California's 17th Congressional District election, 2016
The 17th Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Mike Honda (D) was defeated by Ro Khanna (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Honda and Khanna defeated Pierluigi Oliverio (D), Ron Cohen (R), Peter Kuo (R), and Kennita Watson (L) in the top-two primary on June 7, 2016.[4][5]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: California uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the general election. In states that do not use a top-two system, all parties are usually able to put forward a candidate for the general election if they choose to.[6][7]
Unlike the top-two format used in some states (Louisiana and Georgia special elections for example), a general election between the top-two candidates in California occurs regardless of whether the top candidate received 50% of the vote in the first round of elections.
As of August 2024, California was one of five states to use a top-two primary system, or a variation of the top-two system. See here for more information.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Mike Honda (D), who was first elected in 2000.
California's 17th Congressional District is located in the western portion of the state and includes western Santa Clara County and a portion of Alameda County.[8]
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Ro Khanna |
61% | 142,268 | |
| Democratic | Mike Honda Incumbent | 39% | 90,924 | |
| Total Votes | 233,192 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Ro Khanna |
39.1% | 52,059 | |
| Democratic | Mike Honda Incumbent |
37.4% | 49,823 | |
| Republican | Peter Kuo | 9.2% | 12,224 | |
| Republican | Ron Cohen | 7.8% | 10,448 | |
| Democratic | Pierluigi Oliverio | 4.2% | 5,533 | |
| Libertarian | Kennita Watson | 2.3% | 3,125 | |
| Total Votes | 133,212 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
||||
Candidates
|
General election candidates:  Mike Honda Ro Khanna  |
|
Primary candidates: Mike Honda - Incumbent[4] Ro Khanna - 2014 challenger[4][9] Pierluigi Oliverio - San Jose councilman[4][10] Ron Cohen - Accountant[11][4] Peter Kuo[4] Kennita Watson (Libertarian)[4] |
Race background
Lawsuit
Incumbent Mike Honda filed a lawsuit against challenger Ro Khanna in September 2016. The lawsuit alleged that Khanna's campaign manager illegally accessed data on donors to Honda's campaign and used that data to get in contact with them. Bryan Parvizshahi, Khanna's campaign manager, formerly served as an intern for a consultant that worked for Honda in 2012. The lawsuit claims that Parvizshahi continued to access Honda's fundraising data after leaving the internship and being hired to Khanna's campaign staff. It also claims that the Khanna campaign used that data to contact donors to Mike Honda.[12]
Khanna's campaign denied all charges, calling the lawsuit "baseless and meritless, a total distraction." However, Parvizshahi resigned his position as campaign manager. Khanna said of the resignation, "He decided that he did not want to be at the center of a firestorm that is a lawsuit, and thought it would be a distraction."[13]
Endorsements
Mike Honda
- The California Democratic Party[14]
- Attorney General Kamala Harris, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, Treasurer John Chiang, Controller Betty Yee, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson[15]
- U.S. Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Zoe Lofgren, Barbara Lee, Jerry McNerney, Jared Huffman, and Ami Bera[16]
- Mayor Bill Harrison of Fremont, Mayor Alan Nagy of Newark, Mayor Jim Griffith of Sunnyvale and Mayor Jamie Matthews of Santa Clara.[17]
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein - "Mike Honda is a tireless champion for his constituents and for hard-working families across this state. Mike’s unwavering dedication to public service has made him a strong and respected leader. Whether it’s securing critical funds for Silicon Valley or fighting for fairness in immigration, few serve their country as loyally and tirelessly as Mike Honda. I am proud to call him my friend and endorse his re-election."[18]
Ro Khanna
- For a full list of endorsements, click here:
- State Senate leader Kevin de León - "Ro Khanna values the ideals that the Democratic Party stands for: equal rights, standing up for working families, protecting social security and Medicare, fighting for clean air and water, expanding the middle class and making sure everyone has a fair shot at the American Dream."[19]
- San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, and Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone[20]
- Secretary of State Alex Padilla - "Ro Khanna will help get Congress working again with his innovative ideas and freedom from special interests. Ro's commitment to building a grassroots campaign has shown me that he's serious about increasing participation, and being accountable to the people he represents. I look forward to working with him as a United States Congressman."[21]
