Rep. Ro Khanna allies launch a draft campaign for the 2028 presidential race

Key Points:

• Allies of Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have launched a draft committee called "Run Ro" to prepare for a potential 2028 presidential run, co-chaired by former Rep. Jamaal Bowman and strategist Nomiki Konst.
• The committee aims to raise funds and build early support to frame the 2028 primary debate from a progressive populist perspective, seeking to fill the progressive lane once occupied by Sen. Bernie Sanders.
• Khanna, a fifth-term lawmaker known for bipartisan efforts and progressive policies like Medicare for All, has not yet decided on a run but is actively traveling to early primary states and has expressed openness to running.
• Challenges for Khanna include the rarity of House members winning the presidency, with only James Garfield achieving this in 1880, and competition from more prominent progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
• The draft committee emphasizes early organization to counterbalance centrist candidates' longstanding donor networks and strategic advantages, aiming to harness progressive energy well ahead of the 2028 nomination race.