The general election is drawing near, but the presidential nominees are not the only candidates on the ballot.

According to the City of Sunnyvale website, the city has seven council seats, four of which are up for grabs this year. These seats are currently taken by council members Larry Klein, Pat Meyering, Jim Davis and Tara Martin-Milius, respectively.

All four are serving their first of a maximum of two terms and each is running for re-election. The Epitaph reached out to all candidates, but only two responded.

Candidate Russ Milton, who is running for the fifth council seat, graduated from Santa Clara University and worked in the private sector. After 15 years, he got into public service, working in the Sunnyvale Planning Commission for four years, he said.

Candidate Nancy Smith, who is running for seat six, said she worked for decades in non-profit organizations straight out of college. Smith graduated from the Leadership Sunnyvale program and has gained experience in public service ever since, she said.

Both candidates have thoughts on education reform in the city of Sunnyvale.

“I think we need to continue in the municipality, the city of Sunnyvale, to continue to work with and support the school districts that we have, whether that’s the elementary school districts, the high school school districts, the unified school districts,” Milton said.

Milton said he thinks education is critical and an antidote to the half-truths told in the current presidential elections.

“[Education is] a big concern of mine… there are things we can do to help young people and to bring issues to the foreground and discuss them in a way that impact students,” Smith said.

Milton advises high school students to get involved.

”Get involved and look around the world in front of you with a critical eye, and understand what’s going on,” Milton said.

“If there’s something going on that you want to see happening differently, understand that you have the power to collaborate with others, other like-minded individuals to make a positive change,” he said.