Rep. Ro Khanna a Speculative Candidate in 2028 Presidential Democratic Primary

Much has been made of the fact that two of the top potential candidates for the Democratic nomination in 2028 are from California: Former Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Gavin Newsom.

Both are currently polling, but one candidate is doing better than the other. Out ahead is Harris, who has been placing first place in polls with between 25% and 35% support. Right now she’s currently writing a book and attending basketball games while looking like a clerk at a store just handed her an iPad that is asking  for her to leave a tip. She’s also currently mulling over whether she should run for President in 2028 or run for Governor in 2026, with her decision to come this summer.

Then there’s Newsom. When he isn’t hosting podcasts or playing “street” rules basketball with children, he actually still finds time to govern. While initially a front runner for the 2028 race, Newsom has fallen in the polls lately thanks to recent stumbles like backtracking on transgender issues, ongoing boondoggles like the California High-Speed rail network barely making progress, and pet issues like his 2035 new gas powered car sales ban mandate either being axed or being close to being removed. He’s at 5% according to most recent polls, which is good enough for a distant fifth place and barely has him beating out the margin of error.

But there is a third candidate under speculation who has actually been generating buzz for the last week or two: Silicon Valley area Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA). Khanna, a former deputy assistant secretary to the Department of Commerce in the Obama administration, was also a lawyer and professor at several Bay Area colleges including Stanford and Santa Clara University. And, after a failed 2014 go for the House, he was elected in in 2016. There he has been known for strong stances on technology (even being referred to as Silicon Valley’s representative) and the environment, because this is the Bay Area we’re talking about. Politically he is seen to be left bordering progressive, but not as left as other lawmakers like Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

As such, he has been seen as a rising star in the party and  was heavily considered to be Harris’ Senate replacement in 2020 and a potential top candidate to take Senator Dianne Feinstein’s seat in 2023. Despite not being an initial talked-about candidate, Khanna has eased into a speculative candidate in the last few weeks silently before suddenly making his presence be known. Harris and Newsom went the traditional route. Khanna took the “bird trapped in an airport terminal budling” route.

Khanna on a possible run

He’s been on an interview blitz, getting his name and stances out there while also building up his bona fides in crucial areas like international relations. In addition, he’s gone to town hall meetings in critical swing states like his birth state of Pennsylvania.  Notably, he’s gone from candid to diplomatic in the way he speaks, like how he both praises and criticizes former President Biden in an ABC interview from this weekend.

“He’s had a remarkable life. He showed a lot of resilience,” explained Khanna. “I still think Joe Biden has a lot to be proud of in his record. The CHIPS Act to bring semiconductors back, the Inflation Reduction Act to set up clean tech, the fact that we got out of COVID in the economy and had a strong economic recovery. And he has had a lot of resilience in his life. That doesn’t mean, though, that he made the right decision to seek a second term.”

And, while critical of President Trump in some areas, he has done the potential candidate move of praising him in some areas, like the recent talks with Iran and the situation in Gaza.

“I appreciate that he’s trying to get peace there,” added Khanna. “Look, I supported President Obama when he did the deal with Iran, and those of us who supported that should support President Trump. I’m also glad that he’s speaking out about getting aid into Gaza.”

The big thing, though, has been Khanna not saying “no” when questioned if he will run or not. When asked by the Hill this weekend if he would run, he gave this runaround:

“I’m really focused, honestly on the House and taking it back, but do I want to be part of the national conversation? Absolutely,” said Khanna. “But I’ll tell you why it is a premature question, because right now anyone who wants to be considered in the national conversation right now, who wants to be run in 2028, they need to be focused in the moment. Politics is like tennis. When you start thinking about how you’re going to win the set, you’re going to lose the point. And what people can do right now is be effective in helping us take back the House, resisting the unconstitutional actions of Trump but also finding a way to support things that are bipartisan and can help you. We need to listen more to people from Lorain and Johnstown and Milwaukee to build this party back.”

Despite Khanna being a rising star, he still hasn’t registered on any polls, even California-only polls. Nonetheless, he is now being listed as a potential candidate in 2028, meaning that California might have their most candidate heavy primary season to date on the national level. He’ll likewise need to overcome multiple issues, including some of his stances being seen as too far to the left to be electable, and explaining some of his past associations with fundraisers and donors.

2028 was supposed to be just Harris and Newsom from California – Khanna might now make a move there.