Former San Jose mayor gets big boost from Bloomberg

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has dropped $1.5 million into a super PAC supporting his friend Sam Liccardo’s run for Congress.

Bloomberg’s recent contributions appeared in the committee Neighbors for Results’ September filings, posted Friday afternoon, bringing his total donations to $2 million. The large contribution adds to the piles of special interest money in the race for Rep. Anna Eshoo’s seat in Congressional District 16, between former San Jose Mayor Liccardo and Assemblymember Evan Low.

“Sam Liccardo is proud to have the support of Democrats like Mike Bloomberg, who he worked with to reduce gun violence, fight climate change and lower the cost of living,” Liccardo’s campaign spokesperson Gil Rubinstein told San José Spotlight. “Evan Low, on the other hand, has the support of PG&E, big oil, casinos, and private prisons because he voted their way, like when PG&E wanted rate increases and when big oil wanted to drill near our neighborhoods. The choice in this race couldn’t be clearer.”

Low campaign spokesperson Nathan Click said Bloomberg’s donation marks a difference between both candidates in the District 16 race.

“There couldn’t be a more telling contrast in the race — Evan Low standing with San Jose police officers and Sam Liccardo standing with billionaires,” Click told San José Spotlight.

Bloomberg and Liccardo have supported each other for years, including Liccardo endorsing Bloomberg’s 2020 run for president and a trip to London Liccardo took in 2015  paid for by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Bloomberg on Feb. 7 contributed $500,000 to Neighbors for Results. He’s the super PAC’s largest funder next to former NetApp CEO Daniel Warmenhoven, who contributed $50,000 and former Cypress Semiconductor CEO Thurman John Rodgers who contributed $15,000.

The super PAC burned through about $516,000 before the March primary elections, so Bloomberg’s monetary boost has left it with $1,501,713 on hand as of the Sept. 20 filing. Neighbors for Results is the only PAC that has spent to support Liccardo so far in the race.

It sank $102,000 into another committee, Count the Vote, which funded the race’s primary recount. Immediately after the primaries, Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian tied for second, but the recount pushed Simitian to concede.

Low has received support from multiple committees, totaling to $821,761. His biggest spender is the Golden State Leadership Fund, which spent $399,000 to support him, as of Sept. 9. It’s mostly funded by the California Apartments Association and PG&E.

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Reporter Brandon Pho contributed to this story.