Li Zhou

An array of civil rights and tech organizations including the NAACP, New America's Open Technology Institute, the Benton Foundation and the Center for Democracy and Technology are urging NBC anchor and debate moderator Lester Holt (and the other debate moderators) to add a question about affordable broadband. “In the same ways that trains, highways, and telephones have long powered the way we do business and share ideas, internet infrastructure is our country’s economic driver for the 21st century,” they write, “With this in mind, voters must understand the presidential candidates’ plans for broadband access.” Clinton has set a goal of broadband for every household by 2020, while Trump hasn’t addressed the issue.

The rematch between longtime Rep Mike Honda (D-CA) and upstart Ro Khanna to represent a large chunk of Silicon Valley is as tight as ever.

Khanna, an intellectual property lawyer who’s been backed by tech heavyweights like Sheryl Sandberg, Peter Thiel, Sean Parker and Sundar Pichai, leaned on his tech cred while conducting a Reddit “ask me anything” (AMA) during which he backed network neutrality and patent laws that promote entrepreneurship. In the top-two-advance primary in June, Khanna narrowly edged Rep Honda out, 38.3 to 38.1 percent. The primary results suggest Khanna has gained ground since his 2014 challenge, when he lost the primary by 20 points and went down in the general by three points. Rep Honda has made a name for himself championing policies supporting organized labor and low-income communities. But he’s been dogged by an ongoing ethics probe.

Tim Wu, the law professor and tech policy expert best known for coining the term “net neutrality,” has joined the Office of Management and Budget to work on economic competitiveness issues. Wu willwork closely with the National Economic Council. He had been working in the office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman while on continued leave from Columbia Law School.

Election 2016 isn't all about the White House so Politico is rolling out a series on congressional contests in which prominent techies are facing stiff competition. First up is Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).

An entrepreneur by trade who chairs the House subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, Rep Issa is getting an unexpectedly strong challenge from Doug Applegate (D-CA), an attorney and former US Marine who took 45 percent of the vote in a top-two-advance primary on June 7, while Rep Issa captured 51 percent. The incumbent has held the seat, covering parts of San Diego and Orange counties, since 2001, and proven to be a stalwart Republican presence in a state where Democrats dominate. During his time in Congress, Rep Issa has become known for his tech-savvy background and support for innovation, notably defending internet platforms during the SOPA fight in 2012 and backing Apple in its clash over backdoor encryption. Rep Issa has also proposed legislation to update H1-B visa policies, promote open data in government, and protect intellectual property. Because of his tech-friendly efforts, he's been lauded by industry groups like the Internet Association and CTA (Issa was once Chairman of the Board, back when the organization was still called CEA).

Rep Issa also has made a name for himself -- not always in a positive way -- for his aggressive, partisan chairmanship of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where he garnered national headlines for going after the Obama Administration over issues ranging from the Benghazi attack to the "Fast and Furious" botched gun operation. But he never won a slam-dunk victory in any of his partisan crusades and eventually drew criticism even from within his own party. His successor at the helm of House Oversight, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), needled Rep Issa for a look-at-me leadership style that emphasized "big press releases" over hard-hitting reports. "Darrell Issa didn't do many reports," Chairman Chaffetz said in Dec 2014 , noting that his style would be different: "It's not the 'Jason Chaffetz Show.'"

Donald Trump's long shadow may not be a safe place for a Republican to reside in a blue state this fall. Rep Issa has previously called the candidate an "obvious choice" for President.