Former San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo made a campaign stop in his hometown of Saratoga Aug. 8 ahead of his November runoff against state Assemblymember Evan Low for U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo’s seat in Congress.
About 20 people turned out for a meet-and-greet at the home of Gay and Roy Crawford to discuss Liccardo’s priorities if elected to Congress, and his plans to address the issues they see as affecting Congressional District 16, including homelessness.
Liccardo emerged from the March primary as the leading candidate overall and in his hometown, with Low in a tight race with Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian for the second spot on the November ballot. Low got the nod after a recount, the funding for which came primarily from allies of Liccardo.
At the meet-and-greet, Liccardo reflected on the lessons he learned about politics early in his career, and the issues he sees as most pressing heading into the election this fall.
“We have a crisis, I believe, of short-term thinking on Capitol Hill, and that’s the way they see the world is in the short term, and we’ve got long-term challenges facing our country right now,” he said.
A few attendees also expressed concerns about the possibility of former president Donald Trump’s re-election, and asked about what Liccardo might do if that happens.
“I believe strongly we should cross the aisle, (but) I’m not going to hug it out with Marjorie Taylor-Greene or probably with the orange guy,” he said.
Gay Crawford thanked the group for their attendance, and said Liccardo has been supportive of her work with Cancer CAREpoint, a nonprofit she helped found that supports cancer patients, survivors and their families.