Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. House · California's 17th District

2 candidates on the ballot.1

How this race is decided: Under California's top-two system, only the two candidates who received the most votes in the June 2, 2026, primary, regardless of party preference, appear on this general-election ballot.1,2

§1Candidates

Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.

Ro Khanna
Democratic · Incumbent
Currently represents California's 17th District in the U.S. House.
Ritesh Tandon
Republican · Challenger

§2Side by side

Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.

Scroll sideways on small screens. Select a name for the full page.
Ro KhannaRitesh Tandon
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,3Republican1,3
StatusIncumbent4Challenger
Raised$15,320,813 through October 14, 20265$57,011 through October 14, 20266
Cash on hand$16,578,4025$5,2276
Outside spending$0 for · $37,500 against7Not found in the public sources we checked
US Department of Education
Keep the department and its programs, or expand it
His campaign website says minimum staffing levels should be set in law for agencies such as the Department of Education, and that he would triple rural education and Title I funding and have the federal government cover 40% of special education costs under IDEA.8		Earlier policy pages still on his campaign website say he would push for a comprehensive reform of the U.S. Department of Education.9,10
Data centers and electricity costs
Require data centers to pay the full cost of the power plants and lines they need
His campaign website says tech companies must pay their full electricity bills for data centers instead of shifting costs onto communities, and that data center approvals should require new clean energy construction.8
Encourage new data centers with tax breaks and faster approvals
His campaign website says there should be firm timelines for federal approvals of data centers, semiconductor plants, grid upgrades, labs and advanced manufacturing sites.11
Nuclear powerHis campaign website says he supports nuclear energy as part of a clean energy future, including investment in fusion and small modular reactors.8Earlier policy pages still on his campaign website say energy policy should encourage nuclear power and call for federal programs to support research on safe nuclear technology and more efficient solar power.12,13
Child care costs
Make child care free, or cap what families pay at a set share of income (such as 7%), paid for with new public funding
His campaign website says child care should be free for families earning under $250,000 with children up to age 6, with a $300 monthly stipend per child for eligible parents or relatives who provide care at home.8		His campaign website says he would expand access to affordable child care and provide flexible federal support so families can stay in the workforce.11
Aid to UkraineHis campaign website says he has voted for Ukraine aid every time it has come up and supports providing weapons to Ukraine and Taiwan.8An earlier policy page still on his campaign website says the United States should continue funding Ukraine and should have encouraged a peace treaty earlier.14
Drug prices compared with other countries
Require that all US buyers pay no more than other wealthy countries do
His campaign website says he introduced a bill with Senator Bernie Sanders requiring that Americans pay no more for prescription drugs than people in countries such as Canada, Germany and Japan.8		An earlier policy page still on his campaign website says the United States should not pay for most of drug makers' recovery of development costs, and proposes letting drugs that companies sell abroad be imported and sold here and requiring two or three U.S. suppliers for each drug.15
Health insurance system
One government plan for everyone (Medicare for All)
