Self-funded political newcomer Eric Jones has edged out longtime Rep. Mike Thompson in the Democrat-on-Democrat race for Northern California’s 4th District.
Ten days after the Nov. 3 election, the Associated Press called the race for Jones, who spent millions on his race and led Thompson 52.5% to 47.5% as of Friday evening.
Jones, a venture capitalist and nonprofit executive who grew up in a working-class household, will now lead a district that was redrawn under Proposition 50 to stretch from the vast wineries of Napa County to the rice fields of Sutter County.
He ran against Thompson (D-St. Helena), who was first elected in 1998, while calling for a new generation of leadership. He campaigned on keeping corporate money out of politics, lowering the cost of living and protecting “our future” by facilitating a government that lives within its means.
Jones poured $14.8 million of his own funds into the race and ran an active campaign. He said that he held more than 200 town halls and that his campaign knocked on half a million doors.
“I answered every email myself personally. We offered a coffee chat with every single voter we met, and that’s the message that people heard,” he said in an interview Friday after his race was called. “I do think we need to make a lot of progress on campaign reform. It’s something we’re already working on with the freshman class right now in D.C.”
The 36-year-old father of two also backed progressive measures to expand Medicare and cut taxes for low- and middle-income Americans.
“It’s been really fantastic to see just how impactful our message was because we knew from Day One that we were speaking to voters and Americans who were pretty left behind in the political system,” he said.
Thompson acknowledged the election results in a statement Friday evening.
“I’m proud of my service,” he said before listing his work on water issues, wildfires, gun violence and conservation. “My team and I have always lived by one principle: We’re here to do the people’s work serving our district, and that job is never too big nor too small.”
Supporters of Jones’ campaign included Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.); Duolingo Chief Executive and co-founder Luis von Ahn; and Our Revolution, an independent grassroots organization founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Thompson spent 14 terms in Congress, initially elected to California’s 1st District. Prior to that, he was a two-term state senator.
He sits on the influential Ways and Means Committee and is the top Democrat on its tax policy subcommittee. He had been endorsed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff and the California Democratic Party.
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