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ENDORSEMENT QUOTES
**Titles for identification purposes only
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"I’m proud to announce my endorsement of Julie Lythcott-Haims. She is the kind of leader we need right now; she has a deep commitment to championing housing, improving mental health, and fostering a greater sense of belonging in our City. Throughout her career, she has found even more ways to give back and strengthen the community. She will be a tireless advocate for residents across Palo Alto, and we would be lucky to have her on the City Council working for us."​
Marc Berman, California State Assembly Member
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"Julie is deeply committed to making Palo Alto a place where everyone can thrive. Her experience as a lawyer, her years of work with students, and her ability to communicate hard truths are just what our Council and our community need."​
Alison Cormack, Palo Alto City Council Member
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"I'd be delighted to serve with Julie. She's smart, willing to understand other peoples' perspectives, and cares deeply about our city and its people."​
Greg Tanaka, Palo Alto City Council Member
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“Julie Lythcott-Haims gives all she can to her community. As an author, an educator, and as a leader, Julie's work to ensure equity and inclusion is changing lives and making a great impact on our City. I am proud to stand with her for City Council and know her fight for fairness, transparency, equity, and justice is exactly what we need in our City. Please join me in voting for Julie this Election Day!"
LaDoris Cordell, Former Palo Alto City Council Member and Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge
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"When Julie and I practiced law together, I was struck by how she finds ingenious solutions to solve difficult problems. She's analytical and compassionate, and will bring those skills and more to the Palo Alto City Council."
Otto Lee, Santa Clara County Supervisor
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"I've seen firsthand that Julie's public service is a reflection of her values. Palo Alto needs Julie's leadership and her thoughtful approach to solving the complex environmental and housing challenges we face. She knows how to get things done.​"
Larry Klein, Former Palo Alto Mayor and City Council Member
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"When I think of a person who loves Palo Alto and has demonstrated consistent passion for our deepest values, the experienced and compassionate leader that comes to mind is Julie Lythcott-Haims. We need a representative of all of the people who is a deep listener and a clear communicator. We need a smart team builder who practices collaboration and is comfortable making thoughtful and defensible decisions that serve our beloved community well. We need a leader who embraces the future with gusto yet understands and appreciates the thoughtful work done by others that have preceded her. Julie’s tapestry of positive traits is what Palo Alto needs right now. Vote Julie Lythcott-Haims for Palo Alto City Council!"
Hillary Freeman, Former Palo Alto City Council Member
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"Julie Lythcott-Haims shares our values and is passionately committed to ensuring that every Palo Altan can thrive and be proud of our community. She is a parent, educator, author, researcher, lawyer, and long time resident. Julie understands local, regional, state, and national challenges, and believes that the mental health of our community, especially our youngest residents, should be one of our top priorities. Her experience, accomplishments, and willingness to listen make her extraordinarily qualified to lead. I am proud to support her campaign.”
Melissa Baten Caswell, former PAUSD Board President and Trustee
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"Julie Lythcott-Haims will be a formidable candidate and Council member; she will make neighborhoods and communities a priority. She knows that a healthy society treats all its members with respect and dignity and that equity is an urgent moral issue that we cannot turn away from. I’ve known her since 1999 and have witnessed her compassion, knowledge, and superb communication skills. These are needed assets for a Councilmember. I enthusiastically endorse Julie for City Council because she will fight tirelessly for our progressive values to support equality, justice, and opportunity in Palo Alto."
Gail Price, former Palo Alto City Council Member and PAUSD Board Member
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"Julie is a strong advocate for the community. She listens deeply, and then she acts. Julie has been there for young people, for families, for everyone in the community. She will make an excellent representative and protect Palo Alto's future. Please give your vote to this courageous community leader."
Sally Lieber, former State Assembly Member
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"I am proud to endorse my dear friend Julie Lythcott-Haims for Palo Alto City Council. She has spent decades demonstrating—with action and intention—the myriad ways she shows up for our community. From helping our youth (and their caregivers) navigate the challenges of the teenage years through adulthood to fighting for affordable housing on behalf of those who need it most to standing up for Black and non-Black folks of color who face systemic injustice, Julie embodies the fortitude, intelligence, and empathy leaders in our city need in order to make ALL of our neighbors feel seen, heard, and believed. I can’t wait to cast my vote for Julie this November. "
Stefania Pomponi, Founder and Chief Brand Officer, Hella Social Impact
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"I have had the good fortune of knowing Julie Lythcott-Haims for more than 30 years now. In the time I have known her, Julie has pursued everything she has done with great thoughtfulness, intellect, and heart. Julie is an incredible listener and leader. She cares deeply about bringing people together and raising them up. I can think of no single person in Palo Alto who I would rather represent me than Julie Lythcott-Haims."
