Ro Khanna

Progressive U.S. representative and potential 2028 presidential candