Councilmember 5/6/25-11/25/25
Vishal Bhargava, an Amazon executive and Planning Commission member, was appointed to the City Council, taking the seat vacated by John Stokes in May 2025.
Bhargava, who began serving on the Planning Commission in 2018, resigned his seat to join the council. He has more than a decade of experience in urban planning, technology leadership and community service. In 2021, he cofounded the Beautiful Minds Foundation, a mental health advocacy organization.
Vishal’s priorities include affordable housing and sustainable growth, enhancing public safety with expanded mental health resources, and promoting economic development through innovation and workforce investment. He aims to foster an inclusive, resilient Bellevue, balancing growth with quality of life for all community members.
Bhargava has been with Amazon for more than a decade, and has been a director of product management since 2020.
Bhargava’s appointment ends after certification of the November general election. He is running for the council seat and would serve through Stokes’ original term ending Dec. 31, 2027 if he wins.
Vishal has an MBA in strategy and operations from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a master’s in urban planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He earned a certification in disruptive innovation from the Harvard Business School.