Tech entrepreneur bets Silicon Valley wants a Democratic congressman who sounds like Bill Clinton

Ethan Agarwal is something of a Democratic throwback. He talks up NAFTA, backs funding for Israel, is bullish on AI, and wants nothing to do with the billionaire’s tax that liberals are pushing in California.

A 40‑year‑old tech entrepreneur and son of Indian immigrants, Mr. Agarwal is now running to unseat Rep. Ro Khanna — a liberal star he once supported — in one of the wealthiest districts in the country.

He’s pitching the Silicon Valley race as a fight over the soul of the Democratic Party, a clash between Clinton‑inspired moderates and the Sen. Bernard Sanders wing, which he says has pulled the party too far left.

“A lot of the people that are voting Republican or voting MAGA or Trump, are doing so because they don’t see a viable alternative, because the Democratic Party has gone so far to the left, and what I’m finding is there is absolutely a center, a core, moderate, Democratic center, that’s looking for a voice,” the Canada‑born, California‑raised Mr. Agarwal told The Washington Times.

Mr. Agarwal says the 49-year-old Mr. Khanna’s political ambitions are clouding his vision.

“If you want to run for president, be hyper left — all those things are fine. Go run for president. But you’re not going to do it while you’re representing the 17th District, which does not align with your values anymore,” he said.

“He’s been to 20 states outside of California and D.C. in the last five years,” he said. “Why are you going to Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada? Like, please come fix the problems here.”

Despite being a political newcomer, Mr. Agarwal thinks he is well-positioned to grab second place in the June 2 primary.

The top two finishers — regardless of party — move on to the general election in November. He says this would set up a head‑to‑head matchup with Mr. Khanna where his centrist pitch could resonate.

The Khanna campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Garrick Percival, a political science professor at San Jose State University, said it’s “possible” the general election could turn into a broader fight over the party’s identity — but it isn’t likely.

Mr. Percival said the energy inside the party “is where Khanna is,” not with moderates.

“It’s a steep hill,” Mr. Percival said of the Agarwal challenge. “Khanna is a very strong incumbent, and incumbents are hard to beat.”

What interests him more is what the race says about the shifting relationship between Democrats and Big Tech, especially as artificial intelligence becomes a dominant force.

“If you go back to the Obama elections, most of those companies were, you know, speaking out on progressive issues,” he said. “They’ve quickly realigned themselves with the Trump administration.”

On that front, Mr. Khanna has joined Mr. Sanders in embracing the California Billionaire Tax Act — a proposal for a one‑time 5% wealth tax to fund healthcare that some say could convince Silicon Valley leaders to leave the state.

Mr. Agarwal doesn’t dispute that billionaires should contribute more. But he argues that the California proposal would backfire.

“When that wealth leaves, who’s left holding the bag?” Mr. Agarwal said. “It’s not like we suddenly drop our state budget by $50 billion. That money has to come from somewhere — it comes from the middle class, the people who can’t afford to leave.”

Mr. Agarwal said he is also focused on eliminating childhood poverty in the district, boosting mass transit, banning members of Congress from trading stocks, and imposing term limits.

Democrats must rethink their leftward drift, he said, including in California, where Mr. Trump’s share of the state’s vote jumped nearly seven points between 2016 and 2024.

“If you’re losing ground in California after eight years of knowing who this guy is, imagine what’s happening nationally,” Mr. Agarwal said.