Campbell Leadership Breaks New Ground

Campbell’s reputation as a sleepy town once known for prunes and Western wear shops—and more recently for its Oktoberfest and Mardi Gras parties—might need an update, as it can now be argued that it has become one of the Bay Area’s hot spots for progressive politics. Earlier this month, Evan Low, 29, was reinstalled as mayor of Campbell after holding the position in 2010. The first openly gay, Asian-American politician in the country at the time, Low has continued to serve on the City Council and is considered a Democratic Party up-and-comer, with plans to run for State Assemblyman Paul Fong’s seat in 2014. At the swearing-in ceremony held earlier this month, which was attended by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and county Supervisor Ken Yeager, another pol to be sworn in was Vice Mayor Rich Waterman, who thanked his partner in brief comments. Altogether, it’s a notable achievement considering the two men and City Manager Amy Brown, who was hired earlier this year, make up an almost unheard of passel of openly LGBT officials. Readers may remember that just a couple months ago a woman at the city’s annual beerfest accosted Low for his sexual orientation. Thankfully, perpetual gadfly Lisa Knox-Smith—no relation to Fly—wasn’t around to rain on this parade. Word is she was recently arrested on charges unrelated to her run-in with Low.

The Fly is the valley’s longest running political column, written by Metro Silicon Valley staff, to provide a behind-the-scenes look at local politics. Fly accepts anonymous tips.

One Comment

  1. No one cares about sexual orientation.

    Are there any people living along Los Gatos Creek?  Are there any people panhandling along Bascom, Hamilton, Winchester or in the downtown area?

    Campbell is a better place to live than San Jose, because they know how to take care of the quality of life issues that people care about.

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