About
At his core, Gary Ferraris is a devoted husband, family man, and neighbor who understands that strong communities are built on trust, compassion, and service. His greatest priorities have always been his family and giving back to the community he proudly calls home. Those same values guide his approach to public service and his commitment to representing every resident with fairness, respect, and integrity.
Gary believes that leadership is not about titles—it's about showing up, being present, and earning the confidence of the people you serve. He values honesty, accountability, and treating every person with dignity, regardless of their background or point of view.
Experience
Timeline of Trust
City Employee
City of Santa Clara Employee
Began a lifetime of public service as a City of Santa Clara employee, learning how city government works from the ground up.
Union Leader
President, AFSCME Santa Clara Chapter
Elected by peers to lead the Santa Clara Chapter — negotiating contracts, managing budgets, and fighting for fairness.
Regional Advocacy
Delegate, South Bay Labor Council
Represented working men and women throughout the South Bay region, building coalitions and championing workers' rights.
Continuing Service
Union Representative, Council 57
Union Representative, Council 57
A Legacy of Public Service & Family Values
Issues & Solutions
The Ferraris Solution
Fiscal Accountability
Gary has managed budgets and public resources throughout his career. As Mayor, he will bring that experience to City Hall by demanding transparency, responsible spending, and accountability for how taxpayer dollars are used.
Every dollar should have a purpose. Gary will prioritize essential services, infrastructure, and investments that provide real value to our community, while questioning unnecessary spending and protecting the services residents depend on.
Fiscal responsibility also means making sure City resources reach the people who need them. Gary will work to expand access to affordable and free programs for seniors, children, families, and our most vulnerable residents—ensuring that Santa Clara remains a community where everyone has the opportunity to participate and thrive.
The Ferraris Solution
Ground-Up Investment
As a longtime City employee and former Public Works Supervisor, Gary understands that maintaining our infrastructure today is far less costly than rebuilding it tomorrow.
Santa Clara should not wait until aging facilities and infrastructure reach a crisis point. The closure of the International Swim Center and the need to ask voters to approve a nearly $400 million bond measure demonstrate what can happen when major infrastructure needs accumulate over time.
As Mayor, Gary will push for long-term infrastructure planning, preventative maintenance, and responsible investment in our streets, parks, public buildings, utilities, and community facilities. By identifying needs early and setting aside resources for repairs and replacement, we can reduce the likelihood of costly emergency projects and avoid placing another massive bond measure on Santa Clara taxpayers.
Take care of what we have today so residents aren't handed the bill tomorrow.
The Ferraris Solution
Independent, People-First Leadership
Gary believes Santa Clara's future should be decided by its residents—not political factions, powerful organizations, or whoever spends the most money in an election.
Gary has been clear that he does not support the outsized role of corporate money in our political system and believes the Citizens United decision has allowed far too much money to influence American elections. That principle doesn't change based on who the spending benefits.
Independent committees may support or oppose candidates, but they do not determine Gary's positions. His decisions as Mayor will be based on one standard:
What is in the best interest of the people of Santa Clara?
Gary believes everyone deserves a seat at the table. He will listen to residents, workers, businesses, community organizations, and differing viewpoints. But having a voice does not mean having control. As Mayor, Gary's decisions will be guided by the needs of Santa Clara and the people who call it home.
The Ferraris Solution
Proven Integrity. Restoring Trust.
Trust is the foundation of effective government. Residents should be able to trust that their Mayor and City Council are making decisions openly, responsibly, and in the best interests of Santa Clara—not based on political divisions or personal agendas.
That same trust must exist within City Hall. When the relationship between the City Council, City leadership, and employees breaks down, morale suffers. Experienced employees may leave, recruitment and retention become more difficult, and ultimately the quality and responsiveness of City services can suffer.
Gary understands that trust isn't something that comes with a title—it has to be earned. Throughout his career, he has been elected by his peers to positions of leadership and entrusted to represent others, manage responsibilities, and bring people together to solve difficult problems.
As Mayor, Gary will work to restore confidence in City Hall through transparency, accountability, respectful leadership, and open communication. He will listen to residents, value the professional expertise of City employees, and work with the entire City Council—even when there are disagreements—to find solutions that move Santa Clara forward.
Restoring trust means a City Council residents can believe in, a workforce that feels respected and valued, and a City government focused on delivering for the people of Santa Clara.
The Ferraris Solution
Housing With Opportunity & Dignity
Santa Clara should be a community where working families, seniors, young people, and longtime residents have a realistic opportunity to remain in the city they call home. Gary supports responsible housing development that includes a mix of market-rate housing along with meaningful opportunities for low- and very-low-income residents.
Gary believes we should avoid creating communities divided by income. Affordable housing should be thoughtfully integrated into new developments so residents of different incomes can share the same neighborhoods, amenities, and opportunities.
For residents experiencing homelessness, compassion must be matched with action. Gary supports expanding transitional and supportive housing, connecting people with available services, and working with the County and regional partners to address mental health, substance-use, employment, and other barriers that can prevent people from obtaining stable housing.
At the same time, our parks, streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces must remain safe, clean, and accessible for everyone.
Housing policy should provide opportunity, preserve dignity, and help people move toward stability—not simply move
The Ferraris Solution
Moving Santa Clara Forward
Traffic congestion affects our quality of life, our neighborhoods, and the time residents spend getting to work, school, and home. As Santa Clara continues to grow, our transportation infrastructure must grow and improve with it.
