Congressional District 16: PACs spend big on Sam Liccardo and Evan Low

Though it’s not one of California’s few battleground House seats, the congressional District 16 race has captured the attention of outside groups that have shelled out more than $4 million ahead of Election Day.

Democratic candidates Assemblymember Evan Low and former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo are vying to replace U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo in Congress after she announced her retirement last year, with both collectively spending more than $7.4 million to boost their message to voters in the district that includes parts of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

The seasoned lawmakers, though, have received some help. Ten political action committees, also known as PACs, spent nearly $1.6 million backing Low, while four PACs paid out $1.9 million in support of Liccardo, according to an analysis of federal campaign finance records through Oct. 25. In the last few weeks, spending by groups opposing the candidates have also begun, with $295,511 spent against Low and $406,103 opposing Liccardo.

OpenSecrets, the nonprofit that tracks campaign finance data, has found an uptick in spending across the board in congressional races in recent years, with 2024 close to surpassing 2020 as the most expensive election.

In the District 16 congressional race, the pro-Liccardo Super PAC Neighbors for Results has been the biggest spender overall, pumping $1.9 million into the heated contest and accounting for more than 80% of positive spending for the former mayor.

Billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg is its largest donor, contributing $2 million. Other major donors to the Super PAC include former NetApp CEO Daniel Warmenhoven and Cypress Semiconductor founder John Thurman Rodgers. The group also helped fund the contentious primary recount after Low tied with Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian for second.

Neighbors for Results has spent $1.5 million supporting Liccardo and $295,511 running attack ads against Low.

Eric Petry, an attorney with the Brennan Center’s Elections and Government Program, said that most federal campaigns now have single-candidate Super PACs, like Neighbors for Results, that are often funded by wealthy donors or dark money groups.

“It raises questions of who has the influence and who is the elected official listening to when they’re making policy if their campaign is bankrolled by a wealthy individual or a wealthy organization from outside the district or outside their state,” Petry said.

Liccardo endorsed the ex-New York City mayor for president in 2020 and served as the California co-chair to his campaign after now-Vice President Kamala Harris dropped out of the race.

In a statement, Low’s campaign manager, Lindsey Cobia, attacked Liccardo for garnering Bloomberg’s support, calling the former mayor’s campaign “a wholly owned subsidiary of a New York billionaire who has long supported Sam’s attacks on working people and the pensions they’ve earned.”

The CHC Bold PAC, which is the fundraising side of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Bold America, another group committed to electing Hispanic leaders, have also spent $271,062 and $50,000 respectively backing Liccardo.

The former mayor’s campaign praised the support Liccardo’s congressional bid has amassed from outside groups.

“Sam is proud to have the support of the largest Democratic caucus in Congress and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, as well as champions for gun violence prevention, the environment, and reproductive rights, and the endorsement of every one of the four daily newspapers serving the district,” deputy campaign manager Gil Rubinstein said in a statement.

On Low’s side, the Golden State Leadership Fund has been the biggest spender, having expended $399,000 on his candidacy in the primary. The group lists its major donors as the California Apartment Association, PG&E and the LGBT Caucus Leadership Fund.

Equality California Votes and Equality PAC — both organizations that advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and candidates — have also spent big on Low, writing checks for $251,579 and $363,456 respectively. Equality California Votes has also spent $250,000 on digital ads attacking Liccardo.

National Nurses United for Patient Protection, the PAC for the nurses union that has endorsed Low, has also emerged as a big spender, shelling out $252,020.

Cobia said that Low is “running a people-powered campaign backed by local firefighters, police officers, nurses and teachers.”

Other groups spending money to support Low include the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians — a tribe based in San Diego County — the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California and the Voter Protection Project. The voting rights organization has spent $82,000 in support of Low and lists its top two major donors as the San Jose Police Officers’ Association, which gave $75,000, and California Waste Solutions, which gave $10,000.

Earlier this year, the FBI raided the homes of California Waste Solutions owner David Duong, his son Andy Duong and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. The FBI has not discussed the case, but in 2019, the Duongs became the subject of an investigation from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission based on the family’s use of “straw donors” — or third-party entities — to funnel money to City Council candidates.

The Duongs have been major donors to Bay Area politicians for years, with David Duong contributing $6,600 to Low’s congressional campaign. After news of the raid broke, Low donated the contribution to Half Moon Bay-based nonprofit Ayudando Latinos A Soñar.

Liccardo’s campaign criticized Low for receiving support from the recycling hauler through PAC money, as well as to his assembly campaign account.

“It’s disappointing that corporations like Chevron, PG&E, private prisons and criminally indicted Cal Waste Solutions executives are illegally funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to support Low, and to spread lies about Sam’s record,” Rubinstein said, referring to a recent FEC complaint against Low that alleges he’s using state campaign money to boost his congressional bid.

Low’s campaign has called the allegations “meritless” and an attempt to “distract from Sam’s own ethical failings.”

Outside of Equality California Votes, only one other PAC has spent money to oppose Liccardo’s candidacy: Let’s Get It Done PAC. The PAC has spent $156,103 and filed its statement of organization on Oct. 10. It has yet to report any donors.

With PACs flooding mailboxes and airways in the weeks before the election, Petry said that it’s important for voters to be aware of who is paying for the ads.

“You need to recognize where the money is coming from and what the interests are of the person funding the message and how that might align with or differ from their policy priorities,” Petry said.