Neysa Fligor didn’t just win an election. She rewrote history. On December 30, 2025, she became the first woman ever elected as Santa Clara County Assessor — and the first Black woman to hold an assessor position anywhere in the entire state of California. That’s not a small milestone. In a county that sits at the heart of Silicon Valley, overseeing a staggering $700 billion assessment roll, this moment carries enormous weight. It signals a shift — not just in local politics, but in who gets to lead some of the most consequential offices in American government.
From Florida to Georgetown: Building a Foundation That Matters
Fligor’s roots are in academic excellence and civic commitment. She earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations and political science from Florida International University — a choice that shaped her global perspective early on. But she didn’t stop there. She went on to earn her law degree from Georgetown University, one of the most prestigious law schools in the country.
That combination is rare. International perspective paired with legal precision. It gave Fligor a toolkit that most local government officials simply don’t have. She wasn’t just trained to understand policy — she was trained to think critically about it, argue it, and apply it in complex settings.
And that education wasn’t a trophy on a shelf. She put it to work immediately.
The Long Road to the Assessor’s Office: Decades of Insider Knowledge
Here’s what makes Neysa Fligor’s story genuinely compelling. She didn’t parachute into this role. She built toward it, brick by brick, over two decades.
Her first connection to the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office came in the mid-2000s, when she served as counsel to the assessor. This wasn’t a ceremonial title. She was doing real legal work, developing a deep understanding of property tax law, government finance, and how assessment offices actually function from the inside.
She left, built more experience elsewhere, then came back. She rejoined the office as a special assistant, and eventually rose to the role of Assistant Assessor — a position she held when longtime Assessor Larry Stone retired in July 2025 after more than 30 years in the role. By 2024, she had become a core member of the Assessor’s Executive Management Team.
This is an important point. When Fligor ran for office, her opponents sometimes made promises about the assessor’s role that simply weren’t possible — like offering property tax exemptions for seniors, a power the assessor’s office doesn’t actually have. Fligor never made those mistakes. She talked about the job with specificity and credibility because she had lived it.
Breaking Into Local Politics: Resilience Over Rejection
Before reaching the county assessor’s office, Neysa Fligor carved out a significant path in local politics — one defined as much by resilience as by achievement.
In 2016, she ran for the Los Altos City Council. It was a closely contested race. After months of campaigning, canvassing, and community engagement, she lost by just six votes to councilwoman Lynette Eng. Six votes. That’s the kind of result that ends political careers before they start.
Fligor didn’t walk away. Instead, she spent the next two years strengthening her community ties. In 2017, she was appointed to the El Camino Hospital Board. She deepened her relationships with South Los Altos residents and returned to run again in 2018 with renewed focus.
This time, she won. In January 2019, Neysa Fligor was sworn in as the first-ever Black member of the Los Altos City Council — and she joined the city’s first all-female council. That alone would be a remarkable chapter in anyone’s career.
She earned a second term on the City Council in November 2022, focusing on fiscal responsibility, infrastructure investment, housing, public safety, and maintaining the character of the community she called home.
The 2025 Election: A Decisive, History-Making Victory
When Larry Stone announced his retirement in July 2025, a special election was called to fill the vacancy. Four candidates entered the race, including Los Altos Vice Mayor Neysa Fligor, Saratoga City Council member Yan Zhao, former councilmember Rishi Kumar, and Bryan Do.
Fligor led the November 4, 2025, general election with 38% of the vote — far ahead of the field. But California law required a majority to win outright. She advanced to a runoff against second-place finisher Rishi Kumar.
The runoff on December 30, 2025, wasn’t close. Fligor took a two-to-one lead from the very first ballot count, finishing with approximately 65–66% of the vote. It was decisive. It was clear. And it was historic.
Her endorsement list reflected broad, bipartisan confidence in her qualifications. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Representatives Sam Liccardo and Zoe Lofgren, and former Assessor Larry Stone himself all backed her campaign. Mahan specifically praised her for not defaulting to tax increases as a solution to government challenges — a quality he said made her the right leader for the office.
On January 26, 2026, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors formally certified the election results. Neysa Fligor was sworn in as the 23rd Santa Clara County Assessor.
