The Progressive Candidate The Democratic Party Needs—Whether They Know It Or Not

Ro Khanna Is The Candidate Who Actually Believes In Something

Yesterday, Phillip Bailey reported that even if Kamala decides to jump into the Democratic race for the presidential nomination— which is both very likely and very unfortunate— there will be a hotly-contested primary. As the democratic reboot continues,” he wrote, White House hopefuls such as Harris are tiptoeing into an earlier than usual shadow campaign that political observers say they believe will be among the party's most consequential presidential primaries in decades.” Bailey seems eager to discount the progressive momentum in the party and the country, name-checking a dozen would-be candidates, all neo-liberals and corporate-aligned centrists, from Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Andy Beshear, Amy Klobuchar to hereditary billionaire JB Pritzker, the utterly absurd Ruben Gallego, arch-hypocrite Cory Booker, and icon of reactionary corruption Rahm Emanuel.

Though Bailey dismissed the thoroughly progressive Democratic base and barely mentioned AOC, probably preparing to challenge Schumer for the New York Senate seat in 2028, and Chris Murphy— still not a Medicare-for-All advocate— at all, he did give some space to one progressive: Ro Khanna, the Pennsylvania-born son of immigrants, a grandson of a Gandhi freedom fighter, who is the most likely Democrat seriously in the running with a fresh transformative vision committed to human rights who can build a multiracial progressive coalition. He has been traveling the country speaking out on issues more establishment Democrats tend to avoid— outlining a clear progressive position on Gaza, Medicare for All, trade schools, Trump’s Epstein scandal, campaign finance reform— he takes no PAC money— and most importantly a real populist economic vision.

Last week on Twitter he posted “Democrats need a rebirth & rejection of the status quo. More than words. It means speaking out on the starvation in Gaza. It means M4A (Medicare For All). It means banning Super Pacs. It means no to the transactional politics that screwed Bernie in 2020.”

At the same time, the Sacramento Bee featured a headline that captured the essence of Khanna’s campaign much more clearly: Ro Khanna sees what other Dems don’t: The future of the party is progressive. Robin Epley wrote that “There is clearly an ongoing generational rift between older Democrats who fear leaning too far left may alienate voters, and younger progressives who believe new faces and the policies they bring to the table are not only working, but have the potential to spread far beyond hot spots like Chicago and New York City.” No one doubts on which side of that spectrum Khanna has come down. Having endorsed Zohran Mamdani, he was recently in Bakersfield campaigning with Randy Villegas, the progressive opponent to Republican David Valadao. “Randy,” said Khanna, “is a working class guy who prioritizes good jobs and hight wages. He gets it.” Khanna told the crowd in Bakersfield who would like to have Villegas as a colleague in DC.

"Fearless Progressives, Doing The Right Thing" by Nancy Ohanian

Predictably, the DCCC has recruited a conservative candidate to run against Villegas. This morning Villegas told us that “Ro Khanna is traveling the country and having important conversations with working class people, regardless of party affiliation and meeting folks where they're at. He's showing up where others aren't, and talking to voters who feel the Democratic party has left them behind. He's working to expand the electorate so our government can go back to being of, by and for the people. I commend him for this not as just a candidate for Congress, but as someone who teaches civics to students every day. I think whatever comes next for him, he's being seen as a true leader in our party and our country.”

From my perspective, Khanna isn’t just testing the waters— he’s already swimming laps while the rest of the field checks the temperature. In town halls from Dearborn to Bakersfield, from the Bronx to Youngstown, he’s meeting the voters the Democratic Party forgot: working-class families, disillusioned independents, young activists who’ve stopped believing that hope and change are anything more than marketing slogans. In doing so, he’s channeling the unfinished revolution that Bernie ignited— only this time, with a generational shift and a broader, more inclusive coalition. He’s not just carrying the torch; he’s pointing it toward a future where the Democratic Party stands for something again. Whether or not he’s ready to say the words out loud, it’s clear he’s running… and even clearer that he’s running for the right reasons.