Ethan Agarwal Drops Governor Bid, Takes On Ro Khanna In CA 17
India-West News Desk
SAN JOSE, CA – Five-term Congressman Ro Khanna, who has been making national headlines with the Epstein Files and has repeatedly won reelection by comfortable margins in Silicon Valley, is now facing a primary challenge from a fellow Indian American Democrat.
Tech entrepreneur Ethan Agarwal announced March 3 that he is running for California’s 17th Congressional District, abandoning a previously declared campaign for governor. Agarwal had launched his gubernatorial bid last August but has not got any attention in an overcrowded Democratic field.
In pivoting to the House race, Agarwal is seeking to draw a sharp ethical contrast with the incumbent. The 40-year-old has accused Khanna of benefiting from congressional stock trading and has branded him “Trader Ro,” arguing that lawmakers should be barred from buying and selling individual stocks while in office. He is also calling for term limits and a rejection of corporate PAC money, casting his campaign as a reform effort aimed at restoring public trust.
The challenge comes as Khanna’s national stature has grown. In recent months, he has partnered with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie to press for the release of the Epstein files, a move that has drawn bipartisan attention.
At the center of the emerging contest is a debate over wealth and taxation in a district that is home to some of the nation’s richest executives. Khanna has supported a proposal that would impose a 5 percent annual tax on billionaires’ wealth. Backers argue the plan could generate an estimated $4.4 trillion dollars to offset rising costs for working families.
Critics counter that such a measure would backfire. Gavin Newsom and several Silicon Valley business leaders have warned that a state level wealth tax could prompt high net worth residents to relocate, ultimately shrinking California’s tax base. Agarwal has aligned himself with that view.
Born in Montreal in 1985 to immigrant parents, Agarwal was raised in Los Gatos. His father, Vinod Agarwal, is a former McGill University professor and founder of semiconductor company LogicVision.
