Youngest Openly Gay Asian American Mayor in Nation Elected in Campbell

Campbell Mayor Evan Low photo by Keith Kamisugi

CAMPBELL (Bay City News Service) — Campbell Vice Mayor Evan Low made history on Dec. 1 by becoming the country’s youngest openly gay mayor.

Chosen by his fellow council members to fill the mayoral seat, Low, 26, is also the country’s youngest Asian American mayor, he said. He replaces current Mayor Jane Kennedy.

Low said that although he is proud of those milestones, his aim is to be representative of the entire Campbell community.

“I hope that this will provide an opportunity for other people to get involved who traditionally might not see politics as something that might be exciting or something that might not interest them,” Low said.

Low said that as mayor he hopes to provide the same quality of life that residents are used to and find ways to use the public dollar more effectively.

He said he would also focus on bringing business and emerging sectors into the city to increase revenue and capitalize on green and new technology to reduce the city’s carbon footprint.

“It’s a really challenging time to be in government at this particular point in time, given economic strains,” Low said. “Oftentimes we find ourselves doing more with less.”

The biggest challenge he is expecting to face is a $1 million to $2 million budget shortfall.

“We have to find a way to weather the storm but be innovative as well, to look for additional revenue and do so without raising additional taxes,” Low said.

Low was elected to the City Council in 2006 after settling in the city in 2003. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science at San Jose State University and graduated from the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.