Desis On The Ballot: Seema Lindskog For Cupertino City Council

Long-time community advocate Seema Lindskog is making her first-ever run for public office as a candidate for Cupertino City Council. A current Planning Commissioner with 30 years of corporate strategy experience, Lindskog plans on bringing a fresh, energetic perspective to City Hall, focusing on moving beyond political gridlock toward structured five- and ten-year strategic plans. She is running alongside J.R. Fruen and John Tang on a coordinated three-person slate.

In an exclusive interview with India Currents, Lindskog shared her forward-looking approach to diversifying the city’s tax base, expanding the urban tree canopy, and creating a more vibrant, connected Cupertino. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Why did you decide to run for office?

Running for City Council in 2026 wasn’t originally on my bingo card, but community members encouraged me to run after years of local involvement. 

My foray into community politics began when I led a petition with 3,500 residents regarding the RNA trail, which eventually led to serving on the Planning Commission for four years.

Through my land-use work on the commission, it became clear that while Cupertino houses one of the most innovative companies in the world, that sense of energy, optimism, and innovation is not reflected in city government. For the last decade, civic debate centered almost entirely on what we don’t want; rejecting housing or commercial projects rather than defining what we do want. 

I am running to change that dynamic and bring a positive, forward-looking vision to Cupertino.

What do you see as your primary role as a city council member for Cupertino? 

One of the main things is to create that positive vision and build a 5-year or 10-year plan, drawing on my 30 years of corporate experience as a marketing executive.

There are key areas where we need forward planning:

• Diversifying the Tax Revenue Base: We have a unique economy in Cupertino with a lot of small businesses and one giant trillion-dollar company, but nothing in between. When state law changed six years ago and we lost Apple sales tax revenue, we tightened our belt to get out of the deficit. But we also have to build our revenue base and bring in mid-sized companies so we aren’t putting all our eggs in one or two baskets.
• Health & Urban Canopy Plan: On the west side of town we have about 30% tree coverage, but on the east side some places have only 10–12%. That is a health issue for our residents, a climate resilience issue, and an equity issue. I want to push a “35 by 35” goal to reach 35% canopy coverage by 2035, which will have a huge positive implication for the health and quality of life of our residents.
• De Anza Innovation Hub: De Anza College is a fantastic location, and we could do so much more to make it a center of innovation and workforce development. By creating public-private partnerships and innovation hubs, we can build a flywheel of highly qualified talent that feeds the economic engine of the city.
• Streamlining Permitting: We also need to streamline permitting for simple home renovations and ADUs to make it faster, cheaper, and easier. So much has been ignored because the housing debate has taken up all the oxygen in the room.

What are the major challenges that your constituency is facing?

• Housing & Demographic Shifts: Housing is a big pain point. Young professionals and young families can’t afford to buy here, so they rent until their kids graduate high school and then leave. That demographic shift has hit us hard and even forced school closures. On the flip side, we have seniors sitting in $3.5 to $4 million homes who can’t downsize because there is very little senior-friendly housing inventory at lower price points.
• Lack of a Downtown: We don’t have a downtown or anything open past 9 or 10 p.m., so we don’t retain young people. My 18-year-old son once told me, “Mom, Cupertino is the most boring place on earth,” and he isn’t wrong. People are frustrated that Vallco has been a hole in the ground for as long as anyone can remember; we need an active dialogue with Sand Hill to finally build a real, thriving downtown.
• School Support: Keeping our schools high-quality is an ongoing issue as they struggle with funding. While the City Council doesn’t directly run the school district, creating a thriving downtown and housing market is symbiotic and will directly help support our schools.
• Public Safety: Safety is a constant concern. A lot of our Asian and Indian families hold gold and jewelry and are targeted for robberies. We need to maintain strong relationships and visibility with our sheriff’s department.
• Rebuilding the Block Leader Program & Community: Years ago, neighborhood watch was folded into our city’s Block Leader Program, but it has gone dormant. Rejuvenating this program across all neighborhoods will increase safety while restoring a genuine sense of community; creating neighborhoods where people look out for one another, hold house keys for each other, and step in like family when needed.

Can you tell us about the three-person slate you are running with and why you decided to campaign together?

I am running on a three-person “Cupertino Together” slate alongside J.R. Fruen who is running for re-election, and John Tang. There are three open seats on our five-member City Council this election.

We are running as a very tight, coordinated team; sharing a website, flyers, lawn signs, and meet-and-greets to make sure voters understand our shared platform. 

Over the past few years, Cupertino has become deeply polarized over issues ranging from housing to bike lanes, safe intersections, and even pickleball courts. 

Needing a three-vote majority on a five-person council to pass anything, electing all three of us is essential so we have the votes to break through gridlock, execute our 5- and 10-year strategic plans, and actually get things done for the city.

What sets you apart from your competitors in the race?

It really comes down to vision. I have a vision for the city, and they have yet to express one. 

Their vision is simply keeping Cupertino as close to what it used to be as possible—maintaining a semi-rural, suburban feel; without offering a broader plan for economic growth, streamlined permitting, or an urban canopy. So much of the dialogue in Cupertino has been wrapped up strictly in housing, while I want to bring energy, optimism, and overall community vitality.

We also fundamentally disagree on community amenities and safety. For instance, my opponents have argued against thriving pickleball facilities and protected bike lanes, asking why we spend resources on bike lanes when 80 to 90 percent of residents drive. But the majority of cyclists in Cupertino are students going to school. Saying you don’t want protected bike lanes means you aren’t interested in protecting our children on their way to school. It is our job to take care of all of our residents, and that proactive, inclusive focus is what sets me apart.

Would you like to share a few details about your family and background?

I bring a very multicultural background to Cupertino. Although I was born in India, I grew up in Paris, so French is actually my first language. I moved to India at age 15, learned English as my second language, completed high school, and earned my bachelor’s degree at the University of Bombay. I then came to the U.S. to earn my master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University before building a 30-year career in strategy and marketing.

My husband is a Swedish engineer; we’ve been married for 21 years and our son is half Swedish and half Indian. Every year, we made it a point to visit both Sweden and India so our son grew up knowing both sides of his heritage, while at home we celebrate French, Indian, and Swedish traditions alike. Growing up in Cupertino schools, he got to experience our city’s wonderful diversity firsthand; singing Chinese New Year songs, celebrating Diwali, and learning alongside classmates from Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and white backgrounds. 

Cupertino is such a vibrant melting pot, and loving and respecting diverse cultures is a core part of who I am.

What would be your one-minute pitch to voters?

Cupertino needs change, and we deserve something better for our city. We deserve more innovation, more energy, and more optimism. We need a positive, forward-looking vision for Cupertino; one that builds a stronger economic base, creates a real downtown, cuts through bureaucracy, and provides housing for all life stages.

Ultimately, I am running to help make Cupertino a more welcoming, vibrant, and thriving city for all of us