by Roger Riffenburgh
Congressional candidate Ritesh Tandon has successfully secured a place in the top two and will advance to the November runoff. Tandon is an engineer, entrepreneur, and nonprofit leader in Silicon Valley. He says, “Our campaign is focused on the real issues people face every day — jobs, the high cost of living, taxes driven up by the wrong policies, election integrity and voter ID, and the safety of our communities. Too many people and businesses are leaving California, and we’re running to change the policies pushing them out.”
Immigration, AI education, and affordability are among Ritesh Tandon’s highest priorities. With regard to immigration, he supports securing the border, tracking visa overstays, prioritizing skills-based legal immigration, protecting American workers, and making deportation humane and efficient. His AI Education Agenda is interesting – he says every student should graduate AI-literate, and American workers should be retrained if necessary. He would improve affordability by cutting costs of healthcare and housing, cutting taxes, cutting regulations, and restoring fiscal discipline.
Tandon built a successful career in the technology industry. After working for major technology companies, he founded his own business, Kricel, and also became deeply involved in charitable work, helping raise funds for hospitals that provide free eye surgeries for disadvantaged children and supporting educational programs for low-income families.
Ritesh Tandon is running again in Congressional District 17. It includes Milpitas, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, the Alviso and Berryessa areas of San Jose, and part of Fremont. The incumbent is Ro Khanna, an outspoken progressive who served in 2020 as a national co-chair for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.
According to Tandon, “It’s time for all Americans, regardless of party, to unite around what’s good for our country and our people. We cannot let America slide toward socialism — which is exactly the direction my opponent wants to take us. This is bigger than politics. It’s about saving the America we love for the next generation.”
The grandson of a freedom fighter for Indian independence, Ritesh Tandon grew up in northern India and earned a B.S. degree in engineering. After coming to the United States, he earned an M.S. in computer engineering and an MBA both at Santa Clara University, where he also met Zurica, a fellow computer engineer, who is now his wife. They have two children and live in San Jose.
You can find out more about Ritesh Tandon on his campaign website, tandonforcongress.com.
