- Parminder Aujla
SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): In a recent poll conducted for the open California Congressional District 16 seat, Indian American Democrat Rishi Kumar has emerged as the frontrunner in a closely contested race, positioning himself as a formidable candidate in a field of 10 hopefuls.
Kumar, a software tech executive, previously challenged incumbent Anna Eshoo in the November 2022 election, securing an impressive 42.3 percent of the votes. In the current race, he leads with 12 percent of the vote, surpassing competitors Joe Simitian at 1 percent, Sam Liccardo at 7 percent, and Low at 6 percent. However, a significant portion of likely voters, approximately 57 percent, remains undecided.
The poll, conducted by Clarity Campaign Labs, surveyed 633 registered voters in CD-16. Clarity, a nationally recognized polling leader, is utilized by major Democratic organizations such as the DNC, DCCC, DGA, DSCC, and DAGA. As the race unfolds, Rishi Kumar’s lead showcases his growing support and positions him as a strong contender for the California Congressional District 16 seat.
Results of the poll were shared with the American Bazaar by Kumar’s campaign.
One of Kumar’s key campaign points is his status as the sole non-career politician in the race, emphasizing his refusal to accept PAC money, developer contributions, and special interest group funding. He highlights a track record of accomplishments, including a notable reduction in crime during his tenure on the Saratoga Council.
Kumar has also served on former Gov. Jerry Brown’s University of California Regent committee and California’s Department of Education K-12 public school computer science implementation panel. His political journey includes multiple elected terms as a Saratoga Councilmember, where he secured reelection with the highest votes in 66 years, even surpassing the incumbent mayor. Kumar has also served as both a Delegate and Executive Board member of the California Democratic Party.
Kumar’s platform addresses a range of critical issues, including crime reduction, tackling inflation, advocating for abortion rights, supporting Congressional term limits, overturning Citizens United to promote clean money in American politics, advocating for a ban on insider trading in Congress, addressing climate change, and boosting Silicon Valley’s innovation economy. He emphasizes a focus on the upcoming Artificial Intelligence automation economy.
Born to Indra Prasad and Shanta Prasad, Rishi is married to Seema Kumar, with two sons, Rishub and Shivaum Kumar. He attributes his success to their role in his life.
With a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut, Rishi Kumar has been living in Silicon Valley for nearly 20 years.