Cupertino Mayor Blocks Ally's Advancement
Cupertino's new mayor, Kitty Moore, recently blocked a City Council ally from becoming vice mayor. The move has highlighted deep political divisions within the city's local government. The decision reportedly pitted members of the same political faction against one another during the council meeting.
- The council member passed over for vice mayor was R "Ray" Wang, who was considered a leading candidate for the position. Instead, the council appointed Liang Chao as vice mayor. - The public dispute began at a December 2, 2025, council meeting when Wang, attending remotely from Las Vegas, objected to a vote on an affordable housing project and then disconnected, forcing the meeting to end. - Wang later apologized, stating in a letter that he intended to leave in protest but his laptop battery died before he could clarify he wasn't trying to end the meeting for everyone. Mayor Moore questioned his reasoning during the subsequent meeting where the vice mayor was selected. - Mayor Kitty Moore, R "Ray" Wang, and the appointed Vice Mayor Liang Chao are all part of a council majority that favors slower growth in the city, making Moore's opposition to Wang's appointment unusual. - The political landscape in Cupertino is sharply divided over development issues, with a pro-development faction often in a 3-2 minority against the slow-growth members. - Public sentiment at the December 11, 2025, meeting was nearly evenly split, with 25 people supporting Wang for vice mayor and 27 opposing his appointment. - In her statement, Mayor Moore expressed concerns about potential "surprises" as her reason for choosing Chao over Wang, alluding to the incident where he abruptly ended the prior meeting. - Cupertino's City Council selects the mayor and vice mayor from within its five members annually, with the positions typically rotating.
