Congressional Race Coverage: Ro Khanna

The Young Economic Expert

Luke KosloskyTHE SANTA CLARAOctober 30, 2014

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]anta Clara is at the heart of a historic congressional race, and Ro Khanna is the reason.

A 38-year-old former Santa Clara School of Law professor and economics lecturer at Stanford University, Khanna has extensive knowledge of the economy of the Silicon Valley.

During his undergraduate career at the University of Chicago, he worked as a volunteer with President Barack Obama on his campaign for state Senate in 1996. After Obama became president, he brought Khanna to work for him in the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he played a key role in bringing Tesla Motors to our area.

His opponent, Rep. Mike Honda, has held the seat for California’s 17th district for over 13 years, but it is time for that to change.

During his time in Congress, he has missed 466 votes, almost twice as many votes as the average congressman, and he has only passed one bill. One bill in 14 years — and it renamed a post office.

Ro Khanna offers an alternative: a man  highly experienced in economics who embodies the values of growth, innovation and prosperity of our district.

Current Congress approval ratings are dismal, and for good reason. The latest Gallup poll has congressional approval rating at a mere 14 percent. Two of the major factors contributing to this problem are hyper-polarized party politics and special interest money in Washington.

Khanna provides solutions to both of these problems, while leaving Mike Honda in power merely prolongs them.

Khanna has made two commitments with respect to these issues. He will work with a continued spirit of cooperation and communication to end the gridlock that has spread throughout our political system. He will also refuse all donations from PACs and federally registered lobbyists.

Ro Khanna will not kneel to the whims and wills of corporate America. The invisible hand of money in Washington would have no direct influence on his choices — he will be free to make decisions for us, his constituents.

Despite being down 20 points during the primaries, Khanna and his dedicated campaign of volunteers have stormed back to tie it all up.

I had always felt that my vote did not matter, a conviction shared by many students my age. But this time, it does. The political participation we engage in now will affect our lives for years.

Khanna understands the stresses of a recent graduate in today’s world. He wants to make sure that jobs are available after college. He understands the bleak reality of student debt — after working for the federal government and teaching for two renowned universities, he is still paying off  his own student loans.

He has amassed a workforce of over 300 active youth volunteers.

I’ve worked with these people and I can say with conviction that every person truly believes in Khanna. You should, too.

Luke Koslosky is a senior political science major and a volunteer on the Ro Khanna campaign.