I’m grateful for the following endorsements. If I may add your name, or if you would like to ask me questions to inform your decision, please let me know: 925.338.1562 (cell) or kenji@kenjiforconcord.com.
Organizations
- Our Revolution Contra Costa
- Diablo Valley Democratic Club
- San Ramon Valley Democratic Club
- East Bay Times editorial board
- Mt Diablo Education Association
Officials
- John Mercurio, Concord Planning Commissioner
- “I have served on several boards, commissions and committees in Concord over the last 26 years, and a precious few of those I have served with have had the knowledge and commitment that Kenji Yamada has shown. Kenji has been intensely involved in issues directly affecting Concord and its residents for more than four years, and he has done so because he is passionate about improving the quality of life for the people of Concord. He studies the issues, advocates intelligently for his position and makes an effort to connect with people to discuss their concerns. Listening and being willing to modify his position are traits that will serve us well. In his years of civic involvement, he has networked extensively and has built up local and regional connections that will make him a great Concord City Councilmember.”
Individuals
- Adam Dubinsky, Concord District 3 resident
- Andrea Rios, Concord District 3 resident
- Azucena Virgen, Concord District 3 resident
- Betty Gabaldón, Concord District 3 resident
- Brian Deckman, Concord District 3 resident
- Cedric Cheng, Concord District 3 resident
- David Pintado, Concord District 3 resident
- Dirke Lyman, Concord District 3 resident
- Dorothy Rich, Concord District 3 resident
- Eric Eggleston, Concord District 3 resident
- Jose Leal, Concord District 3 resident
- Lorena Cruz, Concord District 3 resident
- Manuel C. Martinez, Concord District 3 resident
- Mark Purzycki, Concord District 3 resident
- Matthew Hougey, Concord District 3 resident
- “I am a life long resident of Concord, current resident of district 3 and a union worker. My first interaction with Kenji was a long back and forth over email where I interrogated him over a number of issues ranging from national politics to local business developments. Kenji responded indepth with a thoughtfulness and perspective that actually opened my eyes in some instances to perspectives I hadn’t even considered, striking me as someone who tries to look at an issue from as many perspectives as possible before determining a course of action.
I want a representative that isn’t running because they think they know what’s best for our community, but is running because the care enough about our community to take the time to listen and understand what issues are important to us and will make that their agenda. Having met with Kenji and gone with him while he spoke to and listened to several of my neighbors I couldn’t be more certain that he would be my ideal representative for my district on the city council.
I would encourage all district 3 residents to lean more about Kenji and what an opportunity we have right now to elect a representative like him to our city council. We deserve a representative that will listen and seek solutions that have Concord at large and specifically district 3 residents, workers and small business owners as the first priority.”
- “I am a life long resident of Concord, current resident of district 3 and a union worker. My first interaction with Kenji was a long back and forth over email where I interrogated him over a number of issues ranging from national politics to local business developments. Kenji responded indepth with a thoughtfulness and perspective that actually opened my eyes in some instances to perspectives I hadn’t even considered, striking me as someone who tries to look at an issue from as many perspectives as possible before determining a course of action.
- Robyn Kuslits, Concord District 3 resident
- Scott Rich, Concord District 3 resident
- Suzanne Stahl, Concord District 3 resident
- Teresa Green, Concord District 3 resident
- Wayne Calhoon, Concord District 3 resident
- “I have been following Kenji Yamada’s posts and replies on Facebook since last year. I have been impressed with his pragmatic, yet minimalist comments. Since becoming aware of his bid for a city council candidacy, I have been paying close attention to his actions and words. Kenji is a man of his word, and he takes swift action. He does careful research and does not mince words in his analysis and report of a situation.
I was surprised and humbled that Kenji sought me out to show him around the Cambridge Park and Four Corners neighborhoods of Concord and introduce him to my many neighbors who are without homes and share their issues with him. He is not afraid to get down in the trenches and get his hands dirty. I have been on the planning team for the ‘Refuge’ winter warming shelter on Meadow Lane at Parkhaven Community Church, I have been a volunteer there since December 15, 2017, and I did some guerilla recruiting of volunteers. As I was about to ask Kenji to volunteer, he beat me to the punch, offered his time, and has been a perfect fit.
