In the 60 minutes that former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Assemblymember Evan Low spent answering questions tonight about their 16th Congressional District battle in front of a regional television and online audience, they offered up competing endorsements and resumes – while agreeing on most issues.
The debate at the end of the first week after ballots were mailed to 448,470 registered voters was combative but offered voters few real differences of opinion between the progressive Low and the moderate Liccardo.
Perhaps because they were facing two Democrats, the moderators – Raj Mathai of NBC Bay Area, Guy Marzorati of KQED and Dayana Monroy of Telemundo – didn’t ask about abortion rights, inflation, tariffs or taxes.
When they asked about other issues – homelessness, immigration, the Middle East, small businesses, crime, social media, the environment – major policy differences weren’t apparent.
The candidates differed on California Proposition 36 on the November ballot. Liccardo, a former prosecutor, said he will vote for the measure that allows stiffer penalties for drug and theft crimes. Low said he was opposed to the measure, saying “I refuse to go back to the era of mass incarceration.”
Liccardo did say that the Biden administration “was too slow to respond to the crisis on the border,” but both he and Low called for a comprehensive immigration reform that recognized the importance of immigrants as well as border safety.
And Liccardo differed with Low – whose brother is a San Jose police officer – when the former mayor called for tough measures to hold police more accountable for their actions.
Liccardo made one surprise prediction – while explaining the importance of working with Republicans – that “it’s likely that Republicans will win the Senate and Democrats will win the House.”
In his answer to five separate questions, Low made a point of identifying himself as being on the Kamala Harris ticket, implying an endorsement from the Vice President. Low has been endorsed by the California Democratic Party, but not by the party’s presidential candidate.
And in his answer to another half dozen questions, he repeated his endorsements by the local police officer and firefighter labor unions. He said Liccardo’s support as a city council member for pension reform cut officers’ pensions and forced many to quit.
Liccardo touted his support from the Sierra Club and other environmental groups and most of the Bay Area state Assembly delegation – Low’s colleagues.
Both candidates thanked Rep. Anna Eshoo in their closing minute, perhaps hoping for an 11th-hour endorsement. Eshoo announced her retirement in December after more than 30 years in the House, and has made no endorsement in the General Election battle for her seat.
She had endorsed Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian in the primary; Simitian lost to Low in a dramatic recount after an unprecedented tie for the ballot spot behind Liccardo.
Each candidate has filed Federal Election Commission complaints against the other. Most recent polls made public by Liccardo showed double-digit leads over Low.
Final campaign fundraising reports out next week are likely to show if Low has the resources to close the gap. The race could be close because of the uncertain impact of major labor unions and the state and national Democratic Party on the 16th District vote.
