Council member Ed Lauing has filed paperwork indicating his intent to seek a second term on the Palo Alto City Council.
This makes him the first sitting member to take a step toward the November 2026 ballot in a three-seat race with major implications for housing policy.
Lauing signed the Fair Political Practices Commission filings on June 22, and the city clerk's office received them on July 1, according to campaign records reported by Palo Alto Online. He is the third candidate overall to file, joining Planning Commission Chair Bryna Chang and Parks Commissioner Yudy Deng, but the first incumbent.
In a text message to Palo Alto Online, Lauing said the filings were not a formal candidacy announcement and that the paperwork was required by the FPPC in advance of any campaign. The documents nonetheless indicate his intention to run.
Three seats, one guaranteed turnover
The November election will fill seats held by Lauing, Mayor Vicki Veenker and Council member Julie Lythcott-Haims. Lythcott-Haims announced in May 2026 that they will not seek reelection. Veenker has not said publicly whether she will seek another term.
The formal candidate filing period opens Monday, July 13, with a deadline of Friday, August 7.
His record on housing
Lauing, first elected in 2022 after an unsuccessful 2020 bid, has positioned himself as a pragmatic voice on the council's most contentious issue: housing density.
As mayor in 2025, he formed an ad hoc committee with Vice Mayor Greer Stone to negotiate with developer Redco over the 17-story Mollie Stone's apartment proposal on California Avenue. The talks produced a 14-story compromise the council approved 4-2 on May 18, 2026.
"But last year as mayor, I thought, let's just sit down and have a conversation with the applicant and the owner and see if we can build what I call a 'better project,' which is obviously what we did," Lauing said at that May meeting.
On Senate Bill 79, the state law allowing denser housing near Caltrain stations that took effect July 1, Lauing initially opposed pulling an urgency ordinance that would have limited the law's impact. He ultimately voted with his colleagues at the June 15 meeting to let SB 79 operate at full force for a two-week window before local exemptions kicked in July 16. As of July 8, at least five housing applications had been filed under SB 79 targeting downtown, California Avenue and College Terrace, according to Palo Alto Online.
Beyond housing
Lauing has also been vocal on public safety technology. At a June 2026 council meeting, he said Flock Safety "fell asleep at the switch" after the company's automated license plate readers were accessed by hundreds of out-of-state agencies in violation of local restrictions.
Before joining the council, Lauing chaired the Parks and Recreation Commission for three years, helping develop a master plan, and served on the Planning and Transportation Commission starting in 2017. He also co-chaired the working group that assembled the city's housing element.
Residents interested in running for one of the three open council seats can file at the city clerk's office starting Monday, July 13, through Friday, August 7.
