Bay Area may see its first LGBTQ+ Capitol Hill rep in Evan Low
December 6, 2023
U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo’s (D-CA) decision to retire has prompted Democrat Assemblymember Evan Low to vie for her Silicon Valley congressional seat, creating an opportunity for the Bay Area to see its first LGBTQ+ person in Capitol Hill.
Announcing his bid: Low, 40, filed his paperwork on Monday to join the crowded showdown over Eshoo’s seat, which will be vacated in 2025. So far, the race includes San Mateo County Supervisor Joe Simitian, former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Democrats Rishi Kumar and Joby Bernstein and Republicans Peter Ohtaki and Karl Ryan.
About Low: The Chinese American candidate is a five-term assemblyman and former Campbell councilman. He was initially elected in 2014 to District 28 and later redistricted to District 26, which encompasses Cupertino, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and the Fruitdale area of San Jose. In the 2022 election, he secured victory against Republican Tim Gorsulowsky with a substantial margin, winning 74% to 26%.
Low, who spent his formative years in San Jose, graduated from San Jose State University before entering politics. He won a seat on the Campbell City Council in 2006. Notably, he became the first Asian American on the council and made history as the youngest openly LGBTQ+ mayor in the country at 26, four years later. He could be the Bay Area’s first openly gay representative in Washington, D.C., if elected in this race.
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