Kenji is kind, thoughtful, smart, and capable. It is without hesitation that I endorse Kenji Yamada for Concord City Council, 2018.”
- “I have been following Kenji Yamada’s posts and replies on Facebook since last year. I have been impressed with his pragmatic, yet minimalist comments. Since becoming aware of his bid for a city council candidacy, I have been paying close attention to his actions and words. Kenji is a man of his word, and he takes swift action. He does careful research and does not mince words in his analysis and report of a situation.
- Aaron McHugh, Concord resident
- Aasim Yahya, Concord resident
- Alex Jair Chávez, Concord resident
- Amy Ma, Concord resident
- Ana Villalobos, Concord resident
- Andrew Williams, Concord resident
- Arti Kirch, Concord resident
- Aubree Pastore, Concord resident
- Bob Lively, Concord resident
- Brenda Holmes, Concord resident
- Brian Vandemark, Concord resident
- “Kenji is a perfect candidate for Concord City Council. He is genuinely interested in all people. He has shown graceful and wise leadership working with Bike Concord. He works well with others in an environment of distributed leadership. He questions the status quo, rather than simply accepting positions that don’t make sense. He makes helpful suggestions with an open mind to other perspectives. He listens to people. He is able to objectively consider many positions simultaneously, a talent we need in city leadership. He has positive vision of the future potential for our city. Our city is uniquely complex and diverse with many people from all walks of life, a mix of urban and suburban neighborhoods, and big changes on the horizon with the upcoming CNWS development. We need more people like Kenji on our City Council to see all of us through these changes. For these reasons I am confident that Kenji is a perfect candidate for the Concord City Council.”
- Caren Johnson, Concord resident
- Casilda Gonzales, Concord resident
- Chris Cole, Concord resident and small business owner
- Cindy Siegel, Concord resident
- Claire Linder, Concord resident
- Cora Bohacek Mitchell, Concord resident
- Dave Hughes, Concord resident
- “As a busy homeowner and commuter, I have very little time to be engaged civically. I take tremendous comfort knowing there are people in our community like Kenji who understand how local services and management are structured and dedicate a considerable amount of their time making sure people and problems aren’t overlooked. Whether it be the City’s approach to homelessness or a menancing traffic light flaw on Monument Blvd, I can count on Kenji to recognize who in local government has dropped the ball, and often to be the guy to pick it up and put in back in play. In a true democracy, we would have more concerned and engaged residents like Kenji in office, not more groomed seat-warmers paid for by the same old local money. I implore the residents of District 3 to not only vote for Kenji Yamada for City Council, but to reach out to him directly now, as your neighbor, and tell him what you think the City needs to focus on.”
- Dave Kamlin, Concord resident
- David Schomaker, Concord resident
- Della Acosta, Concord resident
- Derrick McCray and Hourig Ayanyan McCray, Concord residents
- “We support Kenji for the City Council candidacy because we believe he would be a great addition and a champion for progress in our City. He has shown over and over again his commitment to working with many grassroots organizations within our city as an advocate and a supporter for the needs of the community.
He is a candidate with integrity who is committed to run an honest campaign that focuses on the important issues that we are all currently facing. He believes that elections shouldn’t be bought by large sums of donations from interest groups in order to run and win an election. Instead he is running a campaign by the people for the people.”
- “We support Kenji for the City Council candidacy because we believe he would be a great addition and a champion for progress in our City. He has shown over and over again his commitment to working with many grassroots organizations within our city as an advocate and a supporter for the needs of the community.
