ICYMI: The Truth About Congressional District 16 Candidates

“The Truth Matters,” Campbell Vice Mayor Writes in Op-Ed

SAN JOSE, CA — Today, Campbell Vice Mayor published an op-ed in the San Jose Spotlight, laying out the facts about misleading attack ads paid for by Assemblymember Evan Low and his corporate-backed super PAC allies.

“The truth matters, and the ads you may be seeing attacking Sam Liccardo, paid for by Evan Low’s campaigns and his corporate super PACs, are baseless — even ironic — lies.

These ads might lead you to believe that one of the candidates in the race accepted tens of thousands of dollars from a garbage company, California Waste Solutions, and its CEO David Duong, who is now under federal investigation for corruption.

That’s true. But the candidate in question isn’t Sam Liccardo. It’s his opponent, Evan Low, who has taken tens of thousands of dollars from both CWS and Duong over the past decade.

Liccardo never received money from CWS — or Duong — to support his two successful mayoral campaigns in 2014 and 2018, nor for his current congressional campaign. You can check the public records for yourself.

Low, on the other hand, received $6,600 from Duong to fund his congressional campaign at the end of 2023. Though Low said he would return that contribution after being pressed by the media, CWS also gave $10,000 in 2024 to a super PAC supporting Low’s primary campaign this election cycle. Over the years, Low’s Assembly campaigns have also consistently received many thousands of dollars from Duong and California Waste Solutions.

An article published by this news organization, which Low cites, points to two contributions made to “Liccardo’s interests,” but does not say Liccardo himself solicited either or even knew about the contributions. The company contributed to a now-defunct ballot measure committee that supported protecting open space against developers of luxury housing. The committee, led by then-Mayor Liccardo, was also supported by the Sierra Club, the Democratic Party and neighborhood organizations.

Yes, Liccardo did vote to extend the company’s garbage contract — but so did every other voting councilmember, hardly “controversial.”

There’s enough negativity in our politics, and the truth matters. The 16th Congressional District, and our communities, deserve a representative who will stick to the facts.”