David Hornik, Venture Capitalist, Lobby Capital; Lecturer, Stanford Business School and Harvard Law School
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"Julie Lythcott-Haims is an amazing person. I have seen her work over the years to give a voice to mothers, students, people of color, the under-served, under-resourced and under-represented. Julie loves Palo Alto and our community here and she will be a powerful voice for us around the city council table. I could not be more excited to endorse Julie."
Pamela Miller-Hornik, community volunteer, board member, Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center
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"Julie will bring energy, commitment and a fresh perspective to our city council. I appreciate her passion for expanding housing options and for engaging residents who are often left out of city decisions. Julie wants Palo Alto to be a welcoming place. I look forward to her service on the city council."
Stephen Levy, Director, Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy
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"Julie Lythcott-Haims is precisely the kind of person we want to see stepping up to help lead our community. She embraces the imperative that a sense of belonging is everything, which, coupled with her fierce intellect means she will get the stuff done that needs to get done whether it's building more housing, supporting the mental health of our youth, or being bold about climate action. I can't wait to have Julie as a colleague. Together we'll tackle the urgent issues our region faces."
Laura Parmer-Lohan, San Carlos Council Member and Former Mayor
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"Julie is an incredibly smart, compelling and compassionate leader. As a Palo Alto council member, she will get things done and always go the extra 100 miles to make her city better."
Michael Brownrigg, Vice Mayor, City of Burlingame
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"As a political scientist, I have closely followed the impact of local politics on broader issues of the day, including race relations and climate change. There has never been a more important time to have ethical and intelligent leadership supporting the efforts to sustain our imperiled democracy. I have been on the board of many nonprofits including the Peninsula Clean Energy Community Advisory Committee. As a very involved community member, I have experienced directly Julie Lythcott-Haims' commitment to the community and willingness to fight for what she knows is right. I have known Julie since we were both undergrads at Stanford, and she has become a seasoned leader who cares deeply about the broader community. I endorse her enthusiastically."
Terri Givens, Professor
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"Julie will make a great leader in Palo Alto. I'm honored to support her run for office after years of watching her speak up about what she believes in. With her leadership, I have faith that Palo Alto will finally be on the right track to become a better place for all."
Raven Malone, Santa Clara County Commissioner and AD-24 Delegate
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"Over more than a decade I have had the opportunity to work with Julie in supporting the educational success of Stanford students from disadvantaged backgrounds and in developing housing and services for the homeless in Palo Alto. From these collaborative experiences I developed a deep respect for Julie’s personal commitment to improving the conditions of those around her. Julie will be as committed to her work as a member of the City Council as she has been to members of her professional and personal networks. She will work to expand
affordable housing to members of our community and to collaborating with others to address important social and environmental issues. I offer Julie my unqualified support for her election to the City Council."
Donald Barr, Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University
Founder of the Community Working Group, the non-profit that developed the
Opportunity Center for the Homeless
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"Among the riches of intellect and talent in Palo Alto there are only a few whose bandwidth matches that of Julie Lythcott-Haims. VOTE Julie Lythcott-Haims for Palo Alto City Council."
Olivette Smith, Peninsula Democratic Coalition (PDC)
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"I am honored to recommend Julie Lythcott-Haims for Palo Alto City Council. In her work as a parent, author, educator, and activist, she has been a passionate advocate for the community of Palo Alto. Julie is a proven leader who “believes in humans,” does not back down, and will insist that all residents – particularly our vulnerable youth – be treated with fairness, dignity, and kindness. Please join me in supporting Julie for City Council!”
Charlene Scholtes Margot, Palo Alto Native, Co-Founder and CEO, The Parent Venture
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"I'm thrilled to endorse Julie because I believe she is the kind of leader that will bring voices together and build a more inclusive Palo Alto. Her experience in higher education and supporting the intricacies of parenting give her a powerful and needed perspective. I believe her vision for the future can help us preserve long-time resident priorities while facing the real challenges experienced by new, young families. We can all belong in the community we live in - but only when our community leaders represent our values.”
