Liccardo goes to Washington: Silicon Valley’s first new congressman in decades gets ready

ADD ONE MORE person to the list of employers feeling the Bay Area’s cost of living pains: An incoming Silicon Valley congressman looking for legislative staff and office space.

Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo will be the region’s first new congressman in decades, and he’s at the early stages of building his teams to serve in the Bay Area and Washington, D.C. His first session in the House of Representatives is Jan. 3, but he said his limited budget to get a team rolling doesn’t match the extraordinary expense of paying employees in California. And while the lease is up for the Palo Alto congressional office of his retiring predecessor, Rep. Anna Eshoo, the location won’t work for Liccardo. The 54-year-old Capitol freshman said he’s prioritizing people.