|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The 10 contenders who are vying for Rep. Anna Eshoo’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives share a common belief: that their life experiences have prepared them well for the challenge of representing Silicon Valley in Washington, D.C.
And when it comes to hot-button national issues like abortion and gun control, all hew to the mainstream positions of the Democratic Party. The nine candidates who responded to a survey from Embarcadero Media said they would favor codifying Roe v. Wade abortion standards in federal law and requiring universal background checks for all firearms purchases (former Saratoga council member Rishi Kumar did not respond to the survey). All support increasing funding for immigrant courts and expanding the federal child tax credit that expired in 2022.
But dig a little deeper, there are glaring differences.
Take the wealth tax, for example. In response to an Embarcadero Media questionnaire, four of the nine candidates — climate investor Joby Bernstein, Assembly member Evan Low, Palo Alto council member Julie Lythcott-Haims and attorney Ahmed Mostafa — said they would support a wealth tax on appreciated assets owned by high-wealth individuals. The other five — Marine Corps veteran Peter Dixon, former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Palo Alto council member Greg Tanaka, former Menlo Park Mayor Peter Ohtaki and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian — said they oppose it.
Or, consider climate change. Everyone supports actions to curb greenhouse gas emissions, but the candidates have different views on what exactly that means. Dixon, Liccardo, Lythcott-Haims and Mostafa all said they would support prohibiting installation of natural gas infrastructure and appliances. Bernstein, Low, Ohtaki and Tanaka said they oppose such a prohibition, while Simitian said he would focus on rolling back the legislation that the House passed last year to prevent regulation of gas stoves.
The above chart, which was initially released during Embarcadero Media’s debate on Jan. 31, summarizes the candidates’ positions on these issues as well many others, from the capital gains tax and forgiveness of student loans to immigration and the Israel-Hamas war.
Correction: This article has been corrected to reflect Greg Tanaka’s opposition to a wealth tax on appreciated assets owned by high-wealth individuals.
