Three candidates looking to replace Anna Eshoo’s seat in the House of Representatives are moving on to the November election after the primary race ended in an exact tie.
Both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties officially certified their election results Thursday, cementing a tie for second between Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian and California Assemblymember Evan Low.
Simitian and Low both ended with exactly 30,249 votes in the race for District 16, meaning both will advance and will take on front runner Sam Liccardo.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Low issued a statement, thanking supporters, saying in part, "This historically close race shows that every vote really counts. I could not have made it this far without every one of you, and I hope to earn your support once again in November."
Simitian released the following statement Thursday:
"I want to begin by saying thank you for this victory. Thanks to those who cast their vote in support of my candidacy. Thanks to my supporters who made this win possible. And thanks to the folks who spent the last month actually counting the votes -- the election officials who made sure that our American democracy works. This is what a functioning democracy looks like. Every vote is counted and every vote counts.
We have important work to do as a nation. I am ready to do that work. First, of course, that means winning in November. That’s the next challenge.
I'm looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to hearing from the voters in my district, and I'm looking forward to sharing my vision for our nation's future.
Sometimes it takes a while for democracy to work. This has been one of those times. Call it a cliffhanger, a rollercoaster, a wild ride — but it has absolutely been worth the wait!"