His campaign website says Medicare for All must be passed, says he has cosponsored Medicare for All legislation since arriving in Congress in 2017, and says people could keep private insurance as secondary coverage.8,16		An earlier policy page still on his campaign website says health care costs should be brought down through competition and sensible regulation while keeping people's choices, and argues against a single government-run payer system.15
Help for first-time homebuyers
Large federal grants or tax credits for down payments, such as up to $25,000
His campaign website says he would provide down payment help of up to $50,000 for first-time buyers under 40 and working families, and proposes that people who have worked seven years could buy a home with no down payment and a low-interest loan.8		His campaign website says he would support savings tools for first-time homebuyers, including lower taxes on savings accounts for a home purchase, and assistance programs for first-time buyers.11,12,17
HomelessnessHis campaign website says federal funding to reduce homelessness among veterans should be increased, and lists among his record securing $3 million to expand emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless and unstably housed veterans and $500,000 to help Fremont residents move into permanent housing with services such as substance abuse counseling.8An earlier policy page still on his campaign website says he would build more shelter capacity and mental health treatment facilities and invest more in cost-effective housing, and that people who become homeless after a job loss and alcohol abuse should be encouraged to enroll in tax-exempt affordable housing while taking part in remedial programs.10,18
Zoning and new housing
Give extra state or federal money to communities that allow more homes
His campaign website says states and cities should be given 100 days to change their zoning laws while receiving federal money for roads and schools, and supports removing zoning restrictions that block home building.8
Give extra state or federal money to communities that allow more homes
His campaign website says he would expand federal incentives for new housing, reward faster local permitting and grow workforce housing near jobs and transit.11,17
Business tax breaksHis campaign website says he would end fossil fuel subsidies in the tax code and close loopholes such as carried interest, and supports targeted tax credits for companies that invest in American factories and hire American workers, along with tax credits for employers that take on apprentices, hire veterans or share profits with their employees.8
Expand breaks for investment, research and hiring, such as larger research credits for small businesses
His campaign website says he would create a simpler federal tax track for small businesses and expand deductions for startups.11
Federal spending levelsHis campaign website says his plan would bring the deficit down to 3% of GDP by 2034 through cuts to Pentagon spending, Medicare Advantage overbilling and fossil fuel subsidies, along with new taxes on billionaires and corporations.8
Cut overall federal spending
His campaign website says he would reduce wasteful spending and support growth-oriented fiscal reforms, and an earlier policy page still on the site says Congress should cut the national debt in half in five years and bring it near zero in 10 years through spending cuts and policies for faster economic and wage growth.11,12
Taxes on very large fortunes
A yearly tax on net worth above a high threshold (such as $50 million)
His campaign website says he proposed a national tax on billionaires' wealth with Senator Sanders, lists a wealth tax on assets over $50 million among ways to pay for Medicare for All, and says he supports the proposed one-time 5% tax on the wealth of California billionaires.8
No tax on wealth or on gains from assets that haven't been sold
His campaign website says he opposes a proposed California billionaire wealth tax that he says risks driving investment and job creators out of the state, and favors spending discipline instead of new wealth taxes.11

