It’s Official: I’m on the Ballot

There are moments in a campaign when everything suddenly feels more real.

Filing my paperwork with the City Clerk was one of them. Receiving confirmation that I had officially qualified for the November ballot was another.

I’m now officially a candidate for Belmont City Council, District 3, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to ask my neighbors for the chance to serve.

For me, this campaign has always been about more than getting a name on a ballot. It is about showing up, listening carefully, and doing the work required to help Belmont preserve what makes our community special while preparing thoughtfully for the future.

And this summer has offered plenty of reminders of what makes Belmont worth serving.

I’ve spent Sundays volunteering with the Belmont Park Boosters at the Summer Concert Series in Twin Pines Meadow, surrounded by families, neighbors, music and the kind of community spirit that is easy to take for granted until you stop and really notice it.

We also recently celebrated the campaign with a kickoff hosted by Emily Tuupo and Jan Dickerson. I was deeply grateful to have Mayor Julia Mates join us, along with local leaders, friends, neighbors and supporters.

What stayed with me most that evening was not simply the encouragement for the campaign. It was the sense that people here care deeply about Belmont and are willing to invest their time and energy in its future.

That is the kind of community I want to help lead.

I’m also honored that our campaign continues to earn the support of leaders I respect. Since my last update, Congressman Kevin Mullin, State Senator Josh Becker, and SAMCAR have endorsed my candidacy, joining a growing group of local and regional leaders who have placed their trust in me.

I do not take that trust lightly.

Belmont faces the same challenge many strong communities face: how do we protect what works while making smart decisions about what comes next?

For me, that means maintaining public safety, preparing for emergencies, investing responsibly in our infrastructure and recreational spaces, supporting local businesses, protecting our environment, and ensuring that residents have a City Hall that is transparent, responsive and accountable.

It also means approaching those decisions thoughtfully.

Throughout my career, I have learned that good decisions rarely come from having the loudest voice in the room. They come from listening, gathering reliable information, bringing different perspectives together, making informed choices, and then following through.

That is the approach I want to bring to Belmont City Hall.

Now that the ballot is official, the campaign enters a new phase.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be walking neighborhoods throughout District 3, meeting residents and hearing directly from people about what they value, what concerns them, and what they want Belmont to become.

If you see me out knocking on doors, please say hello. Better yet, come walk with me.

And if you would like to help the campaign in other ways, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. We need volunteers to canvass, neighbors willing to host small gatherings, homes for yard signs, and financial support to help us reach voters through mail and direct outreach.

You can learn more, volunteer or support the campaign at www.sarahforbelmont.com, or email me at info@sarahforbelmont.com.

Qualifying for the ballot is an important milestone.

But it is only the beginning.

The real work is the conversations, the listening, the decisions and the trust that come next. I’m looking forward to all of it.