Union City Councilmember, Housing Leader, Navy Reserve Officer, Attorney, and Father of Three Running to Build a California With Opportunity for All, Where Nobody is Left Behind

Union City, CA – Today, Democrat Scott Sakakihara, a Union City Councilmember and former Vice Mayor, regional housing leader, US Navy Reserve officer, attorney, husband, and father of three announced his candidacy for California State Senate District 10. District 10 contains the cities and communities of Fremont, Fairview, Hayward, Newark, Union City, Milpitas, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale, portions of the City of San Jose, and the communities of Alum Rock and East Foothills. Current State Senator Aisha Wahab has opened a campaign committee to run for Congress.

“In the Navy, we live by a commitment to leave no one behind,” said Scott Sakakihara. “I believe we as a society should live by these same words–especially today. In the State Senate, I’ll fight to make everyday life in California more affordable and easier, strengthen our social safety net, and build a safe, vibrant, and sustainable future for our kids.”

“I feel a strong sense of duty—to my family, community, and state,” continued Sakakihara. “Because we can’t sit back when there are people living without shelter, neighbors who can’t pay for groceries, can’t make rent, can’t afford to buy a home. When there are people who can’t sleep at night because they don’t know if they can give their kids a better life than they had. California can do better.”

Hard work and public service are in Scott Sakakihara’s DNA. Scott comes from a family of farm and produce workers and engineers. All four of his grandparents were sent to Japanese American internment camps in California during World War II. His grandfather served in the US military.

Sakakihara grew up in Union City and first met his wife Melinda in elementary school. He graduated from UC San Diego in two years, and then earned a JD at Harvard Law. Then came internships and fellowships with Congressmembers Pete Stark and Mazie Hirono, and ultimately in the Obama White House during the height of the administration’s fight to pass the Affordable Care Act.

Scott serves in an intelligence role with the US Navy Reserve. He led an intelligence team supporting special operations for eight months in the Middle East in 2021. He also managed multiple departments in a naval warfare analysis unit.

Scott is currently a Union City Councilmember and recently served as his city’s Vice Mayor. At City Hall, he has been a leader in the fight to house everyone—streamlining regulations to make it easier to build new housing, helping secure funding for homelessness services, and working to obtain financial assistance for renters. He also serves as Vice Chair of the board of the Housing Authority of Alameda County, where he works on regional solutions to our housing challenges.

Scott and his wife Melinda, a public school teacher, have three young children. Their two oldest attend the same public elementary school where Scott and Melinda first met as kids.

The primary election for State Senate is on June 2, 2026. The top two candidates, regardless of party, will advance to the general election in November 2026.

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