Karen Hardy
CA · Member, Santa Clara City Council, District 3
Santa Clara City Council member since 2018, retired Santa Clara Unified teacher, and vice chair of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency. Her priorities are adding more housing variety and keeping utility bills and city fees low.
Where Karen Hardy stands, based on their records
Supports
Social Programs and Welfare (1 record), Public Infrastructure (1 record)
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (2 support · 1 oppose), Housing Affordability (2 support · 1 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 2 support · 1 oppose
Voted for putting a $400 million infrastructure bond on the November 2024 ballot after opposing a rival version; it passed 6-1.
July 9, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Cast the only no vote on spending about $1.86 million to temporarily reopen the International Swim Center; it passed 6-1.
June 25, 2024Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Made the motion approving about $19.1 million in COVID-era budget cuts, freezing rather than eliminating city jobs; she voted against amendments to spare police training and fire staffing.
March 9, 2021Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Track record — Housing Affordability
Housing Affordability · 2 support · 1 oppose
Made the motion to back a 30-unit Homekey interim housing site for homeless residents at Lawrence Expressway and Benton Street; it passed.
May 2, 2023Supports Housing Affordability
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Voted with the full council to adopt Santa Clara's 2023-2031 Housing Element; it passed 7-0.
January 31, 2023Supports Housing Affordability
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Moved to redraw the El Camino Real Specific Plan with lower but still above-35-units-per-acre housing density; it failed 3-4.
July 6, 2021Opposes Housing Affordability
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Track record — Social Programs and Welfare
Social Programs and Welfare · 1 support
Made the motion to back a 30-unit Homekey interim housing site for homeless residents at Lawrence Expressway and Benton Street; it passed.
May 2, 2023Supports Social Programs and Welfare
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Track record — Public Infrastructure
Public Infrastructure · 1 support
Voted for putting a $400 million infrastructure bond on the November 2024 ballot after opposing a rival version; it passed 6-1.
July 9, 2024Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Track record — General
General · 7 records
Made the motion to raise garbage and recycling rates and run a campaign on smaller bins; it passed 5-2.
May 27, 2025
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Made the motions adopting the council's replies to the grand jury report on the 49ers stadium deal, over Watanabe's and Gillmor's no votes.
September 4, 2024
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Cast the only no vote on releasing, without delay, an investigation into alleged misconduct at an August 2022 closed session; it passed 6-1.
December 12, 2023
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Seconded and voted for the motion not to create an independent ethics commission and instead hire a consultant to review conduct rules; it passed 5-2.
July 11, 2023
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Made the motion in the council's grand jury response to set dates for a World Cup 2026 bid and a stadium reform step; it passed 4-2.
December 8, 2022
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Was named by the 2022 Santa Clara County civil grand jury as one of five council members in a voting bloc it said favored the 49ers.
October 10, 2022
Source: santaclara.courts.ca.gov
Made the motion to censure Councilmember Kathy Watanabe under the city ethics code after a Stop Asian Hate rally dispute; it passed 4-3.
June 8, 2021
Source: santaclara.legistar.com
Past race Karen Hardy ran in:
- Mayor · November 3, 2026 · Santa Clara city, California