Raj Salwan

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Raj Salwan
Raj Salwan.jpg
Official portrait
Mayor of Fremont, California
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 10, 2024

Raj Salwan is an American politician serving as mayor of Fremont, California. He was elected mayor in November 2024 and assumed office in December 2024, becoming the first Indian American mayor of Fremont.

Life and career

Salwan was born in a village near Amritsar, India, immigrating to the United States at age six. [2] He grew up in Fremont, [3] where he attended Vallejo Mill Elementary School and Washington High School [4] [5] during the 1980s. [2] He studied biological sciences at UC Irvine and earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University. [4] Following his college graduation, then mayor of Fremont Bob Wasserman encouraged Salwan to join the Human Relations Commission. [5] He filled the role in 2005. [3] Salwan later served as Fremont's planning commissioner. [6] In 2014, Salwan ran for Fremont City Council but lost to Lily Mei and Rick Jones. [7] In the subsequent 2016 election, Salwan campaigned again and secured his seat along with Vinnie Bacon. [8] In city council, Salwan reduced traffic congestion by 33% and organized a committee to allocate more land for school construction. [9] He was appointed Vice Mayor in 2018 [5] and ran again for City Council in District 5 in 2020, beating Dolev Gandler. [10]

After former mayor Lily Mei termed out, Salwan campaigned to become mayor in 2024 against candidates Vinnie Bacon, Rohan Marfatia, and Hui Ng. [11] During the 2024–25 mayoral campaign, both candidates, Salwan and Bacon, faced criticism from their opponents. News outlets reported on various accusations and responses exchanged during the race. Salwan denied wrongdoing in response to campaign allegations, and emphasized the need to focus on issues rather than personal attacks. Bacon admitted that he missed many meetings due to work, and faced many campaign violations from the FPPC. [12] [13]

On November 5, 2024, Salwan won the election and subsequently assumed office on December 10, 2024. [3] [6] He became the first Indian American mayor of Fremont. [3] :In February 2025, Salwan voted in favor of a Fremont city ordinance designed to address large, fire-prone encampments in public rights-of-way. The original draft by the city attorney included a clause prohibiting “aiding or abetting” the establishment of encampments, which drew criticism from homelessness outreach groups. Salwan stated that the measure was not intended to target service providers, but to improve public safety while continuing outreach and shelter access. In March 2025, following community feedback, the city council unanimously voted to remove the contested clause. [14] [15] [16]

References

  1. ↑ "Raj Salwan". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Garofoli, Joe (December 20, 2024). "As Democrats rip Elon Musk, this Bay Area mayor wants to stay neutral". San Francisco Chronicle.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Nam, Sooji (December 20, 2024). "Fremont's first Indian-American mayor has big plans for East Bay city - CBS San Francisco". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Mayor & City Council". City of Fremont, CA Official Website. Archived from the original on March 4, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Raj Salwan, Indian American voice of Fremont, appointed as Vice Mayor". The Times of India. December 7, 2018. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Matemba-Mutasa, Panashe (November 12, 2024). "Fremont's next chapter". Tri City Voice. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  7. ↑ "November 4, 2014 General Election Summary Report Results" (PDF). Official Election Site of Alameda County. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 25, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  8. ↑ "November 8, 2016 General Election Summary Report Results" (PDF). Official Election Site of Alameda County. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Raj Salwan: Candidate for Fremont City Council, District 5 | FSJC". The Smoke Signal. October 21, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Alameda County Election Results". alamedacountyca.gov. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Specter of scandals, calls for change hang over competitive Fremont mayor's race". The Mercury News. August 25, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  12. ↑ San Jose Mercury News, “Fremont Voters Deserve Policy Debate, Not Personal Attacks,” Editorial Board, Feb. 2025.
  13. ↑ Fremont Argus, “Candidates Clash on Records and Vision in Fremont Mayoral Race,” Jan. 2025.
  14. ↑ Rancaño, Vanessa (February 12, 2025). "This Bay Area City Just Passed the Most Extreme Encampment Ban in California | KQED". www.kqed.org. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  15. ↑ Fang, Tim (February 12, 2025). "Fremont council approves strict ordinance targeting homeless encampments - CBS San Francisco". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  16. ↑ Procter, Richard (March 5, 2025). "Bay Area city backs down after proposing ban on 'aiding and abetting' homeless encampments". CalMatters. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Fremont, California
2024–present		Incumbent
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