FREMONT, Calif. (Diya TV) — Rakhi Israni, a Democratic candidate for California’s 14th Congressional District, opened her campaign with a word rarely seen in American political life: dharma. In an interview with Diya TV’s Ravi Kapur on “The Public Interest,” she explained what she means by it and why she believes it belongs in a conversation about federal policy.
“Dharma is just a universal set of laws that should govern our actions and that lead to harmony and upliftment of society,” Israni told Kapur. “It’s the science of right actions. You have man-made laws that tell you what not to do — you shouldn’t steal, you shouldn’t hurt, you shouldn’t cheat. Dharma is about the actions, the things that we should do to promote goodness and righteousness in the world.”
She was careful to separate the concept from religion. “It’s not a religion,” she said. “It has nothing to do with a person’s faith.” Her use of the term, she said, is meant to signal a decision-making framework — not a theological one. “It’s not about who I am or what I believe in. It’s how do I make decisions that are going to affect the lives of the common man.”
Israni, an attorney and the founder of Excel Test Prep, a national educational services company, is running in one of the most scrambled congressional races in California this cycle. The seat was held by Rep. Eric Swalwell for 13 years until he resigned on April 14, 2026, following sexual misconduct allegations reported by CNN. Swalwell had vacated the seat after suspending his campaign for California governor on April 12. His departure opened the district for the first time since 2013 and triggered both a regular primary on June 2 and a special primary on June 16 to fill the remainder of his term. The district covers Hayward, Fremont, Pleasanton, and surrounding parts of the East Bay in Alameda County, and is heavily Democratic — Swalwell won re-election in 2024 with 67.8 percent of the vote.
The field competing to replace him is large. State Senator Aisha Wahab, along with candidates including Melissa Hernandez, Matt Ortega, Victor Aguilar Jr., and Abrar Qadir, have also entered the race. Israni filed her candidacy just before the April 23 filing deadline for the special election, after having already entered the regular primary earlier in the year.
Israni has spent more than two decades in Fremont. In addition to running Excel Test Prep, she practiced law and served as a pro tem judge. She is Vice President of Government and Public Relations for Sewa International USA, a nonprofit that coordinates volunteer networks for community service and disaster relief. She has four children. Her campaign has drawn endorsements from BAJC-Action and Hindu United Vote, according to Garry’s Guide, a nonpartisan voter resource covering the CA-14 race.
If elected, Israni would be the first Indian American women to represent California in Congress. The district has a significant South Asian American population, particularly in Fremont, which has one of the largest Afghan American communities in the country and a large Indian American professional class.
Her use of dharma as a campaign anchor is unusual in federal politics. The concept has deep roots in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain philosophy and refers broadly to cosmic order, moral duty, and right conduct — though its precise meaning varies across traditions and texts. Israni’s definition hews to a practical interpretation: a guide for action rather than a statement of personal belief. “I started this campaign with that to show that it is my decision-making framework for how I approach problems, how I focus on what are the things that need to be solved and how we’re actually going to solve them,” she said.
Her campaign priorities include small business stability, educational equity, and what she describes as transparent governance. In Bay Area News Group’s CA-14 primary questionnaire, she wrote: “I’ve built a business, practiced law, served on the bench, raised a family, and led a national humanitarian organization — all in this community, all at the same time.”
The district faces two separate election timelines simultaneously. The regular June 2 primary determines who advances to the November 3 general election for a full two-year term. The June 16 special primary determines who will represent the district for the remainder of the 119th Congress, which ends in January 2027. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent in the special primary, the top two advance to a runoff on August 18.
