In California, where only the top two finishers typically advance to the general election, Congressional races could be very different from other races, with two candidates vying for a tie for second place.
According to unofficial state results for the 16th Congressional District posted on the California Secretary of State’s website, Democrats Evan Law and Joe Simitian each received 30,249 votes and 16.6% of the vote.
Unless voters request a recount, their names will appear on the ballot, along with fellow Democrat Sam Licciardo, the No. 1 candidate.
NBC News predicted that Ricardo would advance to the general election with 21.1% of the vote.
San Mateo and Santa Clara counties both released official results Thursday, starting a five-day period in which voters can request a recount.
The candidates are vying to fill the seat vacated by Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo, who announced in November that she would not seek re-election after serving in the chamber since 1993.
In the California primary, the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party. But if the top two places are tied, it means those candidates advance.
“It’s very unlikely that something like this would actually happen, but they foresaw it in the law and worked together to bring it to the runoff,” said Paul Mitchell, vice president of voter data vendor Political Data. We have established a rule that we will be present.”
Any voter can request a recount, but must pay the associated costs. Mitchell estimated that the recount could cost up to $325,000.
Lowe and Simitian may also request a recount.
“I think the only time you want to request a recount is if you’re absolutely sure you’re going to win,” said Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
“It takes a lot of confidence to make sure we win by one point instead of losing by one point at this point,” he added.
Mr. Lowe is a member of the California State Assembly, and Mr. Simitian is a Santa Clara County supervisor.
“This historically close election shows that every vote really matters,” Lowe said in a statement. “Thanks to all of you, we were able to come this far. We hope to receive your support once again in November.”
“This is what a functioning democracy looks like,” Simitian said in a statement.
“Sometimes it takes time for democracy to work,” he said. “This was one of those times. Call it a cliffhanger, a roller coaster, a wild ride. But it was definitely worth the wait!”
Neither side directly answered questions about whether they would request a recount.
Ricciardo may request a recount if he wants to avoid a three-way race.
But Mitchell said it was “a little strange” for him to do such a thing.
Ricardo, a former San Jose mayor, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday night.
