified by the American Swimming Coaches Association as a level 5 International Senior coach.

He has also completed three City programs including San Ramon Government 101, and Community / Police and Planning academies.

The election is Tuesday, November 3.