Former SJ Mayor Sam Liccardo Officially Announces Candidacy For Congressional Seat

Former San Jose Mayor and current Stanford professor Sam Liccardo announced on Friday that he is officially running for Congress, joining an already crowded field for the 16th House District seat covering part of the Southern Bay area.

For months, Liccardo, who was a San Jose City Councilman from 2006 to 2014 and Mayor of the city from 2014 to 2022 has been rumored to be possibly be looking at a potential run for the House. However, since Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) was not retiring, Liccardo said he would not be running against her. As late as last month, Liccardo was telling news outlets that he would not be running for the House.

Eshoo’s surprise retirement announcement in late November changed all of that. Many candidates quickly announced their candidacy for the race, including  former Saratoga City Councilor Rishi Kumar (D), Santa Clara County Supervisor and former state Senator Joe Simitian (D), Palo Alto Councilwoman Julie Lythcott-Haims (D), and former Menlo Park Mayor Peter Ohtaki (R). The most expected candidate, Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), joined earlier this week, with many outlets predicting   a Simitian-Low matchup in November for the heavily Democratic district. Hovering over this the whole time was Liccardo, who was now switching gears and was now heavily rumored to be a candidate.

On Friday, Liccardo made it official, announcing that he will officially run for the soon to be open seat, and expanding the field to six major candidates with previously elected experience.

“This is official. Our campaign for innovative ideas and bold solutions on crime, homelessness and the cost of living begins this morning,” tweeted Liccardo on Friday.

This is official. Our campaign for innovative ideas and bold solutions on crime, homelessness and the cost of living begins this morning.

Are you in? https://t.co/PJqbpIdyf1

Read More: https://t.co/QwAGymRvQO

— Sam Liccardo (@sliccardo) December 8, 2023

Later on Friday, Liccardo added that “I’m excited to talk about the issues our residents care about the most and identify the solutions we need to ensure Congress is doing more. Congress must act faster to address crime, confront homelessness, and lower the cost of living. [My] campaign will focus on innovative solutions to the region’s most pressing problems – starting with crime, homelessness, and the cost of living.”

The addition of Liccardo on Friday makes the 16th House District not only one of the most crowded in the nation, but also one of the most competitive. And, while the district has a strong majority of Democratic voters, an extreme split amongst Democratic candidates could lead to a GOP managing to get through the primary instead of two Democrats.

“Liccardo and Low coming into the race this week means that the Democrats will be heavily split,” said Ben Kim, a pollster in Santa Clara County, to the Globe. “This was supposed to be Low’s district when Eshoo retired, but everyone is putting their hat in the ring. And Low, he’s grabbing the far left crowd, as well as Asian and LGBT voters. Liccardo has the centrist Democrats more behind him, as well as many in and around San Jose from his time as Mayor, and the tech crowd. Lythcott-Haims is grabbing a lot of female and black votes, as well as many from Palo Alto. Simitian has broad appeal, especially with older voters. Rishi Kumar has Saratoga and many Indian-Americans for him. It is just so fractured.

“Meanwhile, Ohtaki is there to snap up all the GOP votes, as well as any Democrat who doesn’t want to vote on anyone from their party. Unaffiliated voters will be much sought after too. But, wow, this is just such a fractured race. Eshoo has been in office forever, so there was a lot of backup of candidates, and now they are all coming through at once. And not only that, but look how many have elected experience and built up bases. Liccardo and Low are the biggest names there, but considering the competition, they could be cannibalizing so many voted that someone like Ohtaki could squeak through. And no one wants to be known as the one who lost to a Republican, even in a primary, in the Bay area.”

The primary election is to be held on March 5, 2024.