Democrat Ro Khanna Is Considering A Presidential Bid. He Could Be The Progressive Wing’s Candidate.

California Congressman and Democrat Ro Khanna has said that, following the Democrats' landslide victory in the recent midterm elections, he is considering a presidential run in 2028.

"I'm certainly considering it, there are going to be bold progressives ... I'm going around the country, seeing whether the message will resonate ... I think that it's the president who sets the agenda for the party," Khanna is heard saying in response to a question about 2028 on video footage released by satellite television network C-SPAN on Friday.

MSNOW reported similar news on Friday, stating that the Californian had told the outlet that he is "strongly considering" running for the Democrats' nomination and that he would "make a decision after the holidays."

Khanna also noted that the midterm results made a 2028 bid "more likely than not," citing the victories of Abdul El-Sayed, James Talarico and Scott Colom in the Michigan, Texas and Mississippi Senate races as evidence of the U.S. being "open to diversity ... open to people who are not part of the establishment."

Khanna is not necessarily considered a frontrunner. According to a New York Times average of the last 15 polls on the Democrats' 2028 nominee, former presidential candidate Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, as well as Mark Kelly and Pete Buttigieg, are leading the Democratic pack.

Ocasio-Cortez, like Khanna, firmly belongs to the Democrats' progressive wing, and could command significant left-wing support.

Nevertheless, Khanna's name recognition has been boosted significantly since the re-election of President Donald Trump to office.

Khanna, alongside Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, was one of the leading sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bill that made files relating to the criminal activities of the late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein publicly available.

The move made Khanna popular amongst progressives and wider sections of the American electorate.

His wider economic vision also makes him a likely contender for the progressive camp heading into 2028; his self-described platform "economic patriotism" proposes introducing a wealth tax on billionaires, guaranteeing "healthcare as a fundamental right, free and universal for every American," expanding child care and funding of public schools and colleges as well as ending U.S. financial aid to Israel.

In the immediate aftermath of the midterms, allies of Khanna's launched a committee, named "Run Ro," dedicated to laying the groundwork for the representative's presidential campaign if he decides to run.