Issues only one candidate has addressed

By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.

Ro Khanna — 56 issues
  • Abortion law
    Legal until about 24 weeks, as under Roe v. Wade, and later to protect the woman's life or health
    His campaign website says women should be free to make their own decisions about abortion and that the protections of Roe v. Wade should be written into federal law.8
  • Abortion medication
    Keep current FDA rules, which allow prescriptions by telehealth and mail
    His campaign website says he supports repealing an 1873 law that could be used to ban mailing mifepristone and other abortion drugs, and protecting telehealth access to abortion care.8
  • Birth control and IVF
    His campaign website says he supports the Right to Contraception Act to put a right to contraception into federal law.8
  • Government funding and abortion
    Let Medicaid and other public programs cover abortion (ending the Hyde Amendment)
    His campaign website says he would repeal the Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal funds for abortion care.8
  • Who sets abortion law
    A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade
    His campaign website says he cosponsors the Women's Health Protection Act to write Roe v. Wade into federal law and protect abortion access from state bans.8,19
  • Visas for farmworkers
    His campaign website says he cosponsors the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would expand the H-2A farmworker visa program and create a path to residency for longtime farmworkers.8
  • Discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity
    His campaign website says no one should face discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, including in the workplace.8
  • Ethics rules for Supreme Court justices
    Pass a law setting a binding ethics code, with outside review of complaints and recusal decisions
    His campaign website says there should be a binding code of ethics for Supreme Court justices and a ban on undisclosed trips gifted by billionaires with business before the court.8,19
  • Foreign intelligence surveillance (FISA Section 702)
    His campaign website says his 2004 campaign called for amending the PATRIOT Act and FISA so that they would not violate civil liberties.8
  • Social media content rules
    Make platforms more legally responsible for harmful content, such as posts their algorithms promote
    His campaign website says Section 230 legal protection should end for violent content that platforms amplify.8
  • Supreme Court term limits
    Set fixed terms, such as 18 years
    His campaign website says Supreme Court justices should serve 18-year terms and lists his bill under which the president could nominate a justice every two years.8,19
  • Banking and investment rules
    Strengthen rules and consumer protections, such as limits on overdraft fees and tougher oversight of large banks
    His campaign website says he would cap interest rates on consumer loans, including auto loans, at 10% and require stronger oversight of auto lenders.8
  • Cryptocurrency rules
    His campaign website says he led legislation to bar the president, members of Congress, other senior officials and their families from issuing or promoting cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, and to require them to disclose their crypto transactions.8
  • Federal minimum wage
    His campaign website says he wants to raise the national minimum wage to a livable wage and require large companies with federal contracts to pay a living wage.8
  • Gig worker status
    His campaign website says gig and digital workers should be protected from being misclassified as independent contractors and that platforms should share more revenue with creators.8
  • Small business loans and programs
    His campaign website proposes a $1 billion fund raised by private-sector leaders, matched by $1 billion in federal money, to provide capital to small businesses.8
  • Tariffs
    Targeted tariffs on some countries or goods
    His campaign website says he would repeal broad tariffs on groceries such as coffee, produce and meat, and supports targeted tariffs to protect critical industries from dumping and unfair competition.8
  • Union organizing rules
    Make it easier to form a union (for example, the PRO Act)
    His campaign website says he cosponsors and supports the PRO Act to protect workers' right to unionize and bargain collectively.8,19
  • Student loan forgiveness
    Broad cancellation of student debt
    His campaign website says he would cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt for working- and middle-class Americans.8
  • Transgender students in school sports
    Let schools or sports organizations set rules case by case
    His campaign website says local and state athletic leagues should set fairness standards sport by sport, prioritizing inclusion while weighing safety.8
  • Tuition-free college
    Free tuition at public colleges and universities
    His campaign website says he would eliminate tuition at four-year public colleges for families earning under $150,000 and make community college free, and that he is an original cosponsor of the College for All Act.8
  • Campaign finance rules
    Limit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United
    His campaign website says he supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, introduced a bill to cap contributions to super PACs at $5,000 a year, and introduced legislation to bar members of Congress and candidates from taking PAC or lobbyist money.8
  • Federal workforce and job protections
    Rehire for jobs cut since 2025 and restore job protections, such as by undoing the 2026 at-will rule
    His campaign website says he would repeal the executive order that allowed Schedule F, put in place civil service protections that allow firing only for just cause, and rebuild agencies that lost staff.8
