Fifty-five years ago, Simitian was the student body president at Palo Alto High School. Thirteen years ago, he was named “Outstanding Legislator of the Year” by the state with the ‘signature accomplishment’ on his own website being the passage of his “Kindergarten Readiness Act.” Today, he serves as the Santa Clara County Supervisor and is running to be the representative of the 16th Congressional District in California, recently receiving a key endorsement from Anna Eshoo.
Congresswoman Anna Eshoo first announced she would not be seeking re-election in late November. According to the Washington Post, her decision to retire was based on a personal feeling that “it’s time” after two decades in Congress.
With this announcement, Simitian, who had previously refused to run against Anna Eshoo, is finally able to use the $600,000 in donations he has amassed over the years for his Congressional run.
Once he announced his candidacy, Simitian received a key endorsement from Eshoo in a video statement released in early January announcing her support for the Santa Clara County Supervisor.
“This special place calls for a top-notch representative and I believe that there is one person that has the ability to best represent the people of this special place and that is Joe Simitian,” Eshoo said.
This sentiment is felt in many cities such as Palo Alto, where Simitian has served in many different political positions.
He first began his political career at Paly, where he was student body president from 1969 to 1970 after what was the closest student body election in years according to a 1969 issue of Campanile. He would later serve as a PAUSD board member from 1983 until 1991 and was elected mayor of Palo Alto in 1995. After, he would serve on the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors from 1997 to 2000, and after serving many years in local positions, he would run and be elected to the California senate and later the state Assembly.
Through these positions, Simitian has amassed an exceptional reputation as an excellent politician. In a 2010 interview from Verde Magazine, Paly senior Samara Trilling, who interned in Simitian’s office, characterized him as a hard-working, down-to-earth person who is a dedicated member of the community.
“In general, Joe is one of those remarkable representatives who is exceptionally good at governing,” Trilling said. “He’s a down-to-earth community member and an incredibly hard-working legislator.”
His pragmatism is especially shown through his work on the Santa Clara board of supervisors, where he kept priorities for the county based on what he had seen. He mentioned in a Campanile article from 2000 that he believed housing, transportation and education were first priority as they are essential to the Peninsula.
“Housing, transportation and education would be at the top of the list right now,” Simitian said. “These are all critical needs for the Peninsula. I think it’s also important to make sure that we focus on continued economic growth and prosperity.”
Simitian has also been known to be a down-to-earth community member who cares about everyone, especially students.
In the same 2010 Verde article from when he was on the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors, Simitian reflected on how his list of priorities has included education since his days on the PAUSD school board.
“Students and schools have been at the top of my list for a long time, going back to my days on the Palo Alto school board,” Simitian said.
However, Simitian is still facing a lot of competition. This is the first time in 30 years this Congressional seat has been open, and many candidates such as Palo Alto City Council members Greg Tanaka and Julie Lythcott-Haims are vying for the opportunity to be elected.
At this moment according to SJSU political science professor Melinda Jackson the two frontrunners of the race are Simitian and Sam Liccardo, the former mayor of San Jose. Similar to Simitian, Liccardo recently received a public endorsement from the current mayor of San Jose, Matt Mahan.
Both candidates have had successful political careers, and endorsements are sure to have an important impact on the outcome of this election. The primaries are set for March 5, 2024.