Sam T. Liccardo
DemocratU.S. Representative, CA-16| Age | 56 (b. 1970-04-16) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2025-01-03 (~1 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Sicilian (Italian), Irish, and Mexican Californio descent |
| Education | A.B. in Government (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), Georgetown University, 1991; M.P.P., Harvard Kennedy School, 1996; J.D., Harvard Law School, 1996 |
| Prior occupation | Attorney; Assistant U.S. Attorney (San Diego, 1998–2000); Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney (2001–2006) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Saratoga, California |
| Marital status | married — Jessica García-Kohl |
| Residence | Saratoga, California |
Pending research: religion · languages · children · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2006 |
| Previous offices | San Jose City Council, District 3 (2007–2015) · Mayor of San Jose, California (2015–2023) |
| Committees | House Committee on Financial Services · Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence · Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions |
| Caucuses | New Democrat Coalition · Congressional Hispanic Caucus · Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) |
| Leadership | Chair, New Democrat Coalition Innovation & Technology Working Group |
| Ideology | Centrist Democrat; member of the New Democrat Coalition; self-described pragmatist and coalition-builder; pro-innovation on AI and technology policy |
| Signature legislation | BUILD Housing Act (bipartisan housing reform, passed House) · Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act (passed House) · UNLOCK Act (affordable housing federal funding reform) · SAFER Act (anti-escheatment for securities and digital assets, with Rep. Lawler) · Keep Innovators in America Act (KIAA) – codifying Optional Practical Training (OPT) program |
Financial
Net worth: estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: Michael Bloomberg · John Sobrato (developer/philanthropist) · Hewlett Packard Enterprise PAC ($5,000) · Citigroup ($1,000 (2025 re-election))
Top industries: Finance, Insurance & Real Estate (57% of PAC contributions in early 2025) · Technology · Real Estate
Scandals & crimes ledger
adjudicated — California Public Records Act Violation — San José Spotlight v. City of San Jose
San José Spotlight and the First Amendment Coalition sued Liccardo and the City of San Jose in February 2022, alleging he used personal email and text accounts to conduct official city business and directed a constituent to email him at a private address while stating he would delete the message from his government account. In August 2023, Judge Kuhnle found both Liccardo and the city violated the CPRA, ordering disclosure of hundreds of previously withheld records. The city subsequently paid $500,000 in attorney fees to the prevailing parties.
resolved — California Public Records Act Violation — Personal Email Use
The City of San Jose and former Mayor Sam Liccardo were found by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Thomas Kuhnle (August 29, 2023) to have violated the California Public Records Act by failing to adequately search Liccardo's personal emails and text messages for public records. The lawsuit, filed February 3, 2022 by the First Amendment Coalition and San José Spotlight, alleged Liccardo used a personal email account to conduct city business and wrote in one email that he would delete the message from his government account. The City of San Jose subsequently approved a $500,000 payout covering attorneys' fees and costs for the two plaintiff organizations. Liccardo had urged the city to appeal the ruling rather than settle.