About
Congressman Sam Liccardo proudly represents California’s 16th Congressional District, a dynamic region that stretches from the coastal communities of Half Moon Bay and Pacifica to the heart of Silicon Valley, including San Jose, Palo Alto, and Mountain View.
Before joining Congress, Liccardo served two terms as Mayor of San José, where he led unprecedented economic growth, championed transformative housing initiatives, and positioned the city as a national leader in climate resilience. Under his leadership, San José became the largest U.S. city to commit to carbon neutrality, delivering cleaner, more affordable energy while cutting emissions. He spearheaded the country's most ambitious gun violence prevention measure and expanded community-based policing, making San José the safest large city in America during his tenure. Liccardo also tackled the housing crisis head-on, securing funding to expand the housing supply and launching San José’s largest rent relief program, helping drive an 11% reduction in homelessness.
Beyond housing and public safety, Liccardo was a champion for infrastructure and innovation. He secured funding for Caltrain electrification and key transit projects that strengthened mobility across the Bay Area. His leadership attracted major tech investments from Google, Apple, Amazon, and Adobe, fueling the region’s largest technology industry expansion and creating thousands of jobs.
Now in Congress, Liccardo continues his mission to deliver results. As a member of the House Committee on Financial Services and Chair of the New Democratic Coalition’s Innovation & Technology Working Group, he advocates for bold, bipartisan solutions to lower costs, expand housing affordability, strengthen public safety, and accelerate America’s clean energy and innovation leadership.
Prior to public service, Liccardo was a criminal prosecutor, fighting for justice in cases of sexual assault and child exploitation. He holds degrees from Harvard Law School, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and Georgetown University.
Liccardo and his wife, Jessica Garcia-Kohl, a nonprofit leader dedicated to child health, education, and leadership development, live in Saratoga.