Ro Khanna slams Mike Honda to win in California 17th Congressional district election rematch

FREMONT: A hotly contested election in what is considered one of the most important districts in the country was won by Indian American attorney Ro Khanna.

Khanna, a Democrat, with 60 percent of the vote, won convincingly over fellow Democrat

Mike Honda

, who tallied 40 percent of the vote.

“Four years ago, when we began this improbable journey, I believed that our district could redefine American politics,” Khanna said in his acceptance speech during his election party at the Royal Palace Banquet Hall here. “Since then, I have seen what makes our district special,” he said to a crowd of more than 100 guests.

“From the very beginning, our campaign cried out to the Bay Area, to California, and to our nation, that here in

Silicon Valley

, we have new communities that have something to offer, new activists who want to give back, and new, young voices who seek to answer the call to service,” Khanna added. “In doing so, we did not seek to diminish the past, but sought to prepare for the future.”

Honda had held the seat for eight consecutive terms dating back to the 2000 election, including narrowly beating Khanna in the 2014 race.

Despite the terse moments throughout the campaign, which featured attacking ads, news releases and legal ramifications, Khanna took the high road.

“Mike Honda displayed courage in overcoming one of the darkest chapters in American history - the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans. He built on Norm Mineta's legacy to say ‘never again.’ For decades, Mr. Honda has stood up for the rights of Arab Americans, Iranian Americans, Chinese Americans, Korean Americans and transgender Americans, even when it wasn't the popular thing to do,” Khanna said.

“That the son of Indian immigrants could run against a Japanese American survivor of internment to be the political face of Silicon Valley suggests just how far America has come,” the Indian American added. “I don't think my parents would ever have imagined it. I don't think they would have imagined it when they first stood in line at JFK airport, waiting to have their passport stamped. I don't think they would have imagined it when they took the oath to become citizens. Only in America can the son of a school teacher and an engineer, who came to this nation with nothing, grow up to represent the most powerful economic district in the world.”

In defeat, Honda released a statement discussing his run in Congress and his thoughts moving forward.

“My commitment to public service has always been about expanding opportunities for working families. I am incredibly proud of my track record of delivering for workers, seniors and middle class families,” Honda said. “I am proud of my service to this region, I’ve seen it grow from the Valley of Heart’s delight to Silicon Valley. I am honored to have been a part of that growth and transformation,” he said.

“I congratulate my opponent on his victory in this hard-fought campaign to represent the people of California’s 17th Congressional District,” Honda added. “Now is the time to come together as a party and unite around the progressive values we hold dear.”

The comments came following a crescendo of heated barbs by the two candidates. Six weeks prior to the election, Honda’s camp filed a lawsuit against Khanna, his campaign and campaign manager over an alleged cyberattack. The case remains open with Khanna’s side most recently providing any and all documents as part of a mutual agreement signed off by the judge overseeing the case.

Additionally, Khanna’s side has continued to bring up Honda’s questionable ethics which has led to the House Ethics Committee launching a probe that is ongoing.

Honda also released an ad using an Indian American actor portraying Khanna as a candidate who takes donations from PACs and Wall Street high rollers, something Khanna has steadfastly denied. The Honda camp has continually called Khanna “Republican-like” in many of its statements leading up to the election.

The growing feud between the two sides dates back to 2014 when Khanna was defeated convincingly by Honda in the primary before the Indian American narrowed the gap to about 4 points in the general election.

With Khanna running again in 2016, it proved to be a two-way race throughout the election cycle. The 41-year-old Fremont attorney won the June 7 primary over the incumbent by about 3 percent, which led to Khanna saying “everyone knows (Honda’s) done.”

A spokesman for Khanna’s campaign had told India-West at the time of the primary that they anticipated Khanna would gain a sizeable gap come the general election as challengers typically gain momentum in the months leading to the general election, historically.

That prediction came true with the 20-point win by Khanna.

At the election party, prior to the polls being closed, the atmosphere was upbeat with many people convinced Khanna would win.

“For the Indian American community, and the community as a whole, he would be a good candidate for the district,” Khanna supporter Ashok Shah, of San Jose, told India-West. Shah, who volunteered for Khanna in 2014, added, “He is a good candidate and a good person. He would do much better than Honda.”

Chandru Bhambhra, another Khanna supporter, was “100 percent sure” the election would go Khanna’s way.

“When (Khanna) came around to the area, we came to know he is a very eligible candidate for this post,” Bhambhra, of Fremont, told India-West. “He’s very literate and has had a lot of good talks about the community and Congress and education and we like him. I’m sure this time, with more voters, he’s definitely bound to win.”

Khanna shifted his acceptance speech to focus more on how to move the district forward as he transitions to life as a congressman.

“At a time when software is transforming every industry, when workers are competing with machines, our nation desperately needs stronger leadership from this region,” he said. “We need new thinking for how to create jobs in the face of automation. We need to make educating our workforce for a global economy the highest priority of our government. We need to figure out how to lift up those that the technology revolution has left behind. And we need to make the case that having the best and brightest from around the world makes us stronger, not weaker,” he stressed.

“I believe years from now when people will look back at this room, they will say, I glimpsed the future of America,” he added.

A mentor of Khanna for about 13 years, M.R.

Rangaswami

, founder of San Francisco, Calif.-based nonprofit Indiaspora, was moved by the acceptance speech and feels the district is in good hands.

“When I met (Khanna) in 2003, as he was running for office in San Mateo, I noticed he was smart, passionate, young but willing to learn," Rangaswami told India-West. "I was one of the early supporters. Remarkably he got 20 percent of the primary vote (in 2003). I thought then he was going to go places."

In terms of the election, Rangaswami knew Khanna would come out the victor but said he had no idea the separation would reach 20 percent.

Rangaswami also feels Khanna representing the district is great for the Indian American community, where millions reside in the cities encompassed within the congressional district.

“It bodes well for our community,” he told India-West. “To see our image represented makes us feel incredibly proud. It's a new chapter. I think what we are seeing is the beginning of the wave of more Indian Americans running for office.”

Content courtesy: India West