Raj Salwan
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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.
Raj Salwan | |
|---|---|
| |
| Mayor of Fremont, California | |
| Assumed office December 10, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Lily Mei |
| Fremont City Council | |
| In office 2016–2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic[1] |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of California, Irvine Tuskegee University |
Life and career
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Perspective
Salwan was born in India and grew up in Fremont.[2] He attended Vallejo Mill Elementary School and Washington High School.[3][4] He studied biological sciences at UC Irvine and earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University.[3] Following his college graduation, then mayor of Fremont Bob Wasserman encouraged Salwan to join the Human Relations Commission.[4] He filled the role in 2005.[2] Salwan later served as Fremont's planning commissioner.[5] In 2014, Salwan ran for Fremont City Council but lost to Lily Mei and Rick Jones.[6] In the subsequent 2016 election, Salwan campaigned again and secured his seat along with Vinnie Bacon.[7] In city council, Salwan reduced traffic congestion by 33% and organized a committee to allocate more land for school construction.[8] He was appointed Vice Mayor in 2018[4] and ran again for City Council in District 5 in 2020, beating Dolev Gandler.[9]
After former mayor Lily Mei termed out, Salwan campaigned to become mayor in 2024 against candidates Vinnie Bacon, Rohan Marfatia, and Hui Ng.[10] During the campaign, Salwan and Bacon publicly attacked each other's weaknesses. Bacon published his criticisms on his website "The Truth About Raj" and expressed concerns that Salwan could potentially help his real estate business through his mayoral position. Salwan, in turn, rebuked Bacon's poor board meeting attendance and failure to file fundraising disclosures on time. An investigation by NBC Bay Area showed Salwan had multiple lawsuits alleging poor conditions in his rental properties, citations against his veterinary practice, and attempts from his Yelp business account to evade bad reviews.[11]
On November 5, 2024, Salwan won the election and subsequently assumed office on December 10, 2024.[2][5] He became the first Indian American mayor of Fremont.[2] On February 11, 2025, Salwan voted to pass an anti-homeless ordinance prohibiting "aiding" or "abetting" encampments.[12] The broad language sparked concern from local homeless outreach organizations like Adobe Services and Where Do We Go.[13] Salwan said the ordinance was not intended to target outreach workers, but to strike a balance between compassion and safety concerns.[14] In March, the city council voted to remove the clause.[15]
References
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