Progressives call on Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna to run in 2028 Democratic presidential primary
Progressive organizations are urging Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ro Khanna of California to enter the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, launching a formal effort to draft the two lawmakers into the race.
Groups announce campaign after midterms
RootsAction and Progressive Democrats of America announced the push in a joint statement, saying they will formally launch the campaign after the November midterm elections.
Progressive Democrats of America previously launched the “Run, Bernie, Run” campaign in 2013, an effort that helped draw Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders into the 2016 Democratic presidential primary and became a key moment for the modern progressive movement.
The groups said it is “crucial” for progressives to be at the top of the Democratic ticket in 2028.
“Without a progressive populist advocate atop the ticket, the Democratic response would be woefully underwhelming — enabling right-wing demagoguery to push voter unrest in dangerous and divisive directions,” the organizations wrote.
They said neither lawmaker was given advance notice of the campaign but made their intentions clear.
“We definitely want to see one or both of them in the race,” the groups wrote.
AOC and Ro Khanna’s chances in the polls
Potential 2028 contenders are already visiting early primary states to build name recognition, test their messaging and connect with voters, although most candidates typically wait until after the midterms to announce their campaigns.
Early polling is not always predictive of a primary’s eventual outcome, but it can offer an early measure of name recognition and influence how donors and media organizations assess candidates.
Recent surveys have generally shown former Vice President Kamala Harris leading the Democratic field. Other frequently mentioned contenders include California Governor Gavin Newsom, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
Ocasio-Cortez received 11 percent support in the latest Echelon Insights survey, while Khanna received 1 percent. Harris led with 18 percent, followed by Buttigieg at 13 percent and Newsom at 12 percent.
The survey polled 1,002 likely voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
A separate FocalData poll put Ocasio-Cortez at 10 percent and Khanna at 1 percent. Harris led with 31 percent, followed by Newsom at 13 percent. The survey polled 2,178 adults.
What have AOC and Ro Khanna said about 2028?
Ocasio-Cortez addressed speculation about a presidential run in May during a conversation with David Axelrod, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama.
“My ambition is to change this country,” she told Axelrod. “Presidents come and go. Senate, House seats, elected officials come and go. But single-payer healthcare is forever. A living wage is forever, workers’ rights are forever, women’s rights, all of that and so anyways… to a finer point to your question is that when you aren’t attached, when you haven’t been like fantasizing about being this or that since the time you were 7 years old, it is tremendously liberating.”
Khanna has said he is “thinking seriously” about a 2028 run. Speaking to NPR, he warned that the country could “break” without dramatic change.
“I’m the nice guy. I just want a new social contract. Have you met these folks in their 30s? They want pitchforks and torches. They want your scalps… politically,” Khanna told NPR.
He also said Ocasio-Cortez’s decision would have “no bearing” on his own choice, pointing instead to his economic platform.
“I have a vision called economic patriotism, which calls for having the greatest economic mission in generations to build a future economy that’s going to be working for people I grew up with, deindustrialized communities, the black South. How do we bring economic success, not just in Silicon Valley, across this country?” he said.