- State
- California
- Office / race
- U.S. House
- Party
- Republican
- Reviewed
- October 24, 2026
- District
- 17
Career timeline
The November contest
Ritesh Tandon is the Republican candidate opposing Democratic incumbent Ro Khanna in California’s 17th Congressional District. The House Clerk’s October roster lists both candidates.
Sources: U.S. House Clerk — 2026 general-election nominees, October 8 ↗
An engineering and business education
Ballotpedia’s biographical record lists a mechanical-engineering degree from L.D. College of Engineering in India, followed by graduate study at Santa Clara University. Tandon earned a computer-engineering master’s degree in 2001 and an MBA in 2008. He presents himself as an engineer and business executive seeking to enter Congress.
Sources: Ballotpedia — Ritesh Tandon biography and 2026 election record ↗
Professional and community organizations
The same record identifies Tandon as chief executive of Kricel Corporation and describes research and community work, including a role with the Smart Village Movement and service involving the Sankara Eye Foundation. Those affiliations belong to his public résumé; organizational titles do not establish that a congressional proposal will succeed.
Sources: Ballotpedia — Ritesh Tandon biography and 2026 election record ↗
Housing and the technology economy
Tandon’s campaign advocates federal incentives for housing, faster local permitting and more housing for workers. It also promotes a policy environment favorable to emerging technology, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, robotics and quantum computing. The platform connects research and intellectual-property policy with domestic investment. These are campaign objectives; implementation would depend on legislation and, for some housing decisions, state and local authorities.
Sources: Ritesh Tandon for Congress — current policy platform ↗
Health costs, skills and energy
His published platform supports clearer health-care prices, lower prescription-drug costs and education or training connected to employment. It also calls for a broad mix of energy sources and investment in the electric grid. Readers can compare those goals with the practical details the campaign provides: which costs would change, which institution would act and how spending or regulatory changes would be approved.
Sources: Ritesh Tandon for Congress — current policy platform ↗
What the primary establishes
Tandon advanced from California’s June 2 primary to the general election. Ballotpedia’s results table places him behind Khanna in that contest. That establishes his place in the November matchup, not the outcome of the general election. Primary results and biographical credentials answer different questions; neither should be presented as a current forecast or a substitute for comparing the candidates’ proposals.
Sources: Ballotpedia — Ritesh Tandon biography and 2026 election record ↗
Prepared with AI assistance. Source-based reporting checked on October 24, 2026. This article does not update automatically. Read our editorial standards.