- Donna DeRosa, Concord resident
- Eizo Kobayashi, Concord resident
- Emily Gaines, Concord resident
- Ford Tivakul, Concord resident
- Gidget Perreira, Concord resident
- Greg Colley, Concord resident
- Jaime Ballesteros, Concord resident
- James Cordray, Concord resident
- Janelle Huerta, Concord resident
- Jeanette Marshall Newmiller, Concord resident
- John Elrod, Concord resident
- Jonathan Espalin, Concord resident
- Jordan Pearce, Concord resident
- Kat Hannah, Concord resident
- Katherine Luttjohann, Concord resident
- Kathleen Greene, Concord resident
- “Kenji has such a big heart. But he’s not a politician, he’s a citizen – there’s a difference! He sees a need and wants to fix it, for himself and his neighbors, because it’s the right thing to do.”
- Ken Moore, Concord resident
- Laura Nakamura, Concord resident
- Lisa Fulmer, Concord resident
- Luke Casey, Concord resident
- Mark Antonio Taglione, Concord resident
- Marshall Lewis, Concord resident
- Martin Meyer, Concord resident
- Mary Kobayashi, Concord resident
- Maryam Roberts, Concord resident
- May Patel-Yahya, Concord resident
- Micah Pearce, Concord resident
- “As a lifetime Concordian, I’ve never met anyone who has deeper knowledge of the issues in our city. Kenji is my go to resource for what City Hall is doing, how the next meeting will effect my life and the lives of our fellow Concordians. He has been a leader in the struggle to make Concord a more accessible place for all of us, worked with community groups, leaders and city governance to ensure that my bicycle, girlfriend’s car and neighbors feet are safer on our streets.”
- Olvera-Narvaez family, Concord residents
- Prof. Paul D. Thiem, Ph.D., Concord resident
- Peter Kerns, Concord resident
- Rashid Yahya, Concord resident
- Rex Takahashi, Concord resident
- Rich Piedmont, Concord resident
- Richard Lueck, Concord resident
- Rob Ferrier, Concord resident
- “I met Kenji soon after moving to Concord with my family. If you are involved in Concord’s politics at all, he is impossible to miss. He has been deeply invested in Concord, its present, past, and future, as long as I have known him.
I don’t always agree with Kenji. But whenever I have disagreed with him, Kenji has always been willing to listen and hear me out. He is that rarest of all adults: a person whose mind can be changed.
Kenji is driven by objective facts, not ideology. That does not mean his morals are flexible, or that he has no ethical core. Kenji is a fundamentally honest person, and his ethics define everything he does, and every decision he makes. But when he has heard all the arguments, and done his own review of the facts, Kenji acts decisively.
Kenji is deeply respectful of others, a trait I admire and try to emulate. He is no pushover, however, and is a fierce and dogged defender of what he believes to be right and true.
Of all the people I know, I cannot think of another more suited to an elected leadership position. Kenji Yamada is a leader we can all be proud of, and the sort of public citizen I hope my children grow up to be.Whatever your political views, whatever your ideology, you can count on Kenji to listen to you, to respect you, and to do what he honestly and truly believes is the best thing for all of us who call Concord our home.
I am proud to live here. I am proud to call Kenji Yamada my friend. And I hope that you will join me in supporting him for City Council.”
- “I met Kenji soon after moving to Concord with my family. If you are involved in Concord’s politics at all, he is impossible to miss. He has been deeply invested in Concord, its present, past, and future, as long as I have known him.
- Ron Glas, Concord resident
- Ronald Kappesser, Concord resident
- Sergio Huerta, Concord resident
- Sheila Hill, Concord resident
- “I endorse Kenji for Concord City Council because he is committed to our community and the needs of the people who live, work and play here. He has already shown his strong sense of integrity advocating for issues that are important to us in an informed and intelligent manner. I wholeheartedly support his candidacy and encourage you to also.”
- Stan Stansbury, Concord resident
- Steven Scott, Concord resident
- Sue Guest, Concord resident
- Victoria Zachery, Concord resident
- Wendy Hershey, Concord resident
- Wilson Tai, Concord resident
- Yelena Myakisheva, Concord resident
- Alice Uyeoka Halbert, Clyde resident
- Jeff Edmonston, Clayton resident
- Nati Flores, Antioch resident
Kenji for Concord 