As the novelty of the tie between Supervisor Joe Simitian and Assemblymember Evan Low in the 16th Congressional District election fades, the recent developments in that race bring instead deeply troubling questions.
One of my former classmates, Jonathan Padilla, who graduated with me from Bellarmine College Preparatory in 2007, has requested a recount. He does so “on behalf of Evan Low” and without “coordinating or communicating with any candidate or candidates’ agents,” as declared in his formal written request.
In his “only public comment” regarding the recount, Jonathan admonishes Democrats who “don’t believe in counting votes and ensuring that the will of the people is transparently reflected.” As a resident who lives and votes in the 16th Congressional District, I might, under ordinary circumstances, appreciate Jonathan’s concern about the integrity of the election results that likely will determine my next Congressmember.
You see, Jonathan and I do not support the same candidate in this race. I voted for Joe Simitian. As a resident in the 19th Congressional District, which is well-represented by Congressmember Jimmy Panetta, Jonathan did not and could not have voted for any of the candidates running for the 16th Congressional District, currently well-represented by Congressmember Anna Eshoo.
Nevertheless, despite his inability to vote for any of the candidates seeking to represent me, Jonathan does have a preferred candidate. As has been reported in the San Francisco Chronicle and elsewhere, Jonathan “donated $1,000 to [Sam] Liccardo’s congressional campaign in December [2023],” and is represented by Matthew Alvarez, an attorney who “represented a political action committee controlled by Liccardo in 2022” and “is listed as the treasurer for a super PAC, Neighbors for Results, which spent $211,287 supporting Liccardo in February.” Jonathan also served as “the policy and finance director for Liccardo’s 2014 mayoral campaign.”
You’ll observe that Liccardo, who himself does not live in the 16th Congressional District and consequently could not even vote for himself, has clear connections to Jonathan and the recount request. And yet, you’ll remember that Jonathan indicated that he was seeking the recount “on behalf of Evan Low.”
If you are skeptical that this declaration from Jonathan is sincere, you have good reason to be. Assemblymember Low himself has publicly opposed the recount effort, which, in a statement from his campaign, he calls “disingenuous” and “cynical.” I agree with Assemblymember Low. The totality of the facts suggests strongly that Sam Liccardo believes it is politically advantageous to remove one of his opponents from the ballot. He understands that there would be a political cost to him if he himself were to request the recount, so instead he is pretending that one of his longtime supporters and friends is requesting the recount completely without any coordination or communication, and totally and solely of his own accord.
That leaves one last set of troubling questions. The individual requesting the recount must pay the cost, estimated to be over $320,000. I do not believe that Jonathan would spend $320,000 on a gamble to help Evan Low, a candidate he clearly does not support, in a race he cannot even vote in.
His sanctimonious remarks notwithstanding, Jonathan does not have a history of self-funding recount efforts in other elections to preserve the integrity of the counting process. More likely, an intervening and wealthy benefactor will spare Jonathan the need to spend his own money. Will the public learn who will pay for the recount? Will the true source(s) of funding be disclosed?
An individual who cannot vote in the 16th Congressional District election, on behalf of a candidate in that race who cannot even vote for himself, supported financially by some unknown source, is days away from eliminating a candidate whom the actual voters in the district have advanced to the general election. The truly aggrieved parties will be those of us denied the opportunity to vote for our preferred candidate.
Please don’t let this happen. Demand transparency and accountability.
Lucas Ramirez is a Mountain View City Council member.
