CA congressional races could be unique as two candidates are likely to tie for second place in a state where only the top two finishers proceed to the general election.
According to unofficial state results on the California Secretary of State's website for the 16th Congressional District, Democrats Evan Low and Joe Simitian each received 30,249 votes, 16.6% of the vote. They'll be on the ballot with fellow Democrat and first-place finisher Sam Liccardo unless a voter seeks a recount.
The five-day recount phase began on Thursday when San Mateo and Santa Clara counties revealed their official findings. In November, Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo said she would not seek re-election after serving in Congress since 1993.
Democratic Assemblyman Evan Low at the Capitol in Sacramento, California, in 2023. The two most popular candidates in California primaries advance to the general election, regardless of party. If the top two tie, those candidates progress.
“It's the kind of thing that has very low possibility of ever happening, but they recognized it in the statute and made this rule that they go into the runoff together," said Political Data Inc. vice president Paul Mitchell.
Biden pressures Israel to increase Gaza assistance routes and deliveries. Any voter can request a recount, but they must pay. A recount might cost $325,000, according to Mitchell.
"I think that you're only going to want to request a recount if you're pretty sure you'll win it," said Loyola Marymount University law professor Justin Levitt."You need an awful lot of confidence to make sure that you win by one rather than losing by one at this point," he said.
"This historically close race proves every vote counts," Low added. "I could not have made it this far without every one of you, and I hope to earn your support once again in November." "Sometimes it takes a while for democracy to work," remarked. This was one of those occasions. Call it a cliffhanger, rollercoaster, or wild ride—it was worth the wait!”
Neither campaign answered whether they would want a recount. Liccardo could request a recount to avoid a three-way race. But Mitchell acknowledged “it’d be kind of weird” for him to do that. Thursday night, former San José mayor Liccardo did not respond to a request for comment.
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