A rare tied primary election result in California's 16th Congressional District is poised to put three candidates on the November ballot. After the March 5 election, unofficial results revealed that two Democratic candidates, State Assemblyman Evan Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, each garnered 30,249 votes, tying for second place. The first-place finisher, former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, secured 38,489 votes.
Under California state law, if there is a tie for the second-highest number of votes cast, all tied candidates proceed to the general election. This means Liccardo and both of his challengers will be on the ballot in November, as per the California elections code.
The tie was confirmed after a vote for Simitian received by San Mateo County on Tuesday matched Low's total, leading to the unique situation. Officials in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties are expected to release their official results by 5 p.m. local time Thursday.
While the campaigns have the option to request a recount within five days if unsatisfied with the results, the tie currently dictates that all three candidates will advance to the general election. California election officials have until April 12 to certify the results.
The upcoming election will determine the successor to Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., who announced her retirement in November after over 30 years in Congress. Eshoo expressed her gratitude to constituents in a video accompanying her retirement announcement.
Representatives for the Low and Simitian campaigns have not yet indicated whether they plan to challenge the election results or pursue a recount.