  • Stock trading by members of Congress
    Ban members themselves from trading individual stocks
    His campaign website says members of Congress should not trade stocks and should hold their investments in independently managed trusts, and lists bills he cosponsored to that end.8
  • Term limits for Congress
    Longer limits, such as 12 to 18 years in each chamber
    His campaign website says members of Congress should be limited to 12 years in office.8,20
  • Clean energy tax credits
    His campaign website says he would protect Inflation Reduction Act funding and reverse President Trump's cancellations of renewable energy projects.8
  • Electric vehicles
    His campaign website says he would restore the full federal tax incentives for electric vehicles that President Trump's reconciliation bill cut, and proposes a rebate program for used, fuel-efficient vehicles.8
  • Offshore wind power
    His campaign website says unleased federal areas should again be designated for offshore wind development.8
  • Permitting for energy projects
    His campaign website says he would speed up permitting for transmission lines, with early community input.8
  • Paid family and medical leave
    His campaign website says he cosponsors the Protected Time Off Act, which would guarantee parental leave and paid time off and give all full-time workers at least two weeks of paid family leave a year.8
  • Foreign aid
    Restore or increase foreign aid, including programs cut in 2025
    His campaign website says money saved from the Pentagon should go to diplomacy, sustainable development and humanitarian aid, and that minimum staffing levels should be set in law for agencies such as USAID.8
  • Iran's nuclear program and sanctions
    His campaign website says the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran is real but that another war in the Middle East is not the solution.8
  • Military aid to Israel
    Reduce or end military aid to Israel
    His campaign website says he supports stopping military sales used to kill civilians in Gaza, no new U.S. taxpayer money for Israel and an end to U.S. funding of Israel's defensive systems, and that he voted against funding offensive weapons for Israel.8,16
  • Military force against drug cartels
    His campaign website says he has called for hearings on the boat strikes in the Caribbean, which he considers illegal, and for them to end.8
  • Military spending
    Cut military spending
    His campaign website says he would cut the Pentagon budget, saving $1 trillion over 10 years by ending weapons programs such as Golden Dome and Sentinel, stopping F-35 cost overruns, reducing bureaucracy and cutting excess bases abroad.8
  • Who decides on military action
    Require Congress to approve military action in advance, except to defend against an attack
    His campaign website lists war powers resolutions he led on Yemen, Iran and Venezuela, says he introduced a bill to bar unauthorized hostilities in Iran, and says he called a U.S. strike on Iran unconstitutional.8,16
  • AR-15-style rifles
    Ban the sale of these rifles
    His campaign website says he has long pushed for an assault weapons ban.19
  • Background checks for gun sales
    His campaign website says he supports stronger background checks and closing gun show loopholes.19
  • Federal Medicaid funding
    His campaign website says he would defend Medicaid from proposed cuts in order to protect funding for rural hospitals.8
  • Large investors buying single-family homes
    His campaign website says he introduced the Stop Wall Street Landlords Act to bar private equity firms from buying single-family homes and to end tax breaks for institutional investors.8,19
  • Limits on rent increases
    Freeze rents or keep yearly increases low, as in traditional rent control
    His campaign website says rent should be capped so it cannot rise faster than inflation, and that he supports local rent caps.8
  • Passenger trains and Amtrak
    Expand funding for passenger rail, including new high-speed lines
    His campaign website says he would expand public transportation, including high-speed rail and light rail.8
  • Medicare Advantage
    Tighten rules on what these plans are paid and when they can require approval for care
    His campaign website says he introduced a bill to bar Medicare Advantage insurers from using the word Medicare in plan names and ads, and proposes cracking down on overbilling by those plans, such as upcoding.8,19
  • Medicare dental, vision and hearing coverage
    His campaign website says Medicare for All would cover dental, vision and hearing care.8
  • Medicare drug price negotiation
    His campaign website says Medicare should negotiate drug prices and tie them to what other countries pay, building on the negotiation the Inflation Reduction Act began.8
  • Social Security benefit levels
    Increase benefits, for example with larger yearly cost-of-living raises
    His campaign website says he supports raising Social Security benefits and improving cost-of-living adjustments, including through the Social Security 2100 Act, which he cosponsors.8
  • Social Security payroll tax cap
    Also tax earnings above a higher level, such as $250,000 or $400,000
    His campaign website says the Social Security payroll tax should also apply to incomes above $400,000 a year.8
  • Social Security retirement age
    Keep it at 67
    His campaign website says he would protect the current Social Security retirement age.8
  • Corporate tax rate
    Raise it, for example to 25% or 28%, or back to the 35% top rate in place before 2018
    His campaign website says his plan would restore the domestic corporate tax rate to 28%.8
  • Federal income tax rates
    Raise rates on high incomes only (for example, above $400,000)
