State Senate Candidate Forum in Sunnyvale

A state Senate forum in Sunnyvale sounds local and small-bore. But this one sits right in the middle of a real Bay Area power shuffle. California Senate District 10 is open in 2026, the primary is one month away, and voters in Sunnyvale are getting one of their clearer chances to see the field in one room before ballots decide who makes the top two. (livablesunnyvale.org) ### What is happening on May 6? Livable Sunnyvale is hosting a candidate forum for California State Senate District 10 on Wednesday, May 6, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at Sunnyvale Community Services, 1160 Kern Avenue. The group says its own board elections start earlier, at 6:15 PM, but the public-facing draw is the Senate forum itself. (livablesunnyvale.org)0 is not some abstract Sacramento map line. It includes Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, and also reaches across Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, Milpitas, and part of San Jose. So whoever wins will help shape state policy on housing, transit, public safety, schools, and local government issues that land directly in Sunnyvale. (sd10.s([livablesunnyvale.org)ha Wahab, is not defending the seat in this race. Ballotpedia lists Wahab as a withdrawn or disqualified candidate in the Senate contest, and also shows her running in the special election for California’s 14th Congressional District. That turns SD-10 from an incumbent race into a scramble. (ballotpedia.org) ### Who is running? The currently (sd10.senate.ca.gov)ity Councilmember David Cohen, West Valley-Mission Community College District trustee Anne Kepner, Fremont City Councilmember Raymond Liu, Milpitas Mayor Carmen Montano, local elected official Scott Sakakihara, and Republican candidate Linda Price. California uses a top-two primary, so party labels matter less than finishing first or second on June 2. (ballotpedia.org([ballotpedia.org)forum like this matter? Because this field is crowded. Six candidates in one primary means name recognition, geography, and coalition-building can matter almost as much as ideology. A Sunnyvale forum gives voters a cleaner comparison on style and priorities — especially in a district where candidates are coming from different cities and different kinds of local office. (livablesunnyvale.org)## What are voters likely listening for? Housing is the obvious one. Livable Sunnyvale has built its identity around affordability, sustainability, transportation, and equity, and its earlier candidate forums used that same issue frame. So even if the event is broader than a single-issue debate, the subtext is clear: candidates will likely be pressed on how they balance more housing, neighborhood concerns, transit, and local control. (livablesunnyvale.org) ### Is this the only forum? No — and that is another clue that the race is heating up. The League of Women Voters of Cupertino-Sunnyvale has also listed a District 10 candidate forum for May 19. When multiple civic groups start staging forums before a June primary, it usually means the contest is competitive enough that voters still need help sorting the field. (lwvcs.clubexpress.com)rs keep in mind? The calendar is tight. The primary is June 2, 2026, and only two candidates advance to November 3. So this isn’t a ceremonial stop. It is part of the short window where a local audience can still change who survives the first cut. (ballotpedia.org) ### Bottom line? This forum i(lwvcs.clubexpress.com)ight represent District 10 in Sacramento, May 6 is one of the first concrete chances to watch the contenders make the case side by side. (livablesunnyvale.org)