Democrat Rishi Kumar is poised for a November rematch with Rep. Anna Eshoo, with Tuesday's election results showing him ahead of six other candidates vying for her congressional seat.
Early results showed Eshoo with an overwhelming lead over the seven candidates who are vying to replace her in the 16th Congressional District, which stretches along the coast from Pacifica to north San Jose. With all precincts reporting by Thursday afternoon, Eshoo received support from 47% of voters in Santa Clara County and from 58% of voters in San Mateo County.
While Eshoo, who was first elected in 1992, is poised to advance to the November election with little trouble, Kumar faced a tough challenge for the second spot from former Menlo Park Mayor Peter Ohtaki.
The unofficial results, which don't include some vote-by-mail and provisional ballots, showed Kumar leading the field of challengers by 2,261 votes, with Ohtaki, a Republican, in third place.
In Santa Clara County, which has the vast majority of the District 16 population, Kumar had received 13,083 votes, or 16.7% of the total votes cast in the county, while Ohtaki trailed him with 9,943 votes, or 12.7%, according to results released at 4:46 p.m. Wednesday. Republican Richard Fox and Democrats Greg Tanaka and Ajwang Rading were trailing them with 8.5%, 6.4% and 5.7%, respectively.
In San Mateo County, 437 votes separated the top two challengers to Eshoo as of Wednesday afternoon. Ohtaki was in second place with 12% of the votes, or 1,903 total votes, while Kumar was in third with 9%, having received 1,466 votes. Fox, Rading and Tanaka were trailing them in the polls with 8.2%, 5.3% and 4.5% of the votes, respectively.
Republican Benjamin Solomon and John Karl Fredrich, who is not affiliated with any party, had each picked up less than 2% of the vote.
If the results hold up after the final tally, the November runoff will be a rematch from the 2020 general election, when Eshoo faced off against Kumar. She prevailed after picking up 63% of the vote.
Comments
Registered user
Portola Valley
on Jun 8, 2022 at 11:23 am
Registered user
on Jun 8, 2022 at 11:23 am
I'm confused by the title of this article about Anna Eshoo's remarkable win yesterday--why is the title of the piece about two of her challengers? Why is this the title when Congressperson Eshoo won by such an amazing amount? Why isn't she the lead?? In addition, I'd love to have some reporting on [what] Mr. Kumar's team texted me yesterday that Eshoo was in favor of privatizing Medicare! That couldn't be further from the truth [portion removed]? In addition--all the challengers say that she only passed 4 bills in her time in Congress---that is so misleading [portion removed]--she's been part of thousands of bills--it's very disturbing to me! And so did Ajwan Rading said the same. They all have their own stories and why people should vote for them--how about running on that??
Registered user
Midtown
on Jun 8, 2022 at 11:33 am
Registered user
on Jun 8, 2022 at 11:33 am
I agree with JoAnn I do not like Kumar's negative campaigning one bit and will never vote for him no matter what office he runs for.
Registered user
Old Palo Alto
on Jun 8, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Registered user
on Jun 8, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Seems like there is a message in the vote, 51.2% voted for change but couldn’t coalesce around a candidate.
Registered user
Mountain View
on Jun 8, 2022 at 12:59 pm
Registered user
on Jun 8, 2022 at 12:59 pm
I am concerned about Rishi Kumar’s [portion removed] negative campaign. I feel he is using the Left wing to accumulate power. A texter from his campaign yesterday told me he actually isn’t for Medicare for All right now but wants a gradual approach and choice. Not any different than Anna Eschoo. [Portion removed.]
Registered user
Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on Jun 8, 2022 at 2:32 pm
Registered user
on Jun 8, 2022 at 2:32 pm
Not only does Rishi Kumar spread [misinformation] in his campaign material as mentioned above, but he is also a Hindu nationalist who strongly supports India's BJP and Modi who are undermining India's democracy and are aiming at transforming India into a theocracy. [Portion removed.] See: Web Link
Registered user
another community
on Jun 8, 2022 at 4:17 pm
Registered user
on Jun 8, 2022 at 4:17 pm
I'm not familiar with Rishi Kumar's support for Modi or Hindu nationalism alleged above, but his campaign site on its main page very clearly states that he supports Medicare for All. The Trump administration began a program called Direct Contracting Entities (DCE), under which traditional Medicare beneficiaries (like myself) are being enrolled without consent in privately run intermediary companies that receive funding from Medicare for such patients. This program is being rebranded as ACO REACH and continued by the Biden Administration. In a letter of May 2, 2022, on Congressional stationary in response to my email to her asking her to oppose the program, Eshoo clearly wrote, "I support the ACO REACH model...". In a campaign email of May 25, 2022, Kumar wrote, "I strongly oppose the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) “REACH” Model (Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health) which launches on January 1, 2023, and will further compromise senior healthcare by privatizing Medicare." I urge readers to look into the privatization efforts and write to Eshoo and Biden asking them to oppose ACO REACH and other such programs.
Registered user
College Terrace
on Jun 8, 2022 at 5:19 pm
Registered user
on Jun 8, 2022 at 5:19 pm
Day 1 of the campaign and already we have allegations and negativity. Let's get them both on a series of Zoom meetings so answer questions and explain their policy positions.
Registered user
Charleston Meadows
on Jun 8, 2022 at 5:37 pm
Registered user
on Jun 8, 2022 at 5:37 pm
Don't worry guys. Don't vote for either. Vote for me instead. I will run in 2024. I will not run a negative campaign. Eshoo ran a negative campaign when she was first elected way before I was born. Kumar ran a negative campaign and so did all the challengers. It's the law of karma. Now I am wondering if I should run a negative campaign. If not, how will I stand a chance to win against an incumbent? Please provide your valuable suggestions on how to effectively run a campaign and win against an incumbent. [Portion removed.]
Registered user
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jun 8, 2022 at 5:58 pm
Registered user
on Jun 8, 2022 at 5:58 pm
Do you get the message, Greg Tanaka? Voters decided you are now literally unelectable. Even your Bitcoin Bros who spent big on your campaign with their DAO (Decentralized Autonoumous Organization) mailers, couldn't save you.
It's time to term out and get your ethics together, develop some real climate awareness scruples regarding all that 24/7 mega-energy wasted to generate just one "coin", and do something worthy with your life.
Registered user
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jun 15, 2022 at 12:19 pm
Registered user
on Jun 15, 2022 at 12:19 pm
I didn't like the tone of Kumar's campaign--derisive, dismissive of Eshoo's long, distinguished service. His candidacy should have reflected how he would comport himself as an elected. His communications were disturbing to me.
Which analytics software company do you serve as an executive, Mr. Kumar? That seems to have been conveniently wiped from the internet. In an era when big tech badly needs regulation, who you work for matters to me. People have been asking. Please do disclose where your loyalties lie.
That said, Anna Eshoo needs to start grooming next gen candidates. Are you listening, Rep. Eshoo?
Registered user
Mountain View
on Jun 16, 2022 at 6:20 pm
Registered user
on Jun 16, 2022 at 6:20 pm
This says it all. "If the results hold up after the final tally, the November runoff will be a rematch from the 2020 general election, when Eshoo faced off against Kumar. She prevailed after picking up 63% of the vote." So, Eshoo won by over 3/5 of the vote last time. Story over.
As an Independent Moderate, I support Eschoo because she's competent and more importantly, she has no naive and furious Progressive delusions that she can "save the world by radical change". Karl Marx and Lenin thought that and look how well it turned out! She is a solid liberal Democrat and not a firebrand desperately bent upon imposing his/her will upon 63% of the voters who don't like fanatical irrational firebrands in this district.