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Councilmember Drew Combs, 49, said he’s seeking another term on the Menlo Park City Council to serve his neighbors, not to advance a particular issue or build a political career.
“I don’t have larger political ambitions,” Combs said. “I hope one day to see there is a president that comes from Menlo Park. I promise you, it will not be me.”
Combs, a director in Meta’s product risk department, is seeking a third term representing District 2 against Finance and Audit Commissioner Vamsi Velagapudi. First elected in 2018, Combs represents the Willows, Flood Triangle, Suburban Park and Lorelei Manor neighborhoods. He is the only Menlo Park incumbent seeking reelection on the Nov. 3 ballot.
During his two terms on the City Council, Combs said he has delivered for District 2. He said his advocacy led to improvements to Willow Oaks Park, restored gymnastics programs after the pandemic, improved landscaping at the Interstate 101 and Willow Road interchange and improved safety on streets across District 2.
Combs also said that he ensures the city operates transparently by hosting weekly office hours and sending out a monthly newsletter.
“This role is about me trying to be of service to my neighbors. It’s about community and relationships — that’s what drives me,” Combs said.
On major issues, Combs has sometimes been the sole dissenting vote among his council colleagues. Combs said one reason he may disagree is his unique approach: he’s not there to advocate for a specific agenda.
“My motivation is not like some singular driving issue,” Combs said. “Well, I guess my singular issue is about serving my fellow residents, my neighbors.”
Even when he dissented, Combs said he felt he helped sway his colleagues to his viewpoint and productively guided the council’s discussion.
In 2025, Combs pushed to reopen the eastbound lane of the 600 block of Santa Cruz Avenue in downtown, which closed to traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate outdoor dining and gathering. He proposed preserving space for people to gather but allowing cars to use the eastbound lane. A council majority favored keeping the lane closed.
By October 2026, that support had shifted to reflect Combs’ proposal: Mayor Betsy Nash said she had done a “complete 180,” and most council members backed a pilot project to reopen the lane while retaining a smaller gathering area in the parking spaces.
Combs was the only councilmember who voted against approving the state-mandated housing element. The plan was certified by the state several months after the deadline, triggering a controversial state provision called the builder’s remedy that overrides local zoning policies.
The missed deadline led to a skyscraper proposal at 80 Willow Road, the former headquarters of Sunset Magazine. The developer behind the project is suing the city for allegedly illegally stalling the project. Combs said he has organized local and regional leaders to oppose the project and has also identified a buyer for the site, should the current reported owner, a Russian national with ties to the Kremlin, want to sell.
Combs also said that during the housing element process, he voiced concerns that the city had not done enough outreach to businesses about its plans to build affordable housing on the three downtown parking lots.
In response to the approved housing element, business owners and residents organized a group called Save Downtown Menlo to stop the parking lot development and put Measure P on the Nov. 3 ballot, which would require a citywide vote before the council could build affordable housing or make any other major changes to all eight city-owned parking lots.
“Wherever you are on that plan, it’s clear that the outreach didn’t happen. It’s clear that was something the city missed,” Combs said.
At the time, he said he also pitched developing one parking lot before building on the other two — an alternative that did not gain support from the council majority.
While Combs has endorsed the No on Measure P campaign, in an unusual move, Save Downtown Menlo endorsed Combs.
In its endorsement announcement, Save Downtown Menlo said Combs has “proven his independence and pragmatism.” Combs told supporters that he opposes Measure P because of the high barrier it would create to downtown housing and that he supports building higher-density, affordable housing downtown.
Combs is endorsed by Councilmember Cecilia Taylor, county Supervisors Ray Mueller and Lisa Gauthier, Congressman Sam Liccardo and both the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter and Silicon Valley Association of Realtors.
View The Almanac’s Voter Guide here, his answers to The Almanac’s candidate survey here and Combs’ website here.
