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D Democratic · Incumbent · U.S. House 16, California · Nov 3, 2026

Sam
T. Liccardo

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative for California's 16th District; former two-term Mayor of San José

Researched checked 6 d ago
sources
26
positions
11
endorsements
4
samliccardo.com ↗(opens in a new tab) X(opens in a new tab)
Opponent Peter Sundin Soulé R Compare race →

Background

Sam T. Liccardo is the U.S. Representative for California's 16th Congressional District, elected as a Democrat to the 119th Congress, which began in January 2025. He was born in Saratoga, California, and earned an A.B. from Georgetown University (1991) and both a master's in public policy and a J.D. from Harvard University (1996). 23/)

Before entering Congress, Liccardo served as an assistant U.S. attorney in San Diego (1998–2000) and as a Santa Clara County deputy district attorney (2001–2006), handling felony sexual-assault and child-exploitation cases. He was elected to the San José City Council in 2007 and served until 2015, then served two terms as Mayor of San José from 2015 to 2023. 13/)

Liccardo is the incumbent in the November 2026 general election for California's 16th Congressional District. His official congressional website and campaign website are separate online presences reflecting both his legislative work and ongoing campaign. 27

Sources differ slightly on his current residence, with his official House biography listing Saratoga and his campaign biography listing San José. 123/)

At a glance

Party
Democratic · Incumbent
Running for
U.S. House · District 16, California
Election
Nov 3, 2026
Current office
U.S. Representative for California's 16th Congressional District
Website
samliccardo.com(opens in a new tab)

Where they stand

Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.

Voting record

How Sam T. Liccardo voted in Congress: 119th Congress (2025–26), Jan 3, 2025 to Sep 16, 2026. From the official House and Senate roll call records.

roll call votes
674
missed
1.3%
with their party’s majority
98%

Recent key votes

  • Sep 16, 2026 · House · S2403 · Economy & jobs
    Retire through Ownership Act
    On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass · Passed
    Official roll call ↗(opens in a new tab)
    Yes
  • Sep 16, 2026 · House · HR9497 · Climate & energy
    Water Resources Development Act
    On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended · Passed
    Official roll call ↗(opens in a new tab)
    Yes
  • Sep 16, 2026 · House · HR9340 · Climate & energy
    Ratepayer Protection Act
    On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended · Passed
    Official roll call ↗(opens in a new tab)
    Yes
  • Sep 16, 2026 · House · HJRES213 · Climate & energy
    Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to the “California State Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; Commercial Harbor Craft Regulations; Notice of Decision”
    On Passage · Passed
    Official roll call ↗(opens in a new tab)
    No
  • Sep 16, 2026 · House · HR10326 · Crime & public safety
    PROOF Act
    On Passage · Passed
    Official roll call ↗(opens in a new tab)
    No
  • Sep 16, 2026 · House · HR9576 · Crime & public safety
    National Fraud Enforcement Division Act
    On Passage · Passed
    Official roll call ↗(opens in a new tab)
    Yes
  • Sep 15, 2026 · House · HJRES210 · Climate & energy
    Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “California State Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; Ocean-Going Vessels At-Berth; Notice of Decision”
    On Passage · Passed
    Official roll call ↗(opens in a new tab)
    No
  • Sep 15, 2026 · House · HR9500 · Taxes & budget
    Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act
    On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended · Passed
    Official roll call ↗(opens in a new tab)
    Yes

Key votes are final decisions on bills and joint resolutions, and top nominations. Software sorts each into an issue from its official title, so check the roll call. All 674 votes →

Timeline

  1. Oct 9
    news
    Liccardo leads bipartisan push to expand whale alerts for West Coast mariners

    Liccardo announced a bipartisan request that the Coast Guard, FCC, and NOAA expand use of maritime AIS messages to warn mariners about whales. He noted at least 145 gray whale collisions had been reported along the West Coast in 2026, describing the effort as building on his Save Willy Act.

