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Silicon Valley Showdown: Agarwal eyes Ro Khanna’s seat
The techie accused Khanna of leaning "far to the left” in pursuit of a presidential bid.
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Anushka Pathak - Tue, 03, Mar 2026
- 15:52 EST
- 31
L-R: Ethan Agarwal; Ro Khanna / Courtesy: X/@ethanagarwal; Wikipedia
The contest for California’s 17th Congressional District is drawing significant attention within the Indian American community as incumbent Rep. Ro Khanna faces a June primary challenge from fellow Indian American and tech entrepreneur Ethan Agarwal.
Khanna's backing of a proposed California wealth tax has sparked criticism from billionaire donors, creating an opening for Agarwal to frame his campaign as a new direction for Silicon Valley representation.
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In a post on X, Agarwal, who was earlier running for governor, said he is running to unseat Khanna, accusing him of being “the most prolific Dem stock trader in the history of Congress.”
.@RoKhanna is the most prolific Dem stock trader in the history of Congress.
— Agarwal for Congress (@ethanagarwal) March 3, 2026
He traded $55.7m of stock just last year. He beat the market by 13%.
He criticizes wealth creation, innovation, and hard work, while making eight figures investing in companies in his PA.
I'm… https://t.co/LyJNYxTc7t
Agarwal alleged Khanna traded US $55.7 million in stocks last year, the highest of any Congress member, and beat the market by 13 percent. He also wrote that Khanna “criticizes wealth creation, innovation, and hard work, while making eight figures investing in companies in his PA.”
Pointing to Khanna’s position on the House Oversight Committee, he added, “He profits from companies in his oversight portfolio.”
If elected, Agarwal pledged to divest his personal investment account and said he would push for a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and their families, along with term limits. “I don’t believe that good government is boring,” he wrote.
Reflecting on his earlier support, Agarwal said he was excited in 2012 by “a smart Indian guy running for Congress,” but claimed Khanna has since “run far to the left” in pursuit of a presidential bid, abandoning original backers.
The candidate, however, acknowledged Khanna’s US $15 million campaign war chest and urged supporters to donate through his campaign website.
Agarwal, 40, was born in Montreal in 1985 to Indian immigrant parents and raised in Los Gatos by his father, Vinod Agarwal, a former McGill University professor and founder of semiconductor company LogicVision, and his mother.
He previously entered the 2026 California gubernatorial race as a Democrat in 2025, describing himself as “fiercely pro-capitalism, pro-meritocracy,” and supporting “equal opportunities, not equal outcomes.”
The June 2026 primary in the heavily Democratic, Silicon Valley-based 17th District will be the first test of the intra-party contest.
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