Disappointed with Congressman Ro Khanna’s endorsement of Eric Jones for CD04

Eric Jones is not the candidate he purports to be.

By Paul Gepts

I am particularly disappointed that Congressman Ro Khanna chose to endorse candidate Eric Jones, a Fall 2026 candidate in the California CD04. I am an independent voter and, since April 2026, I have done my homework about the candidates involved, thus covering both the Primary Election (June) and Mid-term Election (November).  I attended the town hall meetings of video calls organized by the main candidates (Eric Jones on 09/19 and 10/26; and Mike Thompson 0n 09/01) and the debate between these candidates organized by the LWV in Woodland on 10/08. I also downloaded the candidates’ financial statements to the Federal Election Commission. I have no connection to either campaign, but as a citizen I believe I should become informed and engaged.

Eric Jones is not the candidate he purports to be, a Democratic progressive representing the fourth district of this state. His link to this district is tenuous at best: he owns a house in Napa (in addition to a house in San Francisco), but has never been a candidate for any office at any level in this district. Actually, he voted in San Francisco until 2025. According to FEC filings, most of his funding comes from outside the district. The legal representation of his campaign is provided by the Rutan & Tucker law firm with offices in Newport Beach (47^th district) and San Francisco (11^th district). When I  questioned his link to this district at a town hall meeting, he immediately replied by calling me a “plant”. Let it be very clear that I am not a plant in any way, as mentioned earlier. Instead, Jones’s reaction shows he does not tolerate informed questions and does not have the right temperament to be the representative of a congressional district as diverse as the 4th.

E. Jones’s campaign has been further marred by his lack of honesty in representing the record of his opponent, the incumbent Mike Thompson. While political opponents are expected to highlight their differences, E. Jones multiple times insinuated that M. Thompson’s only achievement had been to name 6 Post Offices. At a town hall meeting he even claimed not to have campaigned negatively against. M. Thompson. This has obviously not been the case. Instead, M. Thompson has an extensive list of achievements and has achieved seniority status in the Ways and Means Committee. One of Mike’s contributions is close to my interests, namely the designation of the 330,000-acre Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. The process involved a broad range of individuals, businesses, and civil groups. This designation is vital for this district because of the richness of biodiversity, geological, cultural, and agricultural features. It abundantly illustrates Mike’s commitment to working with his local constituents.

In conclusion, my impression is that Mike is an honorable man who prides himself and justifiably takes credit for his many achievements and extensive assistance to his constituents to this day. His long tenure has been exemplary and scandal-free. To this day, Mike remains an active and productive Congressman. Endorsing an opponent with few connections to this district and limited legislative experience but supported by a multi-million dollar trove of financial resources originating in large part in his technology-investment involvement, is unjustified and short-changes this district.