Rep. Mike Honda, a Democrat who has represented Silicon Valley for seven terms, told the editorial board of the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday that he will not move into the district. His home was excluded from the district boundaries when they were redrawn after 2010–and now, says Honda, he can no longer afford to move into the area he represents, given the soaring cost of housing that has seen many leave the Bay Area entirely.
Honda, who faces a surprisingly tough re-election battle, says that he trusts voters to understand that he has local roots.
Recent polls suggest that Honda has a comfortable lead over his rivals, but Republican Vanila Singh logged a surprising second-place result and Democrat challenger Ro Khanna has amassed a large fundraising haul. Another Republican, Joel Vanlandingham, is also in the race, though he is not raising campaign funds.
Photo: Jeff Chiu/AP