Alameda County judge orders new candidate be added to Fremont ballot

FREMONT — A candidate for a council seat here will appear on the November ballot after successfully challenging the city in court.

Sterling Engle, a lifelong Warm Springs resident, said the city clerk withheld his name from the Nov. 5 ballot, claiming he missed an Aug. 9 deadline when filing his campaign paperwork on Aug. 14. So he went to court, acting as his own lawyer to argue the city did not legally notify the public about the proper filing deadline.

Alameda County Judge Michael Markman agreed, ruling on Aug. 29 that Engle should be the third candidate on the ballot for the District 5 council race.

The city posted a notice extending the deadline for filing up to Aug. 14 but later said the notice was posted in error and that Engle had not filed in time. Markman wrote that Engle was following the rules by filing by the extension mistakenly set by the city and ordered his name added to the ballot.

“The court further finds that Engle substantially complied with the Elections Code, and attempted to comply with the directives and deadlines communicated by the clerk for the City of Fremont, which would certainly appear to a layperson to be authoritative and accurate,” Markman wrote in his ruling.

Engle is now running against against Fremont Unified School District Board President Yajing Zhang and tech startup administrator Chandra Wagh.

Despite an incorrect deadline extension notice published by the city of Fremont, the court found that I acted in good faith, relying on the city’s instructions,” he said. “I stood up for my rights and ensured every candidate got a fair chance.”

Zhang was elected board president in 2020 for a four-year term. Her priorities include public safety, supporting small businesses, expanding affordable housing and improving the area’s education system. She holds a masters degree in science.

Wagh has experience in tech startups and corporations, such as Cisco and Workday. He holds a masters degree in computer science and emigrated to Fremont from India in 1999.

Engle has a masters degree in computer science from UCLA and an undergrad degree in Asian Studies from UC Berkeley. His priorities include ensuring safe neighborhoods and public safety, “promoting responsible development that respects our environment while providing affordable housing and boosting local businesses.”

He said he is happy the court ruled in his favor.

“It wasn’t easy, but it worked in the end,” Engle said.