Sam Liccardo Defeats Evan Low in Contentious South Bay Race for Congress

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Updated 5 p.m. Wednesday

Former San José Mayor Sam Liccardo defeated state Assemblymember Evan Low, a fellow Democrat, in a contentious race for Congress to represent a large swath of the South Bay.

Liccardo, who had captured more than 59% of the vote as of Wednesday, will claim the 16th District seat currently held by outgoing Rep. Anna Eshoo, who has served in the House since 1993.

The Associated Press called the race late Wednesday afternoon.

At his election watch party Tuesday evening in San José’s Santana Row, the mood grew jubilant as early returns showed Liccardo with a commanding lead over Low.

Liccardo vowed, if elected, to reach across the political aisle.

“We have to first start with an appreciation that we are all Americans, and we are all facing massive challenges together,” he said. “My hope and my fervent effort will be about how we can reach across the aisle regardless who the president of the United States is, to try to build relationships of trust, to enable us to tackle our biggest challenges, because we cannot do it while we’re divided.”

With little separating the two candidates’ policy platforms, the race between Liccardo and Low was instead defined by withering attacks over political and personal ethics. The two sparred over the funding of a controversial recount in the primary, campaign spending, and even Liccardo’s recent bout with laryngitis.

The general election ended where it began amid a hailstorm of campaign jousting and accusations of political impropriety.

While Liccardo led a crowded field of candidates in the March primary, Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian finished in a tie for second. Before a three-candidate general election could proceed, a group of Liccardo allies requested and funded a recount, which elevated Low ahead of Simitian by five votes.

Low accused Liccardo of masterminding the recount to narrow his field of opponents, while Liccardo blasted Low for attempting to halt the legal count.

The two continued to hurl allegations at each other for months.

Last month, Liccardo accused Low of illegally spending more than $500,000, using funds he had raised for his Assembly reelection bid, on a TV advertisement touting his record in the Legislature. Liccardo argued the ad was clearly intended to promote Low’s run for the House, a violation of federal election law.

Low and his allies hit back, calling Liccardo a “defunder” of the San José Police Department (police staffing declined while Liccardo was on the City Council but increased during his two terms as mayor) and initially questioning the veracity of a laryngitis diagnosis that prompted Liccardo to postpone the only broadcast debate of the election.

The fighting came to a head at an early October debate in San José, in which Low and Liccardo exchanged broadsides before a live TV and radio audience and revealed a few areas of disagreement on policy. Liccardo said he supports Proposition 36, the statewide ballot measure allowing prosecutors to seek tougher sentences for repeat offenders charged with theft and drug possession, which Low opposes. And Low said he disagrees with Congress’ decision to force a sale of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, a move Liccardo said he supports.

Millions in campaign spending amplified the tit-for-tat. Liccardo had spent $4.7 million through mid-October and was boosted by $1.9 million in general election outside spending, most of which came from a super PAC largely funded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Low’s campaign, meanwhile, had spent $2.6 million and benefited from $2.1 million in spending from an array of super PACS, including a nurses union and groups backing LGBTQ+ rights and candidates.