Gary Singh topped a three-way field of candidates to become Union City’s mayor, replacing Carol Dutra-Vernaci, mayor since 2012. Emily Duncan trailed him by nine points. Singh has served two four-year terms with the City Council, representing District 1. Before that, he served as Planning Commissioner from 2006 until 2014. His campaign prioritizes increasing affordable housing, reducing crime and supporting small businesses.
A resident of Union City for 30 years, Singh is also the founder and CEO of Bay Star Auto, and is on the boards of the Union City Friends of Sister Cities Alliance and of Daily Bowl, a nonprofit that fights food waste. In 2018 he initiated an audit into the Union City city departments.
Lance Nishihira, was the top vote getter amongst the three contenders for Union City’s District 1 Council seat with 55% of votes. A trustee for New Haven Unified School District, Nishihara has also served on the Economic Development Advisory Team and General Plan Advisory Committee. His campaign prioritized issues around public safety, transportation, and homelessness.
Nishahara beat Wendy Huang (37% of vote), a real estate investor whose campaign was marked by mass emails relating incidents of Asian hate and misogyny against her.
Both Singh and Nishihara will begin their terms on Dec. 10, 2024.
