Incumbent
CA-16 primary: first place
$12.3K
JUN 6, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleU.S. Representative
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyModerate Democrat
Age56 years old (Apr 16, 1970)
GenderMale
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LocationCalifornia
BackgroundU.S. Representative
EducationBellarmine College Preparatory (San Jose, California) (graduated 1987)
Notable personal detailsSamuel Theodore Liccardo is a U.S. Representative from California’s 16th Congressional District, first elected in 2024 and serving since January 3, 2025. He previously served on the San Jose City Council (2007–2015) and as Mayor of San Jose (2015–2023). Before elected office, he worked as a prosecutor, including as an assistant U.S. attorney and as a deputy district attorney in Santa Clara County. He earned degrees from Georgetown University and Harvard University (Kennedy School and Law School).
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
The candidate supports federal tax changes that roll back regressive elements of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and favors using tax policy to incentivize research, development, and building conversions, while his record as San José mayor includes proposals to cut certain local taxes (notably construction/development taxes) and opposition to some local tax increases. Overall his positions combine support for targeted tax increases or tax-code reversals at the federal level with pro-growth / tax-reduction measures on local development, producing inconsistent signals on economy and tax policy.
Healthcare
Sam Liccardo supports protecting and extending Affordable Care Act provisions and opposes federal cuts to Medicaid (Medi‑Cal), pursuing bipartisan legislation to extend ACA premium tax credits and reduce health-care costs through targeted reforms. His public statements and bills focus on preserving coverage and affordability rather than advocating for single‑payer replacement.
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Immigration & Border
Supports expanding legal immigration channels and reforms to reduce court backlogs (including proposals like start-up visas, lifting per-country caps, and conditional status for Dreamers) while also acknowledging the need for stronger border management. Positions combine advocacy for pathways and asylum-processing improvements with acceptance of some enforcement measures.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports federally protecting abortion access prior to fetal viability, expanding telemedicine and IVF access, enabling travel and federal funding (including Medicaid) for abortion care when needed, and backing federal bills such as the Women’s Health Protection Act and the EACH Act to safeguard reproductive rights.
Climate & Energy
Supports decarbonization policies and local clean-energy programs, including creation of a community choice energy utility and investments in renewable generation, grid resilience, and climate resilience funding. Emphasizes electrification of transportation and buildings and federal funding for coastal and climate resilience projects.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports expanded background checks and red-flag (extreme risk) laws and has championed local gun-safety measures including a first-in-nation proposal requiring gun liability insurance and fees to fund prevention programs. Advocates strengthening local rules to curb straw purchases, ghost guns, and other sources of illegal firearms while acknowledging Second Amendment rights.
News
Sam Liccardo is in the news because he was among California Democrats commenting on misconduct allegations involving Eric Swalwell during governor race coverage. The reports say Liccardo discussed the claims as Swalwell denied them and left the governor’s race. The coverage is focused on the fallout around Swalwell rather than on any new action by Liccardo himself.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262024
2026
LatestCycle 2024
Cycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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