    His campaign website says he would restore the top income tax rate to 39.6% and lists taxing capital gains like ordinary income for the top 1% among ways to pay for Medicare for All.8
  • Targeted tax breaks for individuals and families
    His campaign website says he would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit to up to $12,000 for families with children and $3,000 for workers without children, and give renters earning under $150,000 a tax deduction for rent.8
  • The president's power over approved spending
    His campaign website says presidents should not withhold money Congress has approved, and proposes a No Kings Act to end funding freezes and other ways it says the administration bypassed Congress.8
  • Data privacy
    His campaign website lists his Internet Bill of Rights, a set of principles on online privacy, net neutrality and consumer control over data.16,19
  • Rules for artificial intelligence
    His campaign website says he would require third-party safety checks of AI systems, mandatory safety standards for high-risk AI, labels on AI-generated content, and human decision-makers for matters such as health claims, loans and law enforcement.8
  • Puerto Rico's political status
    His campaign website says Puerto Rico should have the right to self-determination and that its colonial status should end.8
  • VA staffing
    Hire more VA staff, including to replace jobs lost in 2025
    His campaign website says the VA workforce should be rebuilt after cuts that it says reduced the VA's capacity to provide care and benefits.8
Ritesh Tandon — 17 issues
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs
    Earlier policy pages still on his campaign website say college admissions should be based on merit rather than race, support legislation limiting legacy and affirmative-action preferences, and call for federal laws against selection based on diversity, equity and social justice criteria in education, jobs and business contracts.9,10
  • Police funding
    An earlier policy page still on his campaign website says police should be funded and supported, with more community police officers and reforms focused on de-escalation, cultural sensitivity and mental health awareness.21
  • Classroom teaching on race, gender and sexuality
    An earlier policy page still on his campaign website says parents should be involved in reviewing what schools teach and objects to curricula that discuss sexual content at an early age or teach critical race theory.9
  • Federal agencies' power to write rules
    His campaign website says federal agencies should remove or update two outdated regulations for every major new one, with strict cost-benefit review and deadlines for rules to expire.11
  • Proof of citizenship to register to vote
    His campaign website says only U.S. citizens should vote and supports secure voter verification standards, stronger voter-roll maintenance and citizenship verification where the law requires it.11
  • International climate agreements
    An earlier policy page still on his campaign website says reducing greenhouse gases requires including China and proposes working with China and India to reverse their increased coal use.13
  • Child tax credit
    His campaign website says he would expand middle-class tax relief, protect tax support for families with children and simplify the tax code.11
  • School vaccine requirements
    An earlier policy page still on his campaign website calls for a new review of the safety of some childhood vaccines and says families should be told of the risks and given the choice to opt out of any vaccine requirement.15
  • Asylum rules
    His campaign website says asylum should be limited to people facing real persecution rather than economic migrants, with fast decision timelines, more immigration courts and removal of those whose claims are denied.11,22
  • Border wall and barriers
    Add barriers only in selected places, relying mainly on technology and agents
    His campaign website says he would fully fund modern border security technology, targeted physical barriers where needed and anti-cartel operations.11
  • Immigration enforcement inside the country
    His campaign website says deportations should be prioritized by public-safety risk and final legal status, and that federal, state and local agencies should coordinate to target violent offenders, traffickers and cartels.11
  • Legal immigration levels
    His campaign website says legal immigration should favor high-skilled workers through expanded merit-based pathways with wage protections for U.S. workers, end per-country limits for highly skilled workers, and prioritize spouses and children in family immigration.11,22
  • Legal status for immigrants here without permission, including Dreamers
    An earlier policy page still on his campaign website says DACA recipients should be given a path to citizenship.22
  • Work eligibility checks (E-Verify)
    His campaign website says he would strengthen employer verification and anti-fraud enforcement and impose strong penalties for illegal hiring.11
  • Property taxes
    Cap yearly increases or expand homeowner exemptions
    His campaign website sets a long-term goal of lowering property taxes toward 0.25% in phases tied to spending cuts and economic growth, and an earlier policy page still on the site says California's Proposition 13 should be changed so property tax is no more than 0.5% of market value and grows no more than 2% a year or half the rate of inflation, whichever is smaller.10,11,23
  • State and local tax (SALT) deduction
    Remove the cap
    An earlier policy page still on his campaign website says he would remove any limit on the state and local tax deduction.17,23
  • State income tax
    Cut rates or move to a single flat rate
    His campaign website says California's state income tax rates should be lowered toward 5% in phases tied to spending cuts and economic growth.11

Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.