Anna Eshoo faces 7 for San Mateo County coast and south Peninsula congressional seat

Eshoo currently represents the 18th district, but is running in the new 16th district created by last year’s redistricting process. The new territory shifts north, covering much of the same ground with the addition of Half Moon Bay up to Pacifica, and the loss of a portion of Santa Cruz County. The district will still include Palo Alto and Saratoga, and gains a larger sliver of San Jose.

Eshoo’s challengers are Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar, attorney Ajwang Rading, Palo Alto Councilmember Greg Tanaka, former Menlo Park Councilmember Peter Ohtaki, businessman Benjamin Solomon, physician Richard Fox and teacher John Karl Fredrich.

“I welcome competition,” Eshoo said during an interview this week. “I’ve been a very steady hand for my constituents, I stay close to my constituents. It’s a job that’s not for the faint of heart.”

Kumar challenged Eshoo in 2020, advancing to the general election where he received 36% of the vote. Fox, a Republican, also ran in 2020, gaining 12% of the vote in the primary. As of March 31, Eshoo’s campaign reports $1.15 million on hand, with Kumar’s campaign trailing at $152,000, Rading at $89,000, Tanaka at $70,000 and Ohtaki just shy of $16,000.

Eshoo has represented Half Moon Bay in the past, both in Congress when her district included the city prior to 2012 and as a San Mateo County supervisor where she served 10 years beginning in 1982. While she said she was sad the district was losing Santa Cruz County, she expressed excitement to again represent Half Moon Bay.

“I will have about 200,000 new voters,” she said. “I’m looking forward to representing those communities, Half Moon Bay is not new to me, so I’m thrilled that it’s back.”

Eshoo’s congressional career has been defined by her health care and telecommunications work. She authored parts of the Affordable Care Act, and worked to lower prices of prescription drugs and reduce inequities in health care delivery. Prior to the pandemic, she authored the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, a law she said created the platform for the vaccine.

She was elected to chair of the Health Subcommittee in 2019 and has served on the Energy and Commerce Committee since 1995. Previously she was a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

Eshoo, originally from the East Coast, lived in Atherton for nearly four decades before moving to Menlo Park where she lives today, commuting to Washington, D.C., during the week. She received an associate’s degree from Cañada College in 1975.

On top of policy addressing climate change and continuing health care work, specifically with lessons learned from the pandemic, Eshoo said a top priority if reelected would be democracy protections.

“We have challenges all over the country by state legislatures, not only passing legislation that would suppress the vote but chillingly be able to manipulate votes after they’ve been cast,” she said. “So I think everything that needs to be done to protect the vote in our country is absolutely essential.”

Challengers

Throughout Eshoo’s 15 terms in the House, she has faced little opposition.

Among her challengers, Ohtaki, a Republican, said he is seeking to provide voters with a “real alternative, not different flavors of blue.” He served on the Menlo Park City Council from 2010 to 2018, and has worked as an executive for Wells Fargo since 2014. Among his top issues he said are taking a tougher stance on crime, eliminating state housing laws that allow multifamily buildings in single-family home neighborhoods, and addressing inflation with fiscal conservatism.

Kumar, meanwhile, is running on a “fiscally moderate” platform. He was elected to the Saratoga City Council in 2014, and is currently serving his second term. According to his campaign website, he is running to “change the broken sold-out Washington culture by bringing a new brand of people-driven, rather than lobbyist-driven, politics.”

Rading, a Palo Alto attorney and UCLA graduate, was born into homelessness and lived with his mother in a car for a decade during his childhood. His campaign website mentions environmental protections, affordable housing, technology innovation and universal health care as priorities.

Tanaka is currently serving his second term on the Palo Alto City Council. His campaign promises to take a modern, pro-business approach with “legislation of the digital age.” Pushing for pandemic recovery and fighting discrimination are among his priorities.

California’s primary will be held June 7, narrowing the field to two candidates. The general election will be held Nov. 8.

corey@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200, ext. 105