Two San Jose Republicans who were running for the Republican
nomination for the 15th District Congressional race remained
neck-and-neck as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, separated by less than 1
percent of the vote.
Two San Jose Republicans who were running for the Republican nomination for the 15th District Congressional race remained neck-and-neck as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, separated by less than 1 percent of the vote.
With about one-fourth of precincts counted, Scott Kirkland had 6,627 votes while Don Barich had 6,504 votes. Each of the San Jose businessmen had acquired about 37 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, Raymond Chukwu was in third place with 4,446 votes.
Meanwhile, incumbent Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose) is running unopposed.
Kirkland, 32, works in the Sunnyvale office of Scotts Valley-based Seagate Technology, a company that makes hard drives. He became inspired to run this year after holding his newborn daughter and wondering what future awaited her.
Barich, 56, works in the graphic arts industry while also serving as a gym instructor and leading an adult education class for immigrants. He ran his own graphic arts company for many years.
Both Barich and Kirkland believe in stimulating the economy by lowering taxes and regulations on businesses rather than through government spending. Both of them also have been critical of federal health care legislation supported by Honda.
Kirkland hopes to lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil, but he also supports loosening restrictions on off-shore drilling. He stresses the enforcement of immigration laws, and he seeks to use free market forces to help resolve national health care challenges.
Barich favors a guest worker program for seasonal and temporary work along with the protection of U.S. borders. He strongly supports U.S. troops, but he thinks they have done all they can in Iraq and Afghanistan and that it is time to leave.
Chukwu, 56, who heads up the San Jose-based nonprofit firm Black Technologies Advancement, was born in California but grew up in Nigeria. The aerospace engineer has run for Congress twice previously but had difficulty raising funds for this campaign.
