Fremont-based nonprofit attorney Rakhi Israni has entered the crowded field of candidates vying to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell in California's 14th Congressional District, armed with a significant six-figure war chest.
Israni, 52, who has lived in Fremont for over two decades, is positioning herself as a fresh face in Congress, hoping to bring new ideas to the table. As a mother of four, she emphasizes family and service as her core focus, aiming to improve the quality of life for residents in District 14.
Israni's campaign is being funded by around $1 million from "excited donors," who are eager to get involved with their time and funds. Her opponent lineup includes state Senator Aisha Wahab, BART Board President Melissa Hernandez, small business owner Matt Ortega, immigration attorney Abrar Qadir, and retired tech executive Wendy Huang.
The District 14 seat covers parts of the East Bay, Tri-Valley, and Tri-Cities areas, including cities such as Fremont, Hayward, Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton. Swalwell is currently running in this year's gubernatorial election.
Israni's main priorities include addressing the region's escalating cost of living and unaffordable healthcare prices. She claims to have firsthand experience seeing how policies fail those who need help most.
Her competitors also vow to tackle similar issues on the campaign trail. Wahab, Hernandez, Ortega, Qadir, and Huang will face off in a primary election on June 2, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election in November, regardless of party affiliation.
Israni, 52, who has lived in Fremont for over two decades, is positioning herself as a fresh face in Congress, hoping to bring new ideas to the table. As a mother of four, she emphasizes family and service as her core focus, aiming to improve the quality of life for residents in District 14.
Israni's campaign is being funded by around $1 million from "excited donors," who are eager to get involved with their time and funds. Her opponent lineup includes state Senator Aisha Wahab, BART Board President Melissa Hernandez, small business owner Matt Ortega, immigration attorney Abrar Qadir, and retired tech executive Wendy Huang.
The District 14 seat covers parts of the East Bay, Tri-Valley, and Tri-Cities areas, including cities such as Fremont, Hayward, Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton. Swalwell is currently running in this year's gubernatorial election.
Israni's main priorities include addressing the region's escalating cost of living and unaffordable healthcare prices. She claims to have firsthand experience seeing how policies fail those who need help most.
Her competitors also vow to tackle similar issues on the campaign trail. Wahab, Hernandez, Ortega, Qadir, and Huang will face off in a primary election on June 2, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election in November, regardless of party affiliation.
. It seems like everyone's got deep pockets now and that's a bit disheartening. I mean, don't get me wrong, having resources can be super helpful, but isn't it cool how Israni is using them to fund her campaign from "excited donors"? 
That feels so old-school! 
And can you imagine having to sort through all those candidates on election day? My grandmother used to say "the devil is in the details" and now I think she was onto something...
she's got that fresh face vibe going on and her fam-first approach is literally everything i need! 
being a mom of four herself, she's speaking straight to my heart when it comes to family values and community service. plus, her war chest is no joke - $1 million from excited donors? yaaas, let's get this girl in congress! 
her opponents are all good too, but i think Israni's got the edge with her real-life experience on policies that fail the most vulnerable people. can't wait to see how she'll tackle the cost of living and healthcare prices in district 14 
I'm loving that Rakhi Israni is bringing her family-first approach to politics 
She's got the people thing right and it's about time we see more leaders prioritize their own experiences as a mom 
Over here, I'm hoping she'll keep talking about those costs of living and healthcare prices that are just strangling us 
Like, let's be real, affordability is a huge issue in the East Bay 
We need more people like Rakhi who aren't afraid to speak up about these problems 
... how do we know these people aren't just shell companies or anonymous PACs? And what's the source on that $1 million figure anyway? I need to see some actual receipts 
. We deserve better representation than just a bunch of familiar faces with fancy titles...
she's got a ton of experience and her focus on family and service is so relatable! I mean, who wouldn't want to represent people in District 14 with their own four kiddos at home? 
. Plus, it's great that she's got some solid donors backing her up – $1 million from "excited donors" is no joke 
. Maybe this means we'll get some real change in District 14 
the $1m war chest is likely funded by wealthy donors who are tired of seeing their money go to pols who don't deliver 
. It's gonna be a wild ride, but I think Rakhi's got this