Ethan Agarwal Enters 2026 California Governor’s Race

India-West News Desk

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Tech entrepreneur Ethan Agarwal has announced his candidacy for California governor in 2026, telling Axios he’s running as a Democrat who embraces capitalism and meritocracy.

Agarwal, 39, is positioning himself as a pro-business voice in a crowded field, drawing a contrast with progressives like Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. “We have some things in common, like being pro-choice and believing in gun control and LGBTQ rights and immigration. But I fiercely support capitalism and meritocracy and believe California could use some business and tech acumen to fix things in a way that other candidates in the race won’t,” he told Axios.

His campaign already has backing from Silicon Valley figures including Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang, and Tribe Capital’s Arjun Sethi, who are hosting fundraising events.

Agarwal has founded and sold two startups that raised over $100 million from investors like Andreessen Horowitz. He co-founded fintech startup The Coterie, which raised $80 million before its assets were sold earlier this year, and fitness app Aaptiv, which was acquired by Pear Health Labs.

His platform emphasizes innovation to address California’s energy and environmental challenges, along with education reforms that prepare students for jobs in technology and clean industries. He also highlights immigration as a growth engine for the state’s economy. Agarwal also points to regulations and fees that he believes have driven industries such as film production and autonomous vehicle testing out of the state.

Born in Montreal and raised in Los Gatos, Agarwal is the son of semiconductor entrepreneur Vinod Agarwal, whose company LogicVision went public. He studied at Johns Hopkins University, later earning an MBA from Wharton, and worked at Lehman Brothers and McKinsey before launching startups.

Despite strong tech-world connections, Agarwal faces long odds with little statewide name recognition. Political observers expect him to target young voters, Indian Americans, and the state’s tech community in hopes of breaking through.