    Liccardo Leads Bipartisan Push to Bring Whale Alerts to West Coast Mariners · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Oct 7
    filing
    Liccardo and Soulé confirmed on November ballot; Liccardo reported $3.5M raised through June 30

    California election data and Mercury News coverage confirmed Liccardo and Republican Peter Sundin Soulé on the November 3 general election ballot for CA-16. FEC data showed Liccardo had raised $3.5 million in receipts and had $2.2 million cash on hand as of June 30.

    Sam Liccardo, California House, District 16 candidate · Oct 7, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Oct 4
    news
    Liccardo urges U.S.–China cooperation on AI safety in KCRA interview

    In a California Politics 360 interview on KCRA, Liccardo advocated for federal action and international engagement with China on AI safety, supporting expert-to-expert discussions and safeguards. He stated, 'The idea of having 50 different sets of rules and regulations around a technology that is global is obviously not optimal.'

    Congressman Sam Liccardo urges U.S.-China cooperation on AI safety | CA Politics 360 · Oct 4, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  4. Oct 1
    news
    Menlo Park City Council declines to approve alleged Kremlin-linked tower development

    Liccardo's office announced that the Menlo Park City Council had declined to approve the 80 Willow Road project, following Liccardo's call for a federal investigation into the property's alleged Kremlin-linked ownership.

    Tower Development with Alleged Kremlin-Linked Owner Hits Roadblock · Oct 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  5. Sep 29
    news
    Liccardo, Lofgren, and Panetta welcome San José and Monterey County ICE facility restrictions

    Liccardo joined Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Jimmy Panetta in welcoming interim ordinances adopted by San José and Monterey County that temporarily restrict development of ICE detention facilities. Liccardo pointed to the local-government toolkit his office had released in August.

    City of San José and Monterey County Advance Protections Restricting ICE Facility Construction · Sep 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  6. Sep 29
    news
    Liccardo publishes op-ed urging U.S.–China cooperation on AI safety

    Liccardo published an op-ed outlining what Congress can do on AI safety in cooperation with China, ahead of a broader media campaign on the topic.

    Op-Ed: What Congress can do about AI safety — with China — now · Sep 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  7. Sep 26
    endorsement
    Progressive Voters Guide endorses Liccardo for CA-16

    A progressive voters' guide recommended Liccardo for California's 16th Congressional District in the 2026 general election.

    Santa Clara County - Progressive Voters Guide · Sep 26, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  8. Sep 23
    news
    Liccardo asks Treasury to review alleged Kremlin-linked ownership of Menlo Park development

    In a letter dated September 23, Liccardo asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to review the ownership and financing of the proposed 80 Willow Road development in Menlo Park, and urged federal agencies to investigate and consider sanctions. The property was reportedly owned by Russian businessman Vitaly Yusufov; these are reported allegations and a request for review, not a finding of wrongdoing.

    Congressman calls for feds to investigate, sanction ... · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  9. Sep 22
    news
    Liccardo and Rep. Kiley announce bipartisan AI safety bill on U.S.–China coordination

    Liccardo and Rep. Kevin Kiley announced a bipartisan bill to support U.S.–China coordination on frontier AI safety, including expert-to-expert discussions and directing the administration to pursue negotiations over safeguards.

    New Bipartisan AI Safety Bill Will Move U.S. and China ... · Sep 22, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  10. Sep 21
    news
    Liccardo criticizes GOP Congress members and extends Yom Kippur greetings

    Liccardo publicly criticized Republican Congress members and extended Yom Kippur greetings, drawing media coverage.

    Sam Liccardo criticizes GOP Congress members and extends Yom Kippur greetings - Flexible Work News · Sep 21, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  11. Sep 16
    news
    Liccardo joins over 100 House Democrats demanding Congress stay in session to confront AI crisis

    Liccardo was among more than a hundred House Democrats demanding that Congress remain in session to address what they called an AI crisis.

    Over a Hundred House Democrats Demand Congress Stay in ... · Sep 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  12. Sep 15
    news
    Federal judge halts construction of Gilroy ICE detention center

    Liccardo's office announced that a federal judge had blocked construction of a proposed ICE detention facility in Gilroy. The office also cited a toolkit Liccardo released to help local governments use zoning and building rules to address detention-facility development.

