State Senate District 10 Candidate Forum

California’s State Senate District 10 race is moving into the part voters actually care about — the part where candidates have to answer questions in public, not just post slogans online. On Tuesday, May 6, Livable Sunnyvale is hosting a forum for the District 10 candidates in Sunnyvale, with both an in-person audience and a Zoom option. That matters because this is an open-seat race, and open seats are where local forums can really shape who breaks through. (livablesunnyvale.org) ### What is this forum, exactly? It’s a community candidate forum for California State Senate District 10, hosted by Livable Sunnyvale. The group says voters will hear directly from the candidates about their vision and priorities. The event is set for May 6, 2026, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Sunnyvale Community Services, 1160 Kern Avenue in Sunnyvale, with a Zoom link posted for remote participation. (livablesunnyvale.org) ### Why does the timing matter? Because the primary is close. California’s statewide primary is on June 2, 2026, so this forum lands less than a month before ballots are due. In a top-two system, that window is huge — candidates are trying to make the November runoff, not just win a party nomination. Even if only Democrats dominate the field, the two highest vote-getters move on. (ballotpedia.org) ### Why is District 10 suddenly competitive? Because the seat is effectively open. District 10 is currently represented by Aisha Wahab, but she is running for Congress in District 14 instead of seeking another Senate term. That changes the race from “do you keep the incumbent” to “who gets to define the district next,” which is a much more fluid contest. (ballotped([ballotpedia.org)# Who’s actually running? The field is crowded enough that voter forums matter more than usual. Public campaign and election listings show candidates including David Cohen, Carmen Montano, Scott Sakakihara, Anne Kepner, and Linda Price in the June 2 primary. Cohen is a San Jose City Council member. Montano is the mayor of Milpitas. Sakakihara is a local councilmember and former vice mayor. (ballotpedia.org) ### What area does District 10 cover? This is a big, mixed district — not just one city with one set of priorities. Campaign materials and district listings describe District 10 as covering places including Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, Milpitas, and part of San Jose. So the candidates have to talk to very different blocs at once — re(ballotpedia.org) (electscott.com) ### Why would a Sunnyvale forum matter districtwide? Because Sunnyvale sits right in the middle of the issues that define this district. Housing pressure, transportation bottlenecks, neighborhood growth fights, and quality-of-life questions all show up here in a concentrated way. A local forum can work like a stress test — if a candidate can’t answer clearly in Sunnyvale, they’ll probably st(electscott.com) last point is an inference, but it fits the district map and the kind of communities in it. (electscott.com) ### Is this only for people who can show up in person? No. Livable Sunnyvale posted both a Zoom link and a Wordly translation link, which broadens access beyond whoever can physically get to Kern Avenue on a weeknight. That’s a small detail, but it matters in a district this spread out. Forums are more useful when voters from different cities can actually watch them. (livablesunnyvale.org)ifornia-state-senate-district-10-candidate-forum/)) ### Will there be more chances to compare candidates? Yes. The League of Women Voters of Cupertino-Sunnyvale also has a District 10 candidate forum on its calendar for May 19 at 6:00 p.m. So May is shaping up as the month when voters can see these contenders side by side before the June primary. (lwvcs.clubexpress.co([livablesunnyvale.org)onger abstract. District 10 voters now have a concrete date, place, and livestream to start judging who wants the seat and who can actually handle the job. (livablesunnyvale.org)