About Linda Sell

Hello, I’m Linda Sell, I’m your Sunnyvale City Councilmember, and I’m proud to be running for re-election.

I didn’t set out to run for office, I stepped up when my community needed it.

Almost two decades ago, as a Sunnyvale parent, I watched our local public schools face devastating budget cuts and the proposed layoffs of 107 teachers, impacting classrooms. Class sizes would grow, students would lose incredible educators, and our schools would suffer.

I couldn’t let that happen.

So I got to work. Alongside parents, teachers, local businesses, and community leaders, we mobilized quickly and raised $2.5 million in just eight weeks to protect our schools and avoid any cuts to education.

That experience showed me what’s possible when our community comes together, and it set me on a path of public service that continues today.

I carried that same urgency and commitment into other fights for our neighborhoods. When families raised concerns about local air quality and health impacts, I worked with neighbors and leaders across the region to push for stronger oversight of the Lehigh Cement Plant—the county’s largest source of toxic emissions—and to advance real progress on cleaner air. After more than a decade of sustained advocacy, the plant is now moving toward closure and a transition that better protects public health.

At the same time, I wanted to empower my son’s generation to lead. I co-founded an environmental nonprofit that has now engaged thousands of local students in the environmental sciences and climate action efforts, giving young people a voice in shaping the future of our community. In 2026, that nonprofit was recognized by the State as California Nonprofit of the Year.

What started as one moment of stepping up has become two decades of service, bringing people together and solving problems.

And that’s exactly how I serve as your City Councilmember today.