Palo Alto still fighting last year's development battles in this year's election

Other candidates in the race, including Cory Wolbach and A.C. Johnston, also trace their decisions to run back to Measure D. 

Wolbach, a field representative for Sen. Jerry Hill, said he wants to find mutually agreeable solutions to the city's jobs-housing imbalance. He supported the Maybell project, which called for a 60-unit apartment building for low-income seniors and 12 market-rate single-family homes. 

"It was actually hearing them that encouraged me to run," Wolbach said about friends who opposed Measure D. "As much as we can disagree on specific or general policies, the tone of debate over the last couple of years has been so harsh that Palo Altans, I'm betting, are ready to move forward in a more collaborative way." 

Johnson, an attorney, said he is in favor of building a broad range of housing, including units for "ordinary people." 

"I believe that we can't simply say we're not going to have any further growth," Johnston said in a recent interview. "What additional growth we do have should focus on additional housing because I think there's a real shortage, particularly of affordable housing in Palo Alto." 

General dissatisfaction with local governance has served as the impetus for others to run for council.

More @ Mercury News