Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna has by no means been shy concerning the highlight. However nationwide consideration is more and more shining on the progressive Democrat — a lot in order that he’s positioning himself for a doable run for president in 2028.
An bold self-described “progressive capitalist,” Khanna’s Home district stretches from Fremont to Cupertino and encompasses the headquarters of a number of the world’s most beneficial corporations. He dabbled in presidential politics in 2020 as a co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ run for president and hasn’t behaved like the typical member of Congress since he took workplace in 2017.
Associated Articles
California redistricting could be ‘triggered’ by Texas, Newsom says
Infighting, nameless letters and a controversial comeback try: The struggle to steer the San Diego Democratic Get together
Senate recesses as Trump tells Schumer to ‘go to hell’
Democrats launching summer season blitz to press Republicans on Trump spending plan
With Kamala Harris out, the 2026 race for California governor goes into new gear and instructions
As of late, the congressman is making strikes.
Khanna is taking part in a central position within the push for paperwork concerning the late financier and intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, and is main an effort to acknowledge a Palestinian state. He has crisscrossed the nation to carry city halls in Republican-held districts and made an eyebrow-raising journey to listen to from voters in South Carolina. If previous is prologue, that state shall be key to the trail to the Democratic nomination in 2028. Attainable contenders, together with Gov. Gavin Newsom, are also trekking there like moths to a flame.
And that path is on Khanna’s thoughts. Reached by textual content this week, the congressman didn’t throw chilly water on the suggestion that he’s contemplating a run for president.
“Right now I’m focused on winning back the House in 2026,” Khanna stated, “but I believe we need a new generation of leadership for the party and fresh, transformative vision.”
May Khanna, 48, be that new chief? A Yale graduate with an mental streak, he has taken pains to promote his imaginative and prescient of an American manufacturing renaissance paired with synthetic intelligence and a robust social security web, to be funded with increased company taxes.
On this second, the Silicon Valley politician is clearly jockeying for affect and a doable spot on the nationwide stage forward of 2028, stated San Jose State College political scientist Larry Gerston.
“This is what they call the ‘silent primary’ right now,” Gerston stated. “Nobody is officially running for anything, nobody is voting for anything. And it’s fair to say that Ro Khanna’s in the middle of it.”
It’s a darkish time for Democrats in Washington D.C., who’re largely powerless as the brand new Trump administration and Republican Congress slash the federal authorities. The nationwide Democratic celebration has no obvious chief since its thrashing within the November 2024 election. Even former Vice President and Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris is deflecting questions on who leads the celebration now, which conservatives have seized on.
Beside Khanna, a slew of Democrats already are telegraphing their curiosity within the 2028 main. Newsom made his personal foray into South Carolina this summer season and is talking overtly about his nationwide aspirations. So are different blue-state governors. For her half, Harris bowed out of the 2026 California governor race final week. In a latest look on The Late Present with Stephen Colbert, she expressed hesitation at rejoining a political system she referred to as “broken.”
Khanna has held distinguished roles in nationwide campaigns and coverage earlier than. However he lately remarked that he has a decrease profile than different 2028 contenders, together with Newsom. Which may be an asset as voters search change, he advised the Related Press. Nonetheless, he’s landed hefty protection from the nationwide media, together with The New York Instances Journal, “Rep. Ro Khanna Has a Reminder for Democrats: Americans Love Money,” and The Atlantic, “Ro Khanna Wants to Be the Future of the Democratic Party.”
“I think it’s very different than in the past when you’ve had clear defined leaders of the party,” Khanna stated. “I think that’s healthy. There is no status quo person. My guess is the last thing the party is going to want is more of the same.”
After co-leading the Sanders marketing campaign in 2020, Khanna traveled typically to stump for former President Joe Biden in 2024 within the months earlier than he exited the race. Since President Donald Trump took workplace once more in January, Khanna has taken purpose at Vice President J.D. Vance, whom he sees as the way forward for the Republican Get together, and held city halls in GOP-controlled congressional districts all through California and the U.S.
Within the final week, Khanna traveled on a bipartisan mission to satisfy with Claudia Sheinbaum, the president of Mexico, who has Bay Space ties of her personal. He is also main a push by progressives for the U.S. to observe a few of its allies and transfer to acknowledge a Palestinian state.
Earlier, the congressman made a giant splash in July when he cast an alliance with right-wing representatives to attempt to drive the discharge of paperwork about Jeffrey Epstein.
When it appeared that Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky had collected sufficient votes to ram by way of a vote on the subject, Home Speaker Mike Johnson shut down Congress early for the deliberate summer season recess. The ploy landed Khanna as a visitor on a slew of cable information applications. Individually, lawmakers on the Home Oversight Committee issued subpoenas Tuesday for Epstein investigation paperwork and are in search of depositions from former officers, together with Invoice and Hillary Clinton.
Khanna stated by way of textual content he intends to renew the marketing campaign to drive a vote on Massie’s invoice, the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act, as quickly as Congress resumes in September. The invoice would require Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi and federal companies to launch “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” associated to Epstein, his convicted former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, flight logs and extra.
“Epstein is about elite accountability and transparency,” Khanna stated in a textual content. “We need to restore trust in government and releasing these files can help do that.”
With the tactic, Khanna landed a blow on Johnson, stated Melissa Michelson, professor of political science at Menlo School.
Johnson and his ally, Trump, are underneath hearth from many in their very own celebration to launch details about Epstein, together with about any purchasers of the convicted intercourse offender and accused baby intercourse trafficker. The problem has ballooned right into a political legal responsibility as revelations emerge about Trump’s hyperlinks to Epstein, whom he as soon as referred to as a buddy.
“The optics of it are very good for the Democrats,” Michelson stated.
-SOURCE-Parker-Hall.jpg?w=330&resize=330,220&ssl=1 "Save 20 % on Our Favourite Earbuds for Android")
