Incumbent
CA-17 primary: first place
$17.2K
JUN 6, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleU.S. Representative
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age49 years old (Sep 13, 1976)
GenderMale
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LocationCalifornia
BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Chicago — B.A. (Economics)
Notable personal detailsRo Khanna is a Democratic U.S. representative for California’s 17th Congressional District, serving in Congress since 2017. Before Congress, he served as deputy assistant secretary of commerce in the Obama administration and taught economics at Stanford University. He earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Yale University. He lives in Fremont, California with his wife, Ritu, and their two children.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports substantially higher taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations alongside measures to close loopholes and raise revenue for expanded public investments; proposals include a wealth tax or billionaire minimum tax, restoring the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6%, a higher corporate tax rate (restore to ~28%), a corporate minimum tax, and a small financial transaction tax. He pairs revenue measures with spending priorities and deficit-reduction through investments and reforms.
Healthcare
Supports Medicare for All and the creation of universal, state- or federal-level single-payer systems while defending and expanding Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Has sponsored legislation to enable state-based universal health care waivers, to eliminate medical debt, and to strengthen Medicare against private-plan practices.
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Immigration & Border
Supports pathways to legal status and citizenship for DREAMers and productive undocumented immigrants, family reunification visas, guest worker reform, and protections for asylum seekers; advocates oversight and major reforms of ICE and CBP including limits on abuses and increased accountability; opposes policies such as a border wall and defunding NGOs while supporting resources for adjudication and humane processing at the border.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports abortion access and the right of a woman and her doctor to make decisions about abortion, with limits tied to fetal viability and an exception for the health of the mother after viability. Opposed the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and advocates protecting reproductive health care and access to contraception.
Climate & Energy
Supports Green New Deal–style legislation and federal investment in clean energy and climate resilience, seeks to end fossil-fuel subsidies, and advocates major clean energy deployment (solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal, clean hydrogen) and emissions-reduction measures. Emphasizes federal action to protect frontline communities and to transition health care and industry toward lower emissions while maintaining jobs and security.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports a federal assault-weapons ban and limits on high-capacity magazines, backing stronger background checks and expanded gun-violence research and prevention efforts. Has voted for and publicly endorsed legislation to expand background checks and supports additional legislative action to reduce gun violence.
News
Ro Khanna has been in the news for his public push on economic policy, including a proposal for a federal jobs program to help workers displaced by AI. He also traded criticism with Donald Trump over steel policy and manufacturing, highlighting his broader focus on jobs and industry. More recently, Khanna has been active in Democratic politics beyond Congress, defending Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and appearing at an early 2028 presidential contender event aimed at courting Black voters.
Ro Khanna Pushes 'Work For America' As Fix For AI Job Loss Fears, Says Revolution Must Work For Everyone,
Ro Khanna faces tech-backed challenger as Valley support fractures
Democratic presidential prospects flock to Al Sharpton's conference
Democratic presidential prospects flock to New York to court activists at Al Sharpton’s conference
Endorsements
Endorsers of Ro Khanna for CA-17 primary: first place
California Democratic Party
Public figure
California Democratic Party endorsed Ro Khanna for Congress.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262024
2026
LatestCycle 2024
Cycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls