Gov. Gavin Newsom endorses Evan Low in the Congressional District 16 race

With ballots already in voters’ hands, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday swooped in to make a last-minute endorsement in the District 16 congressional race, picking Assemblymember Evan Low over former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.

Newsom was one of the last Democratic heavyweights yet to endorse in the contentious race to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, where both candidates are of the same party. Eshoo endorsed Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian in the primary but has not said whether she will pick again ahead of Election Day.

“Evan Low embodies the very best of California’s values,” Newsom said in a statement first shared with POLITICO. “We have worked shoulder-to-shoulder on some of our state’s most pressing issues, from protecting reproductive rights to tackling affordability for California families. Evan’s proven track record of delivering for Bay Area families makes him exactly the kind of representative CD-16 voters deserve in Washington; I am proud to endorse his bid for Congress.”

Low in a statement said he is “absolutely thrilled and deeply honored” to secure Newsom’s endorsement.

“Over the past five years, I’ve been proud to stand by his side, tackling California’s biggest challenges — from affordable housing and supporting middle-class families to protecting our democracy,” Low said. “His leadership and vision for California have been an inspiration. Now, together, let’s make history!”

Low has scooped up other key Democratic endorsements including the California Democratic Party and the California Labor Federation.

Larry Gerston, a professor emeritus of political science at San Jose State University, called it “a bit of a mystery” as to why the governor would decide to endorse in a Democrat versus Democrat race.

“It’s unusual for a person in high office to go ahead and pick one of the two members of his party as a favorite with his endorsement, simply because if the other person wins, the relationship could be harmed,” he said.

With Election Day next week, Gerston said the endorsement might have also come too late to have an impact on voters. If the governor would have weighed in on the race earlier, Gerston said Low might have had more of an opportunity to use the endorsement on advertisements or even hold a fundraising event together.

Low’s campaign sent out a fundraising text and email with the news of the endorsement on Monday night.

“I just don’t understand why it happened this late in the campaign,” Gerston said. “It just doesn’t have nearly the punch it might have.”