>> IT WILL BE EVAN LOW IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, FACING OFF AGAINST SAM LICCARDO IN THE HOTLY CONTESTED RACE FOR THE DISTRICT 16 CONGRESSIONAL SEAT. GOOD EVENING. >> I'M AMA DAETZ AND I'M DAN ASHLEY. THANKS FOR JOINING US. YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR ALL THE TIME EVERY VOTE COUNTS. EVERY ELECTION. WE SAY THAT. BUT THIS RACE WAS A LITERAL EXAMPLE OF THAT EXPRESSION. THE RECOUNT IS NOW COMPLETE AND IT'S EVAN LOW BY FIVE VOTES OVER JOE SIMITIAN. THE TWO ENDED THE MARCH PRIMARY AND A TIE FOR SECOND PLACE BEHIND SAM LICCARDO. >> THIS IS THE RACE FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 16, THE SEAT LONG HELD BY ANNA ESHOO. IT REPRESENTS LARGE PORTIONS OF SAN MATEO AND SANTA CLARA COUNTIES. >> ABC SEVEN NEWS SOUTH BAY REPORTER ZACH FUENTES JUST FINISHED SPEAKING WITH LOW ABOUT THE RACE, THE RECOUNT AND WHAT'S NEXT. >> THE FINAL RESULTS TUESDAY FROM SANTA CLARA COUNTY SHOWED THE TWO CANDIDATES SEPARATED BY FOUR VOTES IN THAT COUNTY. WHAT WE WERE WAITING ON WEDNESDAY WERE RESULTS FROM THE OTHER COUNTY IN THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, SAN MATEO COUNTY. JUST BEFORE FOUR WEDNESDAY. IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT EVAN LOW PICKED UP ONE MORE VOTE IN THAT COUNTY, AND JOE SIMITIAN PICKED UP NONE, MEANING LOW BEAT. SIMITIAN BY FIVE VOTES. WE SPOKE WITH LOW JUST AFTER THE FINAL RESULTS WERE RELEASED. >> THIS WAS A NAIL BITER FOR MANY OF US. IN FACT, I THINK I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE THAT I WOULD PERSONALLY EXPERIENCE GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE. AND AS I'M PICKING OUT SOME FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, ONE PERSON SAYS, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE UP TODAY . AND THE PERSON WHO OVERHEARS NEXT TO US SAYS, NO. TODAY. HE'S DOWN UH. AND SO IT IS LIVING THAT EXPERIENCE. I'M GLAD THAT EVERY VOTE MATTERED AND THAT WE ARE HEADED INTO THIS NOVEMBER ELECTION MULTIPLE CANDIDATES RAN IN THE MARCH 5TH PRIMARY RACE TO REPLACE RETIRING CONGRESSWOMAN ANNA ESHOO. >> AND THOUGH THE PRIMARY WAS MEANT TO COME DOWN TO TWO CANDIDATES, IT CAME DOWN TO THREE. WE HAVE THE TOP TWO PRIMARY SYSTEM IN CALIFORNIA, AND WE ENDED UP WITH TWO CANDIDATES EXACTLY TIED FOR SECOND PLACE, THIS MEANS THAT THAT THREE PEOPLE WOULD GO TO THE RUNOFF IN NOVEMBER INSTEAD OF TWO. >> SAM LICCARDO WON FIRST PLACE BY A WIDE MARGIN, AND FOR WEEKS IT WAS UNCLEAR IF EVAN LOW OR JOE SIMITIAN WON SECOND PLACE UNTIL THE RESULTS REVEALED THE TIE FOR SECOND, THOUGH, IT SEEMED THAT ALL THREE WOULD GO TO THE NOVEMBER BALLOT, A RECOUNT WAS REQUESTED. THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY REGISTRAR'S OFFICE SAID RECOUNT OBSERVERS CHALLENGED 45 UNCOUNTED BALLOTS. THE REGISTRAR DETERMINED THAT SEVEN OF THEM THAT WERE INITIALLY UNCOUNTED WERE VALID. THE MIX UP WITH THAT BATCH HAD TO DO WITH SIGNATURE MATCHING AND BOXES THAT THOSE VOTERS FORGOT TO MARK, AFFIRMING THEIR CITIZENSHIP STATUS. THERE WERE ALSO MIX UPS WITH SOME OTHER BALLOTS. >> THERE WERE 12 BALLOTS IN A BATCH THAT WEREN'T COUNTED, SO THAT WAS AN ERROR, A HUMAN ERROR. WE UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO, LIKE I SAID, GOING TO TIGHTEN THE PROCESSES. BUT THAT HAPPENED IN THAT BALLOT COUNTING ROOM. AND THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX THAT AND COUNT THOSE BALLOTS. >> IN A STATEMENT, SIMITIAN SAID HE WAS DISAPPOINTED BUT NOT SAD, SAYING IN PART, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE 16TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS LONG, PAINFUL EXERCISE COUNTING THE VOTES IS OVER. THE NOT SO GOOD NEWS WE HAVE COME UP SHORT. I LOST AND I CONCEDE I TRUST THE PROCESS
