Allies of Rep. Ro Khanna Launch 'Run Ro' Draft Committee for Possible 2028 Presidential Bid

Allies of Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., launched a draft committee called "Run Ro" on Wednesday to lay groundwork for a 2028 presidential run, according to NBC News. Former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and progressive strategist Nomiki Konst are co-chairs. The group can raise money from donors and build support while Khanna, a fifth-term lawmaker, weighs a bid. The launch follows a midterm election in which Democrats won control of the House and the Senate. In a statement, Khanna said he was honored that people were encouraging him to run on Medicare for All, ending foreign wars and taxing billionaires, and said he would decide with his family after the holidays whether to run or back someone else. Khanna has not announced a candidacy, has said he is seriously thinking about one, and has toured battleground states, including South Carolina. Reuters reported that Democrats are heading into a potentially crowded and unpredictable 2028 primary.

Left-leaning NBC News leads with the committee launch and its co-chairs, quoting Konst on framing the primary from a progressive populist perspective. It adds context on the obstacles: only James Garfield went directly from the House to the presidency, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is better known. It credits Khanna's bipartisan work on the Epstein files and ending the war in Iran. The right-leaning Washington Examiner, citing NBC for the launch, centers Khanna's own quoted reaction in its headline and describes his run as likely. It also says Ocasio-Cortez leads preliminary polling and calls the move a sign he will not clear the field for her. Both outlets agree on the committee, its co-chairs and its purpose. They differ in sourcing and emphasis: NBC relies on committee leaders and historical context, while the Examiner relies on Khanna's statement and polling. Reuters, grouped as alternative, takes a broader view of the party's divide and open field.