Honda vs. Khanna? We hope it’s a go

Term limits have caused more problems than they’ve solved in California, but we can thank them for one thing: At least once every six or eight or 12 years, depending on the state or local office, most voters actually have a choice of candidates to represent them.

Otherwise, incumbents establish themselves as king of the political mountain and become invincible, short of an indictment or a tea party uprising. Serious people rarely challenge them. They wait until the seat is open and dive into the free- for- all, with multiple candidates stepping forward.

So it’s exciting to think there might be an actual race for Congress next year in District 17, even though its incumbent, 12year congressional veteran Mike Honda, shows no sign of retiring. The new district covers a wide swath of Silicon Valley, and an energized debate will be valuable for both the community and the winner. There’s nothing like a real campaign to keep you in touch with constituents and their issues.

Honda, 71, is a former state assemblyman, county supervisor and longtime educator whose life and politics were shaped by childhood years in a JapaneseAmerican internment camp.

Ro Khanna, 36, is a lawyer and Stanford lecturer fresh from two years as an Obama administration appointee in the Commerce Department. He isn’t officially running, but he has more than a toe in the water. We’d say he’s about chest deep at this point.

Despite sharing some core Democratic Party values, he would strike a contrast with Honda in many ways— particularly in his focus on the tech industry and trade policy. Exports and innovation were his issues at Commerce.

Khanna obviously has been emboldened by newbie Eric Swalwell’s November victory against longtime East Bay Rep. Pete Stark, whom Khanna had hoped to succeed but was unwilling to challenge.

As Stark did, Honda is using his incumbent clout to try to scare off the competition. He’s rallying support in Washington, from President Barack Obama to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and various party leaders. This is formidable. These people need Honda’s support in the House for the next two years and know he’ll be difficult to topple. Likewise, financial supporters of his campaigns are unlikely to jump ship, having made an investment in his success.

As to being easy pickin’s for a challenger — Honda is no Pete Stark. Both over time have been stalwarts of liberal causes, but Stark went over the edge in recent years, falling out of touch with his constituents and saying outrageous and sometimes untruthful things. Honda remains, as ever, eminently likable and civil.

Term limits in state and local offices have a cost in experience and in the tendency to work for shortterm victories more than long- range community goals. In Congress, rapid turnover of representatives would not be a good thing.

That said, every employee should be evaluated by the boss from time to time. In Honda’s case, voters are the boss. We hope Khanna’s in.