Meet Rakhi Israni, Candidate For California's 14th Congressional District

FREMONT, CA — Patch reached out with identical questions to all candidates to represent California's 14th Congressional District, which comprises Hayward, Pleasanton, Livermore, Union City, Castro Valley, and parts of Dublin and Fremont. It was represented by Eric Swalwell, but is currently vacant after he resigned in the midst of a sexual abuse scandal.

A special election to replace Swalwell until January 2027 will take place Aug. 18. To be included in that election, candidates must file separately and participate in a primary on June 16.

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The primary for the permanent seat will take place June 2, as planned.

Here are the answers from Rakhi Israni, an attorney, judge pro tempore, and community volunteer.

Can you briefly describe your background, including your professional experience, public service, and connection to the district?

I'm the daughter of refugees who fled India during Partition. My parents arrived in this country with no safety net, just years after the 1965 Immigration Act finally opened the door for Asian families. That story — and the America that welcomed them — is the reason I'm running.

For over 20 years, Fremont has been home. I raised my four children in East Bay public schools and built a nationwide education company from the ground up that has employed hundreds and mentored thousands of students. As a licensed attorney, I've spent years providing free legal services to underserved families navigating housing disputes, immigration challenges, and domestic violence cases. I currently serve as a Judge Pro Tem in Santa Clara County. I've served as PTA President at every level of my children's education and as a volunteer leader of one of the largest faith-based humanitarian organizations active in disaster relief and humanitarian aid. I have spearheaded a global movement to raise awareness of human trafficking and sexual abuse of young girls.

What makes you the best candidate for this seat?

I'm not a career politician. I'm a working mother, an attorney, team player, and a small business owner who built a nationwide education company right here in the East Bay. I've met payroll, represented families in court, and led community organizations. I know the difference between talking about results and delivering them.

That's why our campaign has raised over $2 million in ten weeks. More than 800 donors — many giving for the first time — stepped forward to support this campaign already. Even excluding my own contributions and out-of-state donations, we have outraised every other candidate, without a single corporate PAC dollar. We're powered by people, not PACs.

I'll bring that same independence to Congress. I support term limits, a mandatory retirement age of 75 for members of Congress and the presidency, and a ban on stock trading by members of Congress — reforms that working families have been asking for, and that career politicians have refused to deliver. I'm running to fight back against Trump's harmful policies, bring down the crushing cost of living, and clean up Washington.

What are the biggest challenges facing the 14th district, and how do you plan to address them?

The biggest pressures on Easy Bay families are the rising cost of living, the housing affordability crisis, and threats to our immigrant neighbors from Trump's aggressive ICE raids. In Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, and across the Tri-Valley, I hear the same things: grocery bills pushed up by Trump's tariffs, a housing market that's closing the door on the next generation, and families worried about loved ones being targeted in their own neighborhoods.

I'll fight back on all three fronts. I'll oppose the tariffs driving up costs, protect Medicare and Social Security from cuts, and stand up for immigrant families against ICE overreach. On housing, I'll push for federal incentives to build more homes near transit — including support for Valley Link to bring rail service to Livermore — and cut the red tape that delays construction. I'll also fight for free community college and vocational training so workers across our district have a real path through the AI transition.

Having built a business and represented struggling families, I know these challenges aren't statistics. They're the reason I'm running.

District 14 has recently made national headlines. What do you think voters are most concerned about, and how would your leadership address that?

The headlines out of CA-14 right now are about Eric Swalwell's resignation and a special election that could fracture the Democratic field at the worst possible time. What I keep hearing, over and over, is that people are exhausted by a Washington that protects the people in power instead of the people who put them there.

What happened with Swalwell didn't happen in a vacuum. The same culture that lets that kind of conduct go on in secrecy also lets members of Congress trade stocks on inside information, walk out the door into lobbying jobs, and spend their careers building a personal brand while the actual problems, such as housing, healthcare, wages, just sit there. There are no real consequences, so nothing changes.

I've spent years doing pro bono work for women in domestic violence and immigration cases, and volunteering with organizations that work with trafficking survivors. I've seen up close what happens when institutions decide it's easier to look the other way. And I've seen what it takes for someone with actual power to decide to do the harder thing instead. That's what I'm running to do.

Do you plan to run in the special election?

Yes. I will be running in the June 16 special election.

I previously had also signed a joint unity pledge with other Democratic candidates, committing to stand aside if every Democrat in the race does the same, so we can unite behind retired State Senator Bob Wieckowski as a consensus caretaker. With the Republican House majority as slim as it is, we cannot afford to fracture the Democratic vote or leave this seat vacant at a moment when every vote in Congress matters. Team before self.

Unfortunately, Aisha Wahab did not heed the call for party unity placing her career aspirations above the interests of the people and taking on Trump, so I will be contesting in the special election.

Outside of politics, what do you enjoy doing?

Outside of politics, my life revolves around my husband and our four children — homework, school events, and the family dinners where we actually catch up. We love living in the East Bay: weekend hikes in the regional parks, local farmers markets, and the small businesses that give our district its character.

I'm an avid reader, most recently drawn to books on history and political philosophy that remind me how hard-won the institutions we rely on really are. Meditation and yoga keep me grounded. Cooking traditional Indian dishes keeps me connected to my heritage and usually ends with a table full of friends and family.

And the volunteer work — mentoring students, providing legal services to the underserved, and supporting families in crisis — is what reminds me, again and again, why public service matters in the first place.

Please provide any links you'd like to share.

Please find attached a professional photo of Rakhi Israni. Additional resources: Website: rakhiforcongress.com | Email: | X: https://x.com/RakhiIsraniCA | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RakhiIsraniCA/ | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RakhiIsraniCA/