For months, attacks have escalated between the two Democrats vying for a House seat that Anna Eshoo vacated. The pair faced off in a local debate on Friday.
Candidates former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Assemblymember Evan Low faced off in a Congressional District 16 debate hosted by NBC Bay Area, Telemundo 48, and KQED. The pair traded jabs, listed endorsements, and attempted to make a case for the public's vote.
Out of the gate, Liccardo and Low were asked if they were running an ethical campaign. For months, the two have traded accusations over campaign funding, a controversial recount, and their track records.
"We should agree on one issue. Every vote should be counted. Every vote should be counted, and we can agree on that except Evan Low," Liccardo said.
In response, Low said, "It is important that we’re talking about our records, not just rhetoric."
The one-hour debate covered a range of issues from the Israel-Hamas war, immigration, homelessness, tech policy and crime.
At every opportunity, the pair jabs at each other. Low, at one point, accused Liccardo of owing the City of San Jose 300 police officers for "the devastation" he caused while in office.
Liccardo said it was better to be "smart on crime" and that he left the office with the 'lowest homicide rate in any major city in the United States."
The pair also touched on Proposition 36, a statewide ballot measure that would make it easier to increase penalties for drug and retail theft crimes.
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Low said he does not support the measure because he refuses "to go back to the era of mass incarceration." To which Liccardo said arrests do not equate to incarcerations.
"What we need is accountability," Liccardo said.
At times, Liccardo called out what he said is a lack of leadership form Low at the state level. While Low spent time speaking on what he said was failed leadership on Liccardo's part was mayor.
Melinda Jackson, a political analyst and San Jose State University professor, said she would consider the debate a draw.
"There’s certainly no love lost between these two candidates," Jackson said. "We don’t have a lot of polling in a race like this, but there was a poll about a month ago, an independent poll that showed that about 40% of voters in this district were still undecided."
Despite the clashing at the podiums, both candidates agreed that voters need someone who has a clear plan.
