Khanna: ‘Progressive movement is on the ascendancy’

Campaign Khanna: ‘Progressive movement is on the ascendancy’ Comments: by Tara Suter - 06/24/26 6:17 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Tara Suter - 06/24/26 6:17 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said the “progressive movement is on the ascendancy” after recent left-wing wins throughout the country.

While appearing on CNN’s “The Source with Kaitlan Collins,” Khanna called New York Assemblywoman Claire Valdez a “phenomenal candidate” after CNN projected that she would win the Democratic nomination for New York’s 7th Congressional District. Valdez is a democratic socialist supported by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“She has a clear moral vision on foreign policy, and she understands that the central challenge is the unfair and lopsided economy, and that we need a new vision for the working class. But I do believe that this shows two things: first, Mamdani is a star; anyone dismissing him is just naive and out of touch,” Khanna said Tuesday night.

“He is one of the five most consequential Democrats in the nation right now, and people should treat him with respect. And the second thing is that the progressive movement is on the ascendancy in the House of Representatives and across the country, and the idea of just saying, ‘Oh, this is New York,’ is just not true. We’ve been winning in Pennsylvania, in New Jersey, in Michigan, in Maine, and this is really the — where the energy of the party is.”

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who broke onto the national political scene last year after defeating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a Democratic primary for New York City mayor, backed three candidates in New York House primary contests.

Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, both democratic socialists backed by the mayor, cruised to victory in their primaries on Tuesday. Former mayoral candidate Brad Lander, another progressive backed by Mamdani, also clinched his race.

The New York primary comes just after city Councilmember Janeese Lewis George’s win in the Democratic primary for mayor in Washington D.C. earlier this month.

Democratic socialism has been on the rise in the U.S. over the last decade following the two presidential runs of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is often seen as a leader of the movement.