Nine of the eleven congressional candidates gathered in the Palo Alto City Hall for their first live debate on Feb. 1. The election marks the first open-seat primary, where no incumbent holds the position, in over three decades, marking the end of Eshoo’s 30-year tenure representing the 16th district. 

At the end of the forum, pro-Palestenian protestors in the audience began shouting for a ceasefire, causing the event to be paused for 20 minutes and end earlier than planned. Candidates who spoke in favor of Israel or who reprimanded Hamas were met with yelling and booing. Despite moderators’ attempts to calm the protests, protestors continued without police intervention.  

Candidates spoke on topics such as climate change, tax policy, immigration, the Israel-Hamas war and voting history, as well as specific questions tailored to individual candidates. Democrat Rishi Kumar and Republican Karl Ryan, former Saratoga City Council member and business owner, respectively, were absent from the forum.

Here’s a quick look into the candidates and their central priorities. 

Joby Bernstein, Democrat

Joby Bernstein, a climate-tech investor and the youngest candidate in the race at 28 years old, advocated for climate efficiency and conservation. 

When asked why he opposed climate measures such as a federal ban on gas appliance installation in homes and incentives for electric vehicle purchases, Bernstein emphasized the need for climate efficiency and a carbon dividend program.  

“We actually don’t need more incentives,” Bernstein said. “We need more electric vehicles in this country … We need to bring manufacturing back to America. We [should] create a carbon dividend system that would … have an extremely high return on investment.”

Peter Dixon, Democrat

With a background as a Marine Corps veteran and the CEO of a cybersecurity company, Peter Dixon plans to defend democracy and foster innovation if elected to Congress.

Dixon, who has prioritized defense technology throughout his campaign, was asked about regulations concerning artificial intelligence and automation by the moderators. 

“[AI] can be used for tremendous good, but it can also be used for tremendous harm … guard rails are necessary,” Dixon said at the panel. “You have to look at how you take the ethics and morality of us as an American people and bake those into law.” 

Dixon recognized the harmful impact of AI automation on jobs, and proposed leveraging defense spending to broaden national job opportunities. 

Sam Liccardo, Democrat

As San Jose’s former mayor, Sam Liccardo hopes to continue his work to mitigate homelessness, crime and the cost of living. 

In terms of foreign affairs, which he discussed at the panel, Liccardo acknowledges the political divide but emphasizes the importance of achieving fairer immigration policies.

“We need both border security and we need comprehensive immigration reform,” Liccardo said. “More than 12 million of our neighbors have been building lives and families and communities here for decades who deserve a path of citizenship.”

Evan Low, Democrat

Evan Low, former Campbell mayor and current state assemblyman, has supported bills that lower the cost of living, defend reproductive freedom and expand renewable energy sources. Notably, his policy work is linked to his life as a gay person, and has a reputation for protecting civil rights and supporting marriage equality. 

“As an openly LGBT candidate, I refuse to be discriminated against based on sexual orientation,”  Low said. “That is the essence of what we’re talking about, how to protect public taxpayer dollars going to supporting states [with anti-LGBTQ laws]. … You cannot legislate people like me out of existence.”

Low later questioned Ohtaki on his Republican party affiliation, citing the repeal of Roe v. Wade and Republican pushback on interracial marriages. 

Julie Lythcott-Haims, Democrat

Palo Alto City Council member Julie Lythcott-Haims’s priorities include defending reproductive rights, combating climate change and decreasing the cost of living. 

“I am in favor of taxing long-term capital gains as regular income,” Lythcott-Haims said. “We have such wealth here in Silicon Valley and yet so many people left behind. … I believe we should increase the income tax on multi-millionaires and a wealth tax for those beyond that.”

Lythcott-Haims also acknowledged the disparities that arise from Proposition 13 — a law that limits property tax increases — and highlighted concerns about how corporations benefit most from this law. 

Ahmed Mostafa, Democrat

As a women’s rights lawyer and former Global Policy Lead at Google, Ahmed Mostafa intends to focus on issues such as sexual violence, justice and tech policy if elected. 

Accordingly, he spoke on expanding asylum laws and maintaining open borders. 

“We cannot afford to continue to militarize our border,” Mostafa said. “We must treat people like human beings. We must pass the DREAM Act. We must reinstate particular pieces of DACA.” 

Mostafa also strongly advocated for a Gaza ceasefire, including efforts for clean water and housing.

Peter Ohtaki, Republican  

Peter Ohtaki, former Menlo Park mayor and the only Republican present at the forum, prioritizes issues such as crime, inflation and national security. As a “fiscal conservative” he spoke out against raising the capital gain tax, which concerns profits from the sale of investments and real estate. 

“Any economist will [say] that it’s a double taxation,” Ohtaki said. “I do think it’s important to incentivize long term holdings and to encourage investment, so that’s why I’m fine with the [previous] 28% capital gains tax.”

Joe Simitian, Democrat

Directly endorsed by incumbent Anna Eshoo, Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian aims to tackle issues such as the mental health crisis, housing crisis and climate change. 

As a proponent of environmental initiatives at the Senate and County levels, Simitian is pushing for more investments in renewable energy. 

“If we have intermittent sources of energy, we need to find a way to store that energy, which means battery capacity has to grow,” Simitian said. “If we do all that, we can … really take a dent out of climate change.” 

Greg Tanaka, Democrat

Palo Alto City Council member Greg Tanaka advocated for climate change, Asian voices and innovation. As the CEO of a software company, Tanaka has supported business-friendly and technological-innovative initiatives. 

“We should make it easy for people to immigrate to our country,” Tanaka said. “If there’s a job you’re able to do, you’re in. … If elected, I’m going to be focused on making sure that it’s easy for people to come to our country illegally.”

Tanaka was also the only candidate at the forum who said he does not support continued funding for Ukraine. 

“We need to think about all the people’s treasure that we’re wasting in Ukraine, Tanaka said. “If we say that Ukraine would not be part of NATO, and we let Russia keep the territory that it got, I think the war could stop.”

Next steps 

The primary election is set for March 5, followed by the general election on Nov. 5. Read our article on how to vote here, or simply click this link to directly register.