What the Role Actually Means: The Weight of $700 Billion
The County Assessor’s role is often misunderstood. It isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t generate the kind of headlines that congressional races or mayoral contests do. But it is essential.
The assessor’s office is responsible for determining the taxable value of more than 500,000 properties in Santa Clara County — homes, office buildings, boats, aircraft, and everything in between. That valuation drives the $700 billion assessment roll, which in turn funds essential public services: schools, hospitals, fire departments, and more.
Get it wrong, and the financial consequences ripple across the entire county. Get it right, and you protect both taxpayers and the public institutions they depend on.
Fligor’s priorities for the office are clear and practical:
- Ensuring fair and accurate assessments — legally sound, data-driven, and consistent
- Protecting revenues for essential public services
- Improving processes to better serve taxpayers and residents
- Increasing community engagement across all parts of the county
- Overseeing a major technology overhaul of the office’s outdated property assessment systems
That last point is significant. Fligor had already played a key role in managing the acquisition of a modern technology property assessment solution before she even took office as assessor. She’s not inheriting a problem — she helped design the solution.
Breaking Barriers in Silicon Valley: The Cultural Weight of “First”
Santa Clara County — the heart of Silicon Valley — is a region where Black residents make up less than 3% of the population. Despite enormous wealth generated by the tech industry, Black communities in the region have often been pushed to the economic margins. Representation in leadership positions has lagged far behind other groups.
That’s what makes Neysa Fligor’s election more than a political milestone. It’s a cultural statement. Chuck Cantrell, a San Jose planning commissioner, noted that even as the most experienced candidate in the race, Fligor still faced the same skepticism that Black candidates routinely encounter when competing for important roles.
She won anyway. On her own merits. With a coalition of supporters that crossed political lines.
Milan Balinton, executive director of the African American Community Service Agency Family Resource Center in San Jose, put it simply: “We’re still in a time of ‘firsts.’ Neysa was the first. She definitely won’t be the last.”
The Personal Side: Family, Community, and Staying Grounded
Behind the titles and milestones is a woman who has spoken openly about her roots in community service. Fligor has credited her family and upbringing as the foundation of her civic values, noting that her parents and relatives were always involved in local community efforts.
She is a mother who raised young children while building a demanding legal and political career. She did this as a Black woman in predominantly white Los Altos — a community where she didn’t fit the typical profile but chose to engage deeply anyway.
Her motivation, in her own words, was always about giving back. Not building a personal brand. Not chasing titles. Giving back.
That authenticity has resonated across the political spectrum and built the kind of trust that’s hard to manufacture.
Final Thoughts: A Career Built for This Moment
The story of Neysa Fligor is not one of sudden arrival. It’s a story of preparation. Decades of legal work, public service, electoral setbacks, community building, and quiet expertise — all converging at exactly the right moment.
She lost by six votes in 2016. She came back stronger. She spent years inside the very office she now leads. She earned her credentials as a California State Board of Equalization Certified Property Tax Appraiser. She built relationships, earned endorsements, and demonstrated exactly the kind of leadership that voters say they want — but rarely get.
Now, as Santa Clara County’s 23rd Assessor, Neysa Fligor carries both the weight of history and the practical responsibility of one of the most important financial roles in California’s most economically significant county.
FAQs
Who is Neysa Fligor?
Neysa Fligor is a California public official and attorney who serves as the Santa Clara County Assessor. She made history in January 2026 as the first woman elected to the role and the first Black female county assessor in California’s history.
What is Neysa Fligor’s educational background?
Fligor holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and political science from Florida International University and a law degree from Georgetown University. She is also a California State Board of Equalization Certified Property Tax Appraiser.
How did Neysa Fligor win the Santa Clara County Assessor election?
She ran in a 2025 special election, leading the field with 38% of the vote in November before winning a decisive runoff on December 30, 2025, with approximately 65% of the vote against Rishi Kumar.
What are Neysa Fligor’s priorities as County Assessor?
Her top priorities include ensuring fair and accurate property assessments, protecting public revenues, improving office processes, expanding community engagement, and overseeing a major technology modernization of the assessor’s office systems.
What makes Neysa Fligor’s election historic?
She became the first woman ever elected Santa Clara County Assessor and the first Black or African-American woman to hold a county assessor position anywhere in the state of California — a milestone achieved in the heart of Silicon Valley.
