Ro Khanna Sends Blunt Message to Democratic ‘Old Guard’ After Progressive Wave: ‘Step Aside’

(Screengrab via X)

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) called on the Democratic Party’s “old guard” to “step aside” following a string of major primary victories by progressive and democratic socialist candidates, warning their “era of cliches” is “over” and that voters are demanding “courage.”

In a video posted to X late Wednesday, Khanna pointed to Tuesday night’s primary results in Colorado, where 29-year-old democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated 15-term incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) in a stunning upset.

Khanna name-dropped Melat as he urged the party to embrace change: “Yesterday was a big night for progressives. Colorado shows a new generation of progressives like Melat are building a new and bold Democratic Party. It’s time for the old guard to step aside.”

“A lot of people are asking me what I make of these progressive wins. I say, the era of cliches that politicians deliver with charisma and charm is over. This is a time for courage,” he said.

He continued by listing a series of policy questions he said Democratic leaders should answer directly, including whether they support “single-payer health care,” “taxing the wealth of billionaires,” “stopping these foreign wars,” “recognizing the genocide in Gaza,” “abolishing and replacing ICE,” “workers over AI,” and getting “money out of politics.”

“This is not an age for triangulation or obfuscation. We’re in a moment of transformational change in this country, and I’m calling on our party to listen to voters demanding more from us,” Khanna said.

Kiros’ victory over DeGette in Colorado’s safely Democratic 1st Congressional District all but guarantees her election to Congress in November. Backed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the Democratic Socialists of America and Justice Democrats, Kiros centered her campaign on opposition to U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza, support for Medicare for All, abolishing ICE and rejecting corporate PAC money.

Her upset followed another difficult night for establishment Democratic candidates after New York City’s June primaries, where all three congressional candidates endorsed by democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani prevailed.

Among the biggest victories, democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated five-term Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) in Manhattan and the Bronx, while former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander unseated Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY). State Rep. Claire Valdez also won the Democratic nomination in an open House seat after securing Mamdani’s endorsement over the candidate backed by retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez.

Watch above via X.

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