Eshoo to Run for Re-Election

It's official, if not surprising: Rep. Anna G. Eshoo(D-Palo Alto) is running for re-election in the newly-drawn 18th Congressional District.

"While the redistricting process shifted some cities out of this district that I have represented for decades and added new ones, my work has always had its roots in our regional strengths and needs, and those will not change,” she said.

Voters first elected Eshoo to the seat in 1992. If re-elected, this will be the Menlo Park resident’s 11th term in Congress.

She plans to focus on the Silicon Valley workforce, the environment, health care overhaul, privacy rights, and immigration reform. She will fight to preserve Social Security and Medicare and to bring troops home “from wars I’ve voted against,” she said.

“Retooling our workforce and reorienting some industries are essential to reviving the national economy long-term.,” she said. “My priorities and those of all of Silicon Valley are keeping jobs here, attracting new ones and expanding government support for new technologies that will create the next generation of industries and jobs.”

Alluding to a past year of high-profile congressional squabbling, Eshoo said this "is no time to stand down or step back.

"For those of us who believe government can be a source of solutions and a vehicle for progress, we must make it so," she said.

As the ranking member on the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, Eshoo and member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, she said she is in a prime position to help secure “affordable, reliable” broadband and an open and free Internet.

She also plans to advocate for a cohesive communications network and improved 911 call centers, she said.

She has also staked out a controversial stand as a proponent of a "blended" rail system in which high-speed rail and Caltrain would share tracks on the Peninsula – a position also advocated by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto and state Assemblyman Richard Gordon, D-Menlo Park.

The 18th District spans three counties (Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo) and encompasses 15 incorporated cities. Redrawn lines have added Los Gatos, Campbell and new portions of San Jose to the district.

It is highly unlikely the political constitution will change for the solidly Democratic region. Eshoo, 68, has repeatedly sailed into office with ease.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Santa Clara County -- in particular, the 18th District -- now enjoys the nation's highest average wages.

The district is home to NASA Ames, the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, US Geological Service, regional headquarters for the Veterans Administration, leading high-tech companies and Stanford University.