A California congressman has raised speculation about a possible 2024 presidential run after visiting early primary states and spending money there.
Rep. Rohit Khanna (D-CA) has added political consultants and strategists from states that shape primaries due to their early voting.
Fox News further reported:
“He’s clearly exploring the possibility of running for president at some point,” said Brad Bannon, a Democratic political strategist who has worked on multiple high-profile campaigns. “It might not be in 2024, but he’s young and has time to prepare and meet people. Plus, we live in a very volatile political climate. You never know what can happen.”
Khanna, who recently published a book on “dignity” in the age of Big Tech, has become a staple of Democratic fundraising dinners in the early nominating states. This year alone, the California congressman has traveled extensively to New Hampshire and Nevada to address local Democratic groups.
“Hiring a consultant doesn’t always mean you’re running,” said Bannon. “But it usually means you’re at least interested in seeing what the process looks like. A consultant provides introductions to potential staffers and special interest groups that usually form the nucleus of a campaign.”
A former Obama administration official and avowed progressive, Khanna has openly expressed interest in a potential White House run at some point in the future. Khanna’s campaign filings suggest he’s taking the first steps toward that goal.
Over the past three months, Khanna has paid two political operatives that helped orchestrate Sen. Bernie Sanders’ early primary victories in 2020.
He has paid Shannon Jackson, a Vermont-based consultant, $16,000 over the past three months. Jackson has long-standing ties to Sanders, I-Vt., and served as a senior adviser on his 2016 presidential campaign.
In 2020, Jackson was the New Hampshire state director for Sanders’ second White House bid. In between the presidential campaigns, Jackson served as the founding executive director of Our Revolution.
In July, Khanna paid $1,000 to a political operative who served as Sanders’ deputy caucus director in Nevada during the 2020 campaign.
Sanders, who was endorsed by Khanna, beat President Biden by double digits in both the New Hampshire primary and Nevada caucus during the 2020 primaries. His campaign lost ground, however, after being defeated by Biden in the South Carolina primary.
He has also paid El Faro Consulting $4,000 for its political services. The Nevada-based firm was incorporated this past July by a Las Vegas political operative, although this company says it has been retained to provide strategic advice to Khanna in California and with the Latino community more broadly.
The payments to the Nevada consultant and the former Sanders’ staffers were the first for Khanna’s congressional campaign, according to a review of FEC filings.
Earlier this year, the California Democrat began paying Iowa-based Sage Strategies for political consulting. The relationship appears to be ongoing as Khanna paid the firm $4,000 in July.
