California congressional election reduced to a two-way contest after primary recount
The California congressional race, which was poised to be a three-way general election, will now see a traditional two-way general election after a recount.
Democrats Evan Low and Joe Simitian previously tied for second place in the state’s primary for the 16th Congressional District, with each candidate securing 30,249 votes. But after the recount, Low emerged victorious with 30,261 votes, just a handful of Simitian’s 30,256 votes, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Elections announced Tuesday.
Low will advance to the November general election for the seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo, who is not seeking re-election.
The congressman will face former San José mayor Sam Liccardo, who came first in the March primary.
In California, the top two candidates in the primary advance to the general election, but a tie for second could allow for a three-way race.
The move comes after a California voter requested a recount, drawing sharp criticism from Low, who in April called the move “a page taken out of Trump’s political playbook, using dirty tricks to attack democracy and subvert the will of voters.” .
The voter, Jonathan Padilla, was a former staffer for a previous Liccardo campaign, although both Padilla and the campaign denied they were in contact or coordinated before a recount was announced.
In a statement Wednesday, Low expressed excitement about moving forward to the general election and praised Simitian, who is a Santa Clara County supervisor.
“I want to express my gratitude to the dedicated staff of both Registrars of Elections for their painstaking efforts during this unique recount process, and to the dedicated leader who did this wild recount with me, Joe Simitian, whose decades of public service remain an inspiration to me,” Low said in a statement posted in X on Wednesday.
Simitian admitted Wednesday, saying in a statement that he was “disappointed but not sad.”
“The good news is that the long and painful vote counting exercise for the 16th electoral district is over!” he wrote in a statement. “The not-so-good news: We fell short. I lost and I admit it. I trust the process and I accept the result.”
Simitian also congratulated Low and Liccardo and thanked their supporters.
The district is heavily Democratic and both candidates who advanced to the general election are Democrats.