    Federal Judge Halts Construction of Gilroy ICE Detention Center · Sep 15, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Endorsements

  • League of Conservation Voters Action Fund organization
    Listed for the 2026 general election in the LCV 2025–2026 endorsements; exact announcement date not specified. lcv.org
  • California Democratic Party organization
    Listed as CA 16 – Sam Liccardo in the party's 2026 General Election Endorsements PDF, updated August 26, 2026. cadem.org · Aug 26, 2026
  • San Mateo Daily Journal newspaper
    Liccardo's campaign news page lists 'The San Mateo Daily Journal Endorses Sam Liccardo for Congress' under May 22, 2026. This is reported via the campaign news page, not the editorial itself. samliccardo.com · May 22, 2026
  • UA Local 393 union
    Listed as the union's federal endorsement for Congressional District 16 in its June 2 primary election voter guide, posted May 12, 2026. ualocal393.org · May 12, 2026

Campaign finance

Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.

Raised
$3.49M
Spent
$1.43M
Cash on hand
$2.15M

As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H4CA16197(opens in a new tab)

Sources 26

  1. [1] Liccardo Leads Bipartisan Push to Bring Whale Alerts to West Coast Mariners(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
  2. [2] Sam Liccardo, California House, District 16 candidate(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
  3. [3] Congressman Sam Liccardo urges U.S.-China cooperation on AI safety | CA Politics 360(opens in a new tab) Oct 4, 2026
  4. [4] Tower Development with Alleged Kremlin-Linked Owner Hits Roadblock(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
  5. [5] City of San José and Monterey County Advance Protections Restricting ICE Facility Construction(opens in a new tab) Sep 29, 2026
  6. [6] Op-Ed: What Congress can do about AI safety — with China — now(opens in a new tab) Sep 29, 2026
  7. [7] Santa Clara County - Progressive Voters Guide(opens in a new tab) Sep 26, 2026
  8. [8] Congressman calls for feds to investigate, sanction ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 24, 2026
  9. [9] New Bipartisan AI Safety Bill Will Move U.S. and China ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 22, 2026
  10. [10] Sam Liccardo criticizes GOP Congress members and extends Yom Kippur greetings - Flexible Work News(opens in a new tab) Sep 21, 2026
  11. [11] Over a Hundred House Democrats Demand Congress Stay in ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 16, 2026
  12. [12] Federal Judge Halts Construction of Gilroy ICE Detention Center(opens in a new tab) Sep 15, 2026
  13. [13] Congressman Sam Liccardo Condemns ICE on the House : 'Stop Digging Graveyards for the Living"(opens in a new tab) Sep 2, 2026
  14. [14] 2025-2026 Endorsements(opens in a new tab) Aug 28, 2026
  15. [15] [PDF] 2026 General Election Endorsements & Ballot Measure Positions(opens in a new tab) Aug 26, 2026
  16. [16] Congressman Sam Liccardo Votes Against $1.15 Trillion for ...(opens in a new tab) Jul 22, 2026
  17. [17] Moving a Divided Congress Toward Solutions(opens in a new tab) Jul 15, 2026
  18. [18] Rep. Liccardo Introduces SKILL Act to Prepare Workers for AI ...(opens in a new tab) Jun 24, 2026
  19. [19] Liccardo's Bipartisan Housing Reforms Head to President's ...(opens in a new tab) Jun 23, 2026
  20. [20] UA Local 393 June 2 Primary Election Voter Guide(opens in a new tab) May 12, 2026
  21. [21] Environment and Climate — samliccardo.com(opens in a new tab) May 4, 2026
  22. [22] Sam Liccardo for Congress(opens in a new tab) May 4, 2026
  23. [23] Liccardo Votes to Keep Health Care Affordable by Extending ACA Tax ...(opens in a new tab) Jan 8, 2026
  24. [24] Rep. Sam Liccardo Votes "Hell No" on the One Big, Ugly Bill(opens in a new tab) Jul 3, 2025
  25. [25] News — samliccardo.com(opens in a new tab) Feb 1, 2025
  26. [26] Sam Liccardo(opens in a new tab) Jun 5, 2018
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