Gary supports a balanced approach that recognizes the automobile will remain an important part of how many residents get around while expanding safe, practical alternatives. That means improving traffic flow and signal coordination, maintaining our streets, making walking and bicycling safer, and improving connections to reliable public transportation.
New development must also account for its impact on surrounding streets and neighborhoods. Gary will advocate for transportation improvements to be planned alongside growth—not years after congestion has already become a problem.
As a former Public Works Supervisor, Gary understands that transportation isn't just about major projects. Well-maintained streets, functioning signals, safe intersections, sidewalks, bike routes, and thoughtful neighborhood traffic management all contribute to a transportation system that works.
Santa Clara can't eliminate traffic, but we can plan smarter, improve how people move through our city, and make sure our transportation investments keep pace with our future.
The Ferraris Solution
A Sustainable Santa Clara
Environmental responsibility and economic responsibility can—and should—work together. Gary believes Santa Clara can protect our natural resources and invest in a sustainable future while maintaining the reliable, affordable services residents and businesses depend on.
Our City-owned utility, Silicon Valley Power, gives Santa Clara a unique opportunity to lead. Gary supports continued investment in clean energy, expanded electric-vehicle infrastructure, and responsible long-term energy planning—while maintaining the reliable power and competitive rates that are a major benefit to our residents and local economy.
Environmental stewardship also means protecting the natural resources right here in our community. Gary will support efforts to protect and restore our local streams and creeks, prevent trash and pollutants from entering our stormwater system and waterways, and protect the water that ultimately flows into San Francisco Bay.
Gary will also support water conservation, protecting our urban tree canopy and open spaces, reducing waste, improving the energy efficiency of City facilities, and incorporating sustainable practices into infrastructure and development decisions.
We have a responsibility to be good stewards of the community we've inherited and to leave it better for the generations that follow.
A sustainable Santa Clara means clean energy, clean water, healthy neighborhoods, and responsible stewardship of the resources that belong to all of us.
The Ferraris Solution
A Santa Clara That Works for Everyone
A strong city does more than maintain streets and provide essential services—it creates opportunities for residents of every age and income to participate in their community.
Gary believes Santa Clara should expand access to low- and no-cost programs, services, and amenities for seniors, children, families, and residents facing financial or other challenges. Cost should not be the reason a child cannot participate in a recreation program, a senior feels isolated from their community, or a family cannot take advantage of the services their city provides.
Gary will look for opportunities to expand affordable recreation, senior programs, youth activities, community events, and other City services while making sure residents know what resources are available and can easily access them.
This is also where responsible budgeting matters. Gary believes taxpayer dollars should produce meaningful benefits for the people who live here, and investing in programs that keep seniors connected, give children opportunities, strengthen families, and support residents in need is an investment in the entire community.
Santa Clara should be a city where everyone has the opportunity to participate, connect, and belong—regardless of age or income.
The Ferraris Solution
Safe Neighborhoods. Strong Community.
Every Santa Clara resident deserves to feel safe in their home, neighborhood, parks, schools, and throughout our community. Public safety is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of local government.
Gary will prioritize strong, well-staffed Police and Fire Departments and ensure our first responders have the training, equipment, resources, and support they need. Santa Clara residents currently benefit from strong emergency response, with Police averaging under three minutes for the highest-priority emergency calls in 2025.
Maintaining strong Fire Department response times is equally important. As Santa Clara grows and demands on emergency services increase, Gary will work to ensure our Fire Department has the staffing, stations, equipment, and resources necessary to maintain timely emergency response throughout every part of our city.
Recruiting and retaining experienced public safety professionals and maintaining adequate staffing levels will be essential to protecting the level of service Santa Clara residents expect and deserve.
But public safety is about more than responding after something happens. Gary supports investing in prevention, emergency preparedness, safe streets and intersections, well-maintained public spaces, and partnerships that help address problems before they become emergencies.
Gary also believes effective public safety depends on trust. Our police officers, firefighters, City employees, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and community organizations must be able to communicate and work together.
Santa Clara has long provided a high level of public safety. Gary's commitment is to protect it, invest in it, and make sure it keeps pace with the needs of our growing community.
The Ferraris Solution
Making the Stadium Work for Santa Clara
Levi's Stadium is an important part of Santa Clara and one of our city's most visible assets. It brings world-class sporting and entertainment events, visitors, and economic activity to our community. Gary believes the stadium belongs in Santa Clara and that we should build a relationship that allows both the stadium and our city to succeed.
The City's relationship with the 49ers has been marked by years of disagreement and litigation. Gary believes we can protect Santa Clara's interests without allowing conflict to define that relationship. As Mayor, Gary will protect the interests of Santa Clara and its residents while working to build a professional, accountable, and productive partnership with the 49ers.
Major stadium events should benefit more than the stadium itself. Gary wants Santa Clara businesses, hotels, restaurants, workers, and residents to share in the opportunities and economic activity created when tens of thousands of visitors come to our city.
At the same time, we must recognize and address the impacts on surrounding neighborhoods, including traffic, noise, public safety, and quality of life.
Gary believes leadership means being willing to sit across the table, listen, find common ground, protect the City's interests, and stand firm when necessary.
Levi's Stadium belongs in Santa Clara. With accountability, cooperation, and strong leadership, it can continue to be an asset that benefits our entire community.
Agenda
09:30
03 Jul
Event Name
Events and news coming soon!