Honda, Khanna face rematch for 17th District Congressional seat in CA Primary

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- On June, voters in Silicon Valley will see a re-match between two democrats to represent the 17th District in Congress.

The race pits incumbent Mike Honda against Ro Khanna in the only Asian American majority district on the mainland.

Honda won his seat for the eighth time two years ago by less than 4 percentage points. So a primary re-match with Khanna will be closely watched.

Khanna was a guest speaker at the Political Science Club. He asked, "How many people here are sons or daughters of immigrants?"

Most of the students raised their hands.

Khanna's parents immigrated from India, which is not uncommon in the 17th District, which stretches from Fremont to Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley. He's urging these teenagers to encourage their parents to vote next Tuesday.

But Honda has the advantage of incumbency and seniority, serving on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which sets priorities for federal funding. Khanna, by contrast, has never held elected office, but he was an Obama appointee to the Commerce Department.

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Honda has the cloud of a House Ethics Committee Review over his head whether he used district staff to do campaign work two years ago. That matter is still open.

"When they see the word alleged, may have, could have, are all squishy words. They're not saying I have been convicted or accused," explained Honda.

"It revealed a systematic pattern that the office was giving expedited services to those who gave money, and we have to get that money out of politics. That's why I've taken a pledge with 10 other candidates federally not to take a dime from corporations, lobbyists or PAC money," said Khanna.

Another democrat, Pierluigi Oliverio, is also running, as are republicans Ron Cohen and Peter Kuo and Libertarian Kennita Watson.

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