Evan Low, Joe Simitian tied for 2nd place in 16th District congressional race
SAN JOSE – Jim Irizarry, Assistant Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder of San Mateo County, has seen his fair share of elections during his 11-year tenure.
However, today marks a first for him — a tied election. Nearly a month after the March primary, the race for the 16th Congressional District in Silicon Valley took another unexpected turn as both second-place candidates tied.
"Today, we're in the process of certifying the election to report to the Secretary of State tomorrow the final results for the 16th Congressional District," Irizarry said.
According to unofficial results posted Tuesday, both Assemblymember Evan Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian have 30,249 votes. Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo is in first place with 38,489 votes.
"The last cured ballots that we received was yesterday at approximately 3:45, and that ballot voted for Supervisor Joe Smith, and then went into the count and basically tied the election according to the Secretary of State," Irizarry told KPIX.
Election officials in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, where the 16th District is located, announced Tuesday that all ballots have been processed. Both San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties are set to issue their official results by 5 p.m. Thursday.
"It's in the ballpark of the candidates. At this point in time, the campaigns need to decide whether they are satisfied with the results. If they are not, they have five days to file for a recount," Irizarry states. "At this juncture, because there is a tie, state law basically says that when there is a tie for the two positions that we're talking about right now, the two will go to the November election, so they will be at three-way race for the congressional seat."
The Secretary of State has until April 12 to certify the results, giving candidates the opportunity to challenge them.
For weeks, the race for second place has taken multiple turns, with Simitian and Low both holding the place spot, often by razor-thin margins. Tuesday was the last day voters were able to correct issues with their ballots.
The contest will determine who will replace Rep. Anna Eshoo, who is retiring after more than three decades in Congress.