Ro Khanna is a United States Congressman from California’s 17th District in the heart of  Silicon Valley. He has a vision to transform America into a modern manufacturing and innovation superpower, and he partners it with a commitment to passing Medicare for All, a $17-dollar minimum wage, $10 a day childcare, and free public college and trade school. He is a progressive with a fresh economic vision.

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Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1976, to a middle-class, immigrant family, Ro’s faith in America is rooted in his own story. His grandfather, Amarnath Vidyalanker, was part of Gandhi’s independence movement in India, spending four years in jail for writing articles against colonialism and protesting British rule. That freedom movement inspired John Lewis and Dr. King and led to the Immigration Reform Act of 1965, which allowed Ro’s parents to come to America. His father worked as a chemical engineer, leaving home before dawn so he could be back in time for dinner with the family. Ro’s mother worked as a substitute teacher assistant for children with special needs and stayed up late helping with homework at the kitchen table. Thanks to good public schools and teachers, neighbors, and coaches who encouraged him, Ro grew up believing that anything was possible in America.

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After college and law school, Ro moved to Silicon Valley fascinated with the future of tech but with no money or connections. As an outsider, he ran for Congress twice: as the nation's first anti-Iraq War candidate at the age of 27, and years later on a platform of political reform. He lost both times. Despite the setbacks, he loved teaching economics at Stanford as a lecturer and practicing tech law. On his third try, this country elected him – an Indian American of Hindu faith – to represent Silicon Valley, the engine of technological innovation for the nation and the world. Once elected, Ro became Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.

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In Congress, Ro has fought to give everyone the same shot at the American dream that he had. He has created thousands of jobs across 13 states stretching from Nevada to Ohio to New Hampshire through a national jobs program that connects top tech companies from Silicon Valley to community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, and Hispanic-serving institutions. 

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Ro has also partnered with the United Steel Workers and industry leaders to introduce legislation to build new, modern steel plants in places like Johnstown, Pennsylvania that have suffered from deindustrialization. He introduced bipartisan legislation to create a National Economic Development Council to invest in factory towns, rural communities and cities like Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Warren, Ohio, set benchmarks for implementation, and simplify the approvals process. 

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His focus on revitalizing American industry aligns with his strong record of bipartisan work. Ro co-authored the bipartisan CHIPS and Science law to invest in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation here at home. He also passed laws to modernize the federal government, protect against cyber threats, create apprenticeships for veterans and make it easier for the National Guard and reserve forces to access disability and pension benefits. This willingness to engage earned him the title of California House Democrat most likely to get a bill signed into law. He was also awarded the Publius Award from the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress for his bipartisan leadership, including laws to modernize federal websites, expand apprenticeship opportunities for veterans, and study barriers faced by the National Guard and reserve members in accessing disability and pension benefits.

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As a leading progressive, Ro worked with the White House and the Senate to secure the largest climate and manufacturing investment in history as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. He has led the charge to cancel student loan debt, ban members of Congress from taking PAC money or trading stocks, cancel all medical debt, and establish term limits and a judicial code of ethics for Supreme Court Justices. 

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Before being elected to Congress, Ro graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in economics with honors and received a law degree from Yale University. As a student at the University of Chicago, Khanna worked on the campaign of a little-known candidate for State Senate named Barack Obama. He later worked on Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign before being appointed to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce by the newly elected President Obama. 

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Ro is proud to call Fremont home and he and his wife Ritu have two young children.