A crowd forms around Sam Liccardo in Palo Alto. In a few moments, beaming volunteers will deploy to knock on doors and make the case for San Jose’s former mayor as their next congressmember. But the microphone is on the fritz when it’s time for Liccardo to give a pep-talk. He doesn’t need it anyway.
The focus, he tells canvassers under clear skies, is about starting a conversation. Liccardo’s bid for Congressional District 16 against his opponent, Assemblymember Evan Low, has been a bitter and unusual fight. A historic tie in the primaries sparked a contentious recount that left Liccardo and Low bumping heads with negative campaigning and dueling FEC complaints. Both are vying for retiring Congressmember Anna Eshoo’s seat.
At the September campaign event in downtown, Liccardo urged his team not to argue at people’s doorsteps but find agreement in the sunshine.
“Don’t feel like you have to be a policy expert when you’re knocking on the door. Your job is to invite folks to the conversation,” Liccardo tells the crowd, dressed in a casual polo and shorts on California Avenue. “And then they can come argue with me.”