Milpitas Mayor First Count: Hon Lien Led by 71 Votes Before Montano Took Later Lead

EDITOR’S UPDATE — NOVEMBER 5: The headline and figures in the original November 3 at 9 p.m. count below are historical. Subsequent votes reversed the lead. In a newer report updated November 4 at 7:28 p.m., Carmen Montano had 4,027 votes and Hon Lien 3,934 — a 93-vote Montano lead. Readers seeking the latest known standings should see the updated California58 mayoral story and the dated KQED result. The first count remains preserved to show how the ranking changed. No result is certified.

First reported ballot count — November 3, 9 p.m.

MILPITAS, Santa Clara County — November 3, 2026. Just 71 votes separated the two leading candidates for mayor of Milpitas in the county’s 9 p.m. unofficial election report. Hon Lien had 3,174 votes, while incumbent Carmen Montano had 3,103. With a margin that small, later ballot batches could change the order. No candidate has been declared the certified winner.

Four candidates for mayor

In the same snapshot, Santosh Sahoo had 687 votes and Voltaire Montemayor 644. The numbers were published in a November 3 election roundup by San Jose Inside, citing the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. The early vote totals describe ballots already counted, not all ballots eligible to be counted.

A closely watched result for Milpitas

The next mayor will work with the Milpitas City Council on municipal finances, land use, housing, traffic and public safety services. The narrow difference between Lien and Montano makes the accuracy of later county updates particularly important. Residents should not treat statements by campaigns, social-media celebrations or the appearance of a temporary lead as an official determination.

Other city races

Milpitas also voted for two at-large council seats. The 9 p.m. snapshot showed Bill Chuan with 3,116 votes and Garry Barbadillo with 3,001, followed by Seema Kanani, Jennie Ha Phan and Dipak Awasthi. The council election is separate from the mayoral contest, and voters could select candidates according to that ballot’s rules.

When is the outcome official?

Santa Clara County continues processing eligible mail, Election Day and other ballots after November 3. Election-night numbers remain unofficial until the canvass and certification are complete. Sources: San Jose Inside’s report of 9 p.m. county totals and the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters result portal. This article will require a new timestamp when later totals replace this snapshot.

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