Ro Khanna
A tech-savvy congressman who bridges Silicon Valley innovation with a revived vision for American manufacturing and economic dignity.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American politician and lawyer·Birthday: September 13·Generation X
Biography
Ro Khanna's political journey is a map of modern Democratic tensions and ambitions. The Philadelphia-born son of Indian immigrants cut his teeth not in a political machine, but in the corridors of Washington law and the Obama administration's Commerce Department. His electoral breakthrough, however, was pure California: after a narrow loss in 2014, he unseated a long-term Democratic incumbent in 2016 by rallying the tech capital's wealth and a growing progressive base. In Congress, Khanna has crafted a distinctive lane. He is an unapologetic advocate for the tech industry's potential, yet couples it with a forceful argument for reviving the nation's industrial heartland. He served as a national co-chair for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, championing ideas like a federal jobs guarantee, while also working to pass bipartisan bills on semiconductor manufacturing. This duality defines him—a politician who believes the future lies in both advanced coding and skilled welding, and that economic policy must secure dignity for workers in both fields.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ro was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ro Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Ro's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a national co-chair for Senator Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, shaping its economic policy platform.
- Authored and helped pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to boost domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing.
- Successfully flipped a Democratic-held congressional seat by defeating eight-term incumbent Mike Honda in the 2016 general election.
Did You Know?
He taught American jurisprudence at Stanford Law School while serving in Congress.
Khanna is the author of the book "Dignity in a Digital Age," which outlines his economic vision.
He represents California's 17th district, which includes a large part of Silicon Valley.
“We need to be the party that makes things in America, not just the party that makes apps.”
