ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
CA-17 congress race gets another Indian American contender
His campaign centers on lowering living costs, expanding housing supply and promoting innovation.
-
Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 14, Mar 2026
- 16:11 EDT
- 41
(L-R) Ro Khanna/ Ritesh Tandon/ Ethan Agrawal / File Photo/ X (Ritesh Tandon)/ John Hopkins University
The race for California’s 17th Congressional District is growing more crowded as another Indian American candidate enters the contest, adding a new dynamic to the Silicon Valley seat currently held by Rep. Ro Khanna.
Technology executive and entrepreneur Ritesh Tandon has launched his fourth campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives from the district, joining a field that already includes tech entrepreneur Ethan Agarwal.
Also Read: Silicon Valley Showdown: Agarwal eyes Ro Khanna’s seat
“For 26 years, I’ve lived and volunteered in the Bay Area working for our families, small businesses and community,” Tandon said in the campaign video outlining his priorities for the Silicon Valley district, which includes Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Milpitas and parts of San Jose and Fremont.
His campaign focuses on affordability, citing rising costs for housing, health care, education and basic household expenses.
“Families are being crushed by high costs—housing, health care, education, groceries and utilities,” Tandon said. “Affordability is not a slogan. It’s your monthly bill.”
He also emphasized tax cuts, reduced regulation and expanding artificial intelligence education in schools and colleges.
“I believe in an America First policy—lower taxes, less red tape, more innovation and AI education in schools and colleges so our children lead the future,” he said.
On immigration, Tandon said he supports a secure border, legal immigration pathways and enforcement of immigration laws.
“I support a secure border, fair legal pathways and protection of American workers—humane laws, strong enforcement and common sense reform,” he said.
In a pointed critique, Tandon has taken aim at ACA-7, a proposed constitutional amendment in California, arguing that it threatens to undermine Proposition 209, a law that prohibits the consideration of race, sex, and ethnicity in public employment, education, and contracting.
“Sacramento politicians are trying again to weaken Prop 209 through ACA-7 — the fourth attempt to bring back government preferences based on race and gender,” he wrote.
A Bay Area resident for more than two decades, he previously served as a research fellow at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Tandon holds a master of computer engineering and a masters in business administration from Santa Clara University.
The 17th Congressional District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, has been represented by Khanna since 2017 and is considered a Democratic-leaning district.
Tandon has previously challenged Khanna in past election cycles. In the 2022 general election, Khanna defeated Tandon with about 71 percent of the vote, while Tandon received roughly 29 percent.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login