Fremont Rep. Ro Khanna will be a top adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential run, with the assignment of being the Vermont independent’s point person in Silicon Valley.

Khanna, who was one of only nine Democratic House members to endorse Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, was named Thursday as one of the national co-chairs of the senator’s run for the 2020 Democratic nomination. Joining him are former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner; Carmen Yulín Cruz, mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Khanna said he will help Sanders frame how Medicare for all and free public-college tuition, two cornerstones of his campaign, will help the tech sector. He will also help Sanders craft policies on how to bring tech jobs to rural parts of America and communities of color, particularly as artificial intelligence looms as a potential replacement for workers in many job sectors.

“We need to explain how AI will change the job market and what policies will be needed to prepare people to create more jobs and opportunities,” Khanna said.

Selling Sanders’ brand of democratic socialism will be difficult in some parts of Silicon Valley, which tends toward libertarianism and is generally skeptical of government’s ability to do anything quickly or efficiently.

Khanna, however, said Sanders can make inroads among tech entrepreneurs in some areas. Health care is one of them — enabling more Americans to enroll in Medicare would lift a huge cost burden from startups in particular, Khanna said.

And free public-college tuition could broaden the job pool for Silicon Valley, Khanna said.

Khanna has worked with Sanders on a few pieces of legislation. They are both co-sponsors of a war powers resolution calling for the end of U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. It has passed the House and is under consideration in the Senate.

Backing Sanders might make things a bit uncomfortable for Khanna back home in California.

Khanna said he told Sanders that “I’m happy to make the positive case for you, but I’m not going to say anything negative” about his fellow Californians Sen. Kamala Harris, who is running for president, and Dublin Rep. Eric Swalwell, who is still making up his mind.

Khanna said he has “total respect” for Harris and Swalwell, but backed Sanders because “he has the most comprehensive policies for what will prepare us for the 21st century.”

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicle’s senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli