Upset Brief · CA-17 · Ritesh Tandon (R) vs. Ro Khanna (D), incumbent
A long shot on the math: it takes a 38.2-point national wave.
0%
odds today
0%
odds with the plan
74,335
net votes to find
37
days left; voting starts October 5
Where
- 01+547San JoseStarting line Khanna +36. 1.6% split their ticket.
- 02+404SunnyvaleStarting line Khanna +48. 1.8% split their ticket.
- 03+374CupertinoStarting line Khanna +40. 3.4% split their ticket.
- 04+224FremontStarting line Khanna +32. 3.6% split their ticket.
- 05+218Santa ClaraStarting line Khanna +42. 0.9% split their ticket.
- 06+178MilpitasStarting line Khanna +29. 1.6% split their ticket.
The top 8 cities and unincorporated areas carry 100% of the plan.
How
- P+1,695Persuade1,695 voters who split their ticket in recent elections and lean Khanna today.
- M+0MobilizeThere are almost no cities and unincorporated areas Tandon's side carries, so turnout alone cannot help here.
- C+347ConsolidateVoters who went third party in recent races, in the cities and unincorporated areas that lean Tandon's way.
Plus a national shift of 38.2 points of margin (72,293 votes) that no campaign controls.
What has to be true
- Tandon wins 50 percent of the ticket splitters now leaning Khanna.
- The national environment moves about 38.2 points toward Tandon's side between now and November 3.
- No 2026 public poll exists for this race, so the starting line is a weighted blend of official recent results; the first real poll will move it.
The numbers behind it
- 01Crossover regression282 precincts, R² 0.878, 56 crossover precincts identified
- 02Monte Carlo20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 7-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -94,105 to -50,828 votes.
- 03Money, FEC candidate totals through June 30Tandon $891 cash on hand; Khanna $16,929,752.
- 04Call program for this list3,024 households, 9,072 dials, about 475 live conversations: an estimated $1,725 at published rates.
Independent analysis by The Political Group from official California Secretary of State precinct returns (2022 and 2024), FEC filings and published polls, as of September 26, 2026. Not affiliated with any candidate or party.