Could Tech Be Rep Mike Honda’s Achilles Heel?

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.