After weeks of uncertainty, there is a result finally in this closely-watched Silicon Valley Congressional Primary (CA -16) and it is an extremely unusual one. Two second-place candidates, Assemblyman Evan Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian have finished with the exact same number of votes – 30,249 votes to be exact. This tied outcome thrusts them into November’s general election against former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.
How did we get here?
After nearly a month with the lead swinging from Low to Simitian and back, the final ballot was tallied on April 4, resulting in a dead-heat. Election officials in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties filed their “final, certified, official” results with the California Secretary of State that afternoon.
“I would describe it as a you-got-to-be-kidding-me moment,” said Simitian on hearing the result. “It was altogether unexpected just by the virtue of the sheer size of the district and the number of votes cast.”
Low’s reaction was “Wait, what?”
California’s Primary system, also called “Jungle Primary” is a free-for-all race. Voters can pick any candidate, regardless of party. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election. But this remarkable ending to the competitive race is a first for California since the state switched to a jungle primary system in 2012.
In the end, Liccardo finished with 21% of the vote, while Low and Simitian each had about 17%. Given how close the primary was, CA-16 could have its first member of Congress elected without a clear majority in a long time.
Considering it was a primary in a reliably blue district that has not seen a new Congressperson in over 30 years, turnout for the election was low, only 37.39% in Santa Clara County and 40% in San Mateo County. Of the registered voters in the district, roughly 260,000 didn’t cast a ballot. This is an opportunity for all 3 candidates to pick up those votes and the endorsement of the 8 other candidates who ran for this race.
CA-16 District
Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (CA-16) announced her retirement in November, 2023 after more than 30 years in Congress. Her retirement triggered a furious race for her seat, which favors registered Democrats by a wide-margin. The final candidate list for the primary election on March 5 consisted of 9 Democrats and 2 Republicans.
CA-16 is a coveted Congressional seat in the heart of Silicon Valley, including parts of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties with cities like Palo Alto, Mountain View, Saratoga, Campbell, and parts of the City of San Jose.
In the primaries, this was already one of the most expensive House races in California, with candidates spending a collective $5.3 million. This is not surprising given that this district is one of the wealthiest in California and in the country. This is expected to get even more expensive for the general election in November with 3 close Democratic contenders.
Will there be a recount?
The deadline for the decision on whether to seek a recount is April 9. A recount could cost the requesting candidate – not taxpayers – as much as $500,000. California law includes no provision for automatic recounts.
Two separate requests have been filed to recount the primary race for California’s 16th Congressional District, officials in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties confirmed Tuesday. Neither of the two had yet made a deposit for the recount. Should the requests meet the qualifications, the recount would begin on Monday.
“This historically close race shows that every vote really counts,”- Low.