City of Santa Clara City Council Councilmember Raj Chahal

Raj Chahal grew up in the Punjab/Haryana region of India and immigrated to the United States in 1995. In his native country, he attained a master of science degree in physics and an MBA. Chahal has been a resident of Santa Clara for more than two decades. Before his election to the City Council, Chahal served on the Planning Commission, the City of Santa Clara International Exchange Commission and the City of Santa Clara Charter Review Committee.He is a founding member and scoutmaster of Boy Scouts of America Troop 600 (the first Sikh Boy Scouts troop in the United States).

Chahal and ally Karen Hardy both won reelection to the City Council in 2022, besting two political newcomers. In its coverage of the campaign, the Mercury News aske that Hardy and Chahal “rejected the idea that the hundreds of thousands of dollars the 49ers have contributed to independent expenditure committees supporting their campaigns will influence them going forward.” The Merc also noted that both councilmembers rejected claims made in a civil grand jury report that accused members of the Santa Clara City Council of being too close to the San Francisco 49ers.

First elected: November 2018

Day job: Business executive

Alma mater: Kurukshetra University (MBA, marketing and finance); Panjab University (master’s degree, physics)

Notable quote: “Assumptions, lies, and misrepresentations are the hallmarks of the [civil grand jury] report. Any investigation which is focused on bringing forward fair and truthful findings would seek to listen and hear perspectives from all sides and stakeholders—however, the [civil grand jury] did not once reach out to me to bring my perspectives forward in its report.” (Source: San Jose Spotlight, Oct. 11, 2022)

Assignments include:
Americans with Disabilities Act Committee (Chair)
Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (Alternate)
Stadium Authority Audit Committee (Alternate)