Who is Ro Khanna?
Representative Ro Khanna, 50, is a Democratic congressman from California's Silicon Valley, a former Stanford economics lecturer, Yale-trained lawyer, and one of the most prominent progressive voices in Congress, who became a leading face of the Democratic midterm push and was on MS NOW's airwaves all the way through election night.
Answer from Mary's digital twin. Checkmark turns Green once she confirms it.
Quick facts
- Born: September 13, 1976 (age 50), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Full name: Rohit Khanna
- Known for: U.S. Democratic Representative for California's 17th Congressional District (Silicon Valley); progressive leader; tech policy advocate
- Education: B.A. in economics, University of Chicago (graduated Phi Beta Kappa, 1998); J.D., Yale Law School (2001)
- Party: Democratic; self-described "progressive capitalist"
- Career before Congress: Clerked for a federal appeals judge; practiced intellectual property law; served as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce under President Barack Obama (2009–2011); lectured in economics at Stanford University and taught law at Santa Clara University
- Family: Married to Ritu Ahuja (2015); 2 children
- In Congress since: January 2017
His story
Khanna was born in Philadelphia to Punjabi Indian parents who immigrated to the United States in 1968. His father is a chemical engineer who graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology before earning a degree from the University of Michigan; his mother worked as a schoolteacher.
His commitment to public service was inspired by his grandfather, who was active in Gandhi's independence movement, worked with Lala Lajpat Rai in India, and spent years in jail for promoting human rights.
He defeated eight-term incumbent Democratic Representative Mike Honda in the 2016 general election, after first running for the same seat in 2014. He had previously served as deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Commerce under President Obama from 2009 to 2011.
What he stands for
A self-described "progressive capitalist," Khanna has called for a "new economic patriotism" as a governing philosophy. He has built his profile around economic fairness, domestic manufacturing and technology leadership.
He authored the Endless Frontier Act, which formed the basis for the sweeping CHIPS and Science Act signed into law by President Biden. As Chair of the House Oversight and Reform Environmental Subcommittee, he brought the CEOs of 6 major fossil fuel companies before Congress to testify under oath about climate disinformation for the first time in history.
On the Iran war, Khanna said he would stop further funding for U.S. military action, arguing:
"The House and the Senate should stop the funding for any further actions in the Iran war. That's what we did to stop the Vietnam War, and we need to stop this war in Iran."
His role in the midterms
Khanna was one of the most visible Democratic faces on MS NOW in the run-up to the sweep. On MS NOW's State of Play, he expressed concern that Speaker Mike Johnson might not seat Democrats elected in the midterms. On Morning Joe, he argued that the Trump Administration was attempting to suppress the Latino vote.
After the results came in, he was on MS NOW immediately. He called for an ambitious progressive agenda, including Medicare for All, a $25 living wage and higher taxes on billionaires, in a post on X, sharing a video of his appearance on MS NOW's program with host Peter Alexander. He also celebrated Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's projected Senate win in Michigan, saying: "This is huge news for the progressive movement. He ran on Medicare for All. He ran calling out the genocide. He ran on taxing billionaires, and he won a swing state. This shows if Abdul can win in Michigan, progressives can win across the country. The establishment cannot tell us we are not electable."
On election night he also said:
"Tonight, DEI is back as America celebrated diversity and inclusion. Likely three black governors, the first Latina governor in Texas, the first Muslim-American senator, the first gay senator. I love this America."
What's next for him
In 2025 and 2026, Khanna drew broader national attention through town halls in Republican-held districts and appearances in early-voting presidential states, leading several national outlets to describe him as a potential contender for the Democratic presidential nomination. Both Khanna and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are considered potential 2028 presidential candidates; neither has announced whether they are running.
His books
- Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us (2022): Khanna offers a vision for democratizing digital innovation to build economically vibrant and inclusive communities, arguing that rather than being subject to tech's reshaping of the economy, America must channel those powerful forces toward creating a more equal and democratic society.
- Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing is Still Key to America's Future: a book making the case for manufacturing as the backbone of America's economic future.
Follow-ups
What happened to Vivek Ramaswamy in the Ohio governor's race?Vivek Ramaswamy, the Indian-American biotech entrepreneur and Registered Republican nominee, lost the Ohio governor's race to Democrat Amy Acton, a physician and former state health director, in a defeat shaped by a divisive campaign ad, a fractured Republican Party and a national wave that swept Democrats into power.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the Indian-American biotech entrepreneur and Registered Republican nominee, lost the Ohio governor's race to Democrat Amy Acton, a physician and former state health director, in a defeat shaped by a divisive campaign ad, a fractured Republican Party and a national wave that swept Democrats into power.
The result
Amy Acton won the 2026 Ohio governor's race with 52.0% of the vote, defeating Vivek Ramaswamy by 7.2 points. Republicans had held the governor's seat for the past 16 years, and Acton became the state's first woman elected governor. She is also the first Democrat to win Ohio's governorship since Ted Strickland won a single four-year term in 2006.
What went wrong for Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy ran an ad that was denounced as unseemly by the state's own governor and other Registered Republican leaders for featuring his opponent's estranged mother. The backlash from within his own party was real: Casey Putsch, who had run against Ramaswamy for the Republican nomination, said he would vote for Acton. The race was described as one that left the Republican Party divided.
President Donald Trump played a central role in the race, repeatedly using his political influence to boost Ramaswamy in the campaign's final stretch. It wasn't enough. The pre-election polling had pointed to a close race, but the final margin was well beyond what the polls suggested.
Who is Amy Acton
Acton is a physician and former state health director making her first run for elected office. In her victory speech in Columbus she told supporters:
"Because of your hard work, Ohio has chosen unity and decency over division and hate."
What it means
Ramaswamy had never held elected office, and a win would have made him the first Indian-American governor of Ohio and the first Hindu governor in the United States. Instead, Ohio flipped to the Democrats as part of the broader midterm sweep, and Ramaswamy now faces the question every high-profile candidate faces after a loss: what comes next.
The books
Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of UsRo Khanna
Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of UsRo Khanna
Buy on Amazon
Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing is Still Key to America's FutureRo Khanna
Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing is Still Key to America's FutureRo Khanna
Buy on Amazon
Progressive Capitalism: How to Make Tech Work for All of UsRo Khanna
Progressive Capitalism: How to Make Tech Work for All of UsRo Khanna
Buy on Amazon MS NOW was instrumental in the Democratic sweep. At a time when much of the media softened its coverage of the administration, MS NOW stood ten toes firm, and Joe Scarborough and Morning Joe kept the midterm stakes in front of viewers every weekday. On election night, the network called the House for Democrats at 9:59 p.m. ET, ahead of CNN.
Read that one firstThe next bold move in politics starts with understanding the game.
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