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The 10 contenders who are vying for Rep. Anna Eshoo’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives share a common belief: that their life experiences have prepared them well for the challenge of representing Silicon Valley in Washington, D.C.

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CalMatters is a Sacramento-based nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. It works with more than 130 media partners throughout the state that have long, deep relationships with their local audiences, including Embarcadero Media.

Gennady Sheyner covers local and regional politics, housing, transportation and other topics for the Palo Alto Weekly, Palo Alto Online and their sister publications. He has won awards for his coverage...