Sanders ally eyes White House bid amid doubts over Biden

Liberals raise prospect of primary challenge and fuel expectations that president will not seek re-election

LEFT-WING Democrats are rallying around a young congressman who has drawn comparisons to Bernie Sanders as a potential presidential candidate for the 2024 election, in a sign that even Joe Biden’s own party do not believe he will run again.

Ro Khanna, 45, a California congressman and a close ally of Mr Sanders, has been publicly backed by two influential former advisers to the progressive firebrand.

Mr Khanna, a self-described “progressive capitalist”, has gained traction among both powerful figures in Silicon Valley and the Democratic Party’s liberal flank.

The public discussion about the prospect of a 2024 Democratic primary suggests senior party figures are preparing for Mr Biden to be a one-term president.

The White House has insisted that Mr Biden, 79, will seek a second term as any suggestion to the contrary would risk making Mr Biden a “lame duck” president.

But a poll by The Wall Street Journal this week revealed roughly half of Americans do not think Mr Biden will run again in two years.

Mr Biden himself has spoken of seeking re-election at the age of 81 in the context of him remaining “in good health”, a tacit acknowledgement that it remains an open question.

Joe Caiazzo, a veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns, said the conventional wisdom among party strategists was that Mr Biden would run again.

That view has intensified as Donald Trump continues to tease a bid to retake the White House, he said: “Biden has proven to be the perfect foil [to Trump].” However, he added that a new generation of Democratic leaders were seeking to “build their infrastructure” in the event that Mr Biden does not seek a second term.

Those conversations have also cast doubts on the ambitions of Kamala Harris, the US vice president, once widely considered Mr Biden’s natural successor.

Ms Harris, 57, has struggled to gain traction since entering the Biden administration, leading many Democrats to question her electability.

One longtime Democratic operative said: “I don’t think she is boxed out … but she definitely doesn’t have the type of public persona and profile that a vice president Biden had.”

Ms Harris’s list of potential challengers for the Democratic nomination appears to have increased, with two senior Democratic operatives touting Mr Khanna’s credentials.

The 45-year-old has insisted he has no intention of challenging Mr Biden and hopes the president will seek reelection. But he has not ruled out a future presidential bid.

Jeff Weaver and Mark Longabaugh, who held senior positions in Mr Sanders’ presidential campaigns, have both reportedly urged Mr Khanna to run in the event that Mr Biden stands down.

“I think he would have tremendous appeal among people who supported Bernie,” Mr Weaver told the website Politico.

“He has a thoughtful take on the economy, which I think a lot of working-class people that Democrats have had difficulty reaching would hear.”

Mr Khanna, who represents California’s tech hub Silicon Valley, has proved adept at marrying his progressive politics with his embrace of big business and the party establishment.

The public support of two close allies of Mr Sanders will be influential among the progressive base if Mr Khanna runs for the presidency.