- The Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA) Pacific Southwest Region - "We honor your commitment to fairness and truth as you seek to represent the interests of our communities, our Union, and all working men, women and families. We take seriously your commitment to these issues that are critical to our union and our members and to this end we look forward to assisting your campaign and working with you in progressing our mutual goals in the future."[22]
- California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom[23]
- Former President Jimmy Carter - "Ro has the type of idealism, energy and deep commitment to public service that we desperately need in Congress. He will be a future leader for our party and country."[24]
Polls
| California's 17th District - Mike Honda vs. Ro Khanna | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Mike Honda |
Ro Khanna | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||||||||
| SurveyUSA October 4-7, 2016 | 37% | 38% | +/-4.3 | 550 | |||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected] | |||||||||||||||||||
Media
Mike Honda
|
|
District history
2014
The 17th Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Mike Honda (D) defeated Ro Khanna (D) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mike Honda Incumbent |
51.8% | 69,561 | |
| Democratic | Ro Khanna | 48.2% | 64,847 | |
| Total Votes | 134,408 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
2012
The 17th Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. The incumbent from the 15th District, Mike Honda, won election in the district.[25]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mike Honda Incumbent |
73.5% | 159,392 | |
| Republican | Evelyn Li | 26.5% | 57,336 | |
| Total Votes | 216,728 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
Important dates and deadlines
- See also: California elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in California in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| February 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | Semi-annual report due | |
| February 25, 2016 | Ballot access | Close of signature in lieu of filing fee period for voter-nominated offices | |
| March 11, 2016 | Ballot access | Close of declaration of candidacy and nomination paper period for voter-nominated offices | |
| April 28, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| May 26, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| August 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | Semi-annual report due | |
| June 7, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| Sources: California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines," accessed January 11, 2016 California Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for State Candidate Controlled Committees Listed on the June 7, 2016 Ballot," accessed January 11, 2016 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2016 House Race Ratings for July 11, 2016," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 House," accessed July 18, 2016
- ↑ Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "House Ratings," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election," accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "California Primary Results," June 7, 2016
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 13, 2024
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed August 13, 2024
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ SF Gate, "Honda-Khanna rematch looms for South Bay Congress seat," May 29, 2015
- ↑ Internal Affairs, "San Jose Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio running for Congress," February 29, 2016
- ↑ San Jose Mercury News, "Fremont Republican enters race to unseat Rep. Mike Honda," November 19, 2015
- ↑ The Los Angeles Times, "Mike Honda sues opponent Ro Khanna, alleging his campaign manager illegally accessed donor data," September 22, 2016
- ↑ The Mercury News, "Rep. Mike Honda sues Ro Khanna, alleging campaign espionage," September 23, 2016
- ↑ California Democratic Party, "Statewide Endorsed Candidate," accessed March 3, 2016
- ↑ ibabuzz.com, "CA17: Five statewide officials endorse Honda," January 11, 2016
- ↑ ContraCostaTimes.com, "CA17: Honda endorsed by prominent Democrats," October 28, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "POLITICO California Playbook, presented by Chevron: ‘HOMELAND’ hoax? -- GARCETTI on Trump -- NAACP slams Sanchez," December 16, 2015
- ↑ Mike Honda for Congress, "For Immediate Release: Senator Dianne Feinstein Endorses Congressman Mike Honda," August 22, 2016
- ↑ Political Blotter, "CA17: Kevin de León endorses Ro Khanna," September 16, 2015
- ↑ San Jose Mercury News, "Ro Khanna endorsed over Mike Honda by three prominent San Jose Democrats," September 25, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Khanna announces Padilla endorsement for Silicon Valley House seat," November 16, 2015
- ↑ InsideBayArea.com, "CA17: Union flips support from Honda to Khanna," January 6, 2016
- ↑ Ro Khanna for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 31, 2016
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Essential Politics: Sen. Barbara Boxer endorses Mike Honda for Congress, California Republicans in a tough spot with Trump tape," October 10, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, California," accessed August 15, 2012
| |||||||||||
For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!
