Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo is out to an early lead in the crowded race to replace U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, while Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian and Assemblymember Evan Low are currently neck-in-neck looking to nab the second spot in the November run-off.
The congressional District 16 race is one of two open House of Representatives seats in the Bay Area this year and is the most expensive House race in the state. The 11 candidates — nine Democrats and two Republicans — have collectively spent $5.7 million and outside groups and Super PACs have shelled out $2.8 million.
The next District 16 congressmember will represent a large swath of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, and will replace Rep. Anna Eshoo, who last year announced her retirement after more than three decades in Congress. The last-minute declaration sparked a flurry of interest from local elected officials and a few political newcomers as the seat is a rare chance for congressional hopefuls in the Bay Area to secure a coveted spot on Capitol Hill without having to face off against an incumbent.
Liccardo, who was leading early Tuesday, emerged as an early frontrunner in the race, raking in nearly double the cash as his competitors in the first month-and-a-half of the campaign.
The former mayor said that while it will take a few days before they have a “clear picture” of the race, early results confirmed what he heard while knocking on thousands of doors: that residents want a Congress that’s focused on addressing issues like homelessness and the high cost of living.
“They want a Congress to get beyond the bickering, to get something done and that has been my focus and my message and it’s heartening to see that is resonating,” Liccardo said.
Simitian, who was spending his election night having a “milkshake party” at Palo Alto Creamery, said he was “entirely confident” that he was in the top two for the November general election.
“The margin is wide enough,” he said of his lead.
The county supervisor has represented 14 of the 15 cities in the congressional district over the course of his political career, and his lengthy list of endorsement is comprised of more than 130 current and former local elected officials — including Eshoo herself.
Simitian said he was looking forward to starting a “whole new race” and talking with more voters in the district.
Low, who has positioned himself as a progressive candidate looking to fight back against Trump Republicans and promote and protect LGBTQ and abortion rights, could be impacted by a potentially record-low voter turnout as early indicators ahead of Tuesday’s primary showed young adults voting early at much lower rates.
On Tuesday night, Low, who held an election party with State Assembly District 26 candidate Patrick Ahrens and Santa Clara County Supervisor candidate Margaret Abe-Koga, said he was feeling “hopeful” that he could make it into the top two.
“I am proud of the volunteers and the dedicated voters who understand the importance of civic engagement,” Low said of his campaign.
Despite having the biggest war chest ahead of the March 5 primary, tech entrepreneur and veteran Peter Dixon found himself in fifth place early on Tuesday evening behind Republican and former Menlo Park Mayor Peter Ohtaki. The founder of cybersecurity company Second Front Systems, Dixon exploded onto the political scene, pulling in nearly $2.8 million by Feb. 14, though half of that came from his own pocketbook.
Dixon also saw the most outside dollars spent on his candidacy, with one Super PAC, Next Generation Veterans Fund, spending nearly $1.3 million backing him.
Former Saratoga City Councilmember Rishi Kumar, who during the November 2022 election secured about 42% of the vote when he challenged Eshoo, also trailed early Tuesday evening virtually in a sixth place tie with businessman Karl Ryan.
Palo Alto City Councilmember Julie Lythcott-Haims, attorney Ahmed Mostafa, Palo Alto City Councilmember Greg Lin Tanaka and Stanford graduate student and climate investor Joby Bernstein were in the back of the pack early on election night.