SAN FRANCISCO — When Chris Kelly ran for Palo Alto City Council in 2001, he finished ahead of a local panhandler, but still couldn’t get enough votes to win one of the five open seats.

“Palo Altoans tend to elect people who have been in town for awhile,” explains Diana Diamond, veteran newspaper columnist in the city of 60,000. “Not enough people knew him … he was too much of a newbie.”