Santa Clara County’s first open assessor’s race in more than three decades saw Los Altos Vice Mayor Neysa Fligor leading after the first returns on Tuesday night. Four candidates are vying to fill the seat vacated by longtime Assessor Larry Stone.

The special election was triggered by Stone’s decision to step down from the role in July, ahead of the expiration of his term in December 2026. The 84-year-old Stone was first elected as assessor in 1994, making him the longest-serving elected official in the county.

The assessor oversees an $8 billion public enterprise that assesses the value of more than 500,000 properties in Santa Clara County.

As of just after 8 p.m., Fligor led with 40% of the vote. Former Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar trailed behind her with 24%, followed closely by Saratoga Councilmember Yan Zhao with nearly 21%, and East Side Union High School District Trustee Bryan Do with 15%.

If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, the two leading candidates will compete in a runoff election scheduled for December.

Greg Monteverde, who previously served as assistant assessor, is currently acting as the interim assessor.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/04/los-altos-vice-mayor-neysa-fligor-leads-in-santa-clara-county-assessors-race/