Angie Evans, Co-Founder of Palo Alto Renters' Association
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"I am excited to endorse Julie Lythcott-Haims for Palo Alto City Council. I have known Julie for over 30 years and have witnessed first-hand her commitment to improving local communities. She did this at Stanford University as dean of freshmen; as a board member with Challenge Success – dedicated to improving student well-being and engagement with learning; through her powerful books, speeches, and workshops about diversity and inclusion; and I have no doubt that she will be able to do this again as a council member. Now more than ever, we are in need of thoughtful, articulate, committed, hands-on leaders to run for office – and we are all lucky that Julie has answered this call.”
Denise Pope, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Education and Co-Founder, Challenge Success
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"I first met Julie years ago on the highly successful Palo Alto YWCA Board. I found her well-spoken, focussed, and especially successful in creating an environment where everyone felt respected and valued. She will bring those same talents to the Palo Alto City Council and greatly increase its effectiveness."
Emy Thurber, Philanthropist, former Commissioner Chair of Office of Women’s Policy
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"Julie Lythcott-Haims will help solve Palo Alto's problems, bring people together in the process, and heal our frayed social connections as a community. VOTE for Julie."
Diane Rolfe, Community Activist
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"Julie Lythcott-Haims is a truly amazing leader, among the best I have known. I was part of a diverse group that she led in creating a new program at Stanford. Her collaborative leadership not only resulted in a superb program, it enabled everyone in the group feel proud of what they accomplished, working together as a community. Palo Alto is much in need of the same kind of community-building skills that Julie has practiced and written about throughout her careers. As an extraordinary Black woman, she has worked tirelessly to bring diverse peoples together and gain community strength from their differences. Housing issues are a key challenge in Palo Alto’s future and I know of no one better equipped to help lead our City in grappling successfully with those issues."
Tom Ehrlich, Professor, Stanford University
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"Julie will bring new perspectives and passion to the council at a time when we are in dire need of creative solutions for our housing problems."
Jackie and Ralph Wheeler, Community Activists
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"I have known Julie for 20 years and I know her to listen and observe with full concentration…she is amazingly smart, she values humans, she values change not for the sake of change but to make the world a better place. I look forward to our city having a leader who can see the whole picture of our community and can dive in and understand complex issues with integrity."
Sarah Sands, Palo Alto Resident
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"Julie Lythcott-Haims is an ideal candidate to lead our community in making equitable decisions that benefit all residents. She is deeply committed to creating healthy communities in which all people can thrive. She has extensive experience and wisdom on local, regional, and national issues and will bring considerable compassion and an astute perspective to the city council."
Heidi Emberling, Palo Alto Resident, Interim CPO, First 5 Santa Clara County
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"I first met Julie Lythcott-Haims in Chicago in March of 2007. She arrived at the Obama Campaign headquarters in the middle of a blizzard from sunny Palo Alto, rolled up her sleeves and asked how she could help us. She offered to step away from her prestigious role at Stanford to join the monumental effort which was attempting to bring Senator Obama to the forefront of the minds of voting Americans. Julie will work tirelessly for the rights of all humans. If you think that affordable housing is critical, addressing the deteriorating planet and devastating climate change is timely, and that Palo Alto should be a safe haven for all human rights then Julie deserves your vote and you deserve to have her energy and brilliant advocacy representing the needs of your family on the City Council. Julie is the real deal and delivers on her promises. She is the leader Palo Alto needs during these challenging times. I have never met anyone who works harder, smarter or cares more about all people than Julie Lythcott Haims."
Analisa Lafontant, Board Member and Former Director of Operations, Obama for America 2007-2008
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"I have known Julie since she was a recent college graduate working with me at the Haas Center for Public Service in the 1980s. Julie has always been smart, compassionate, and willing to lead on difficult issues. She has only grown in these skills over the years. For seven years she was a board member and board chair at Foundation for a College Education where she brought her deep commitment to our students, her ability to bring people together, and her passion for education to her board service. I am so proud that she is running for City Council and am so honored to be able to call her friend."
Anna Waring, Educator, Former Executive Director of Foundation for a College Education
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"Julie is an extraordinary human being. I live in Menlo Park and am envious that she's next door. We need people like her – and her team – all over this country to get us back on the right track."
Diana Chapman Walsh, Former President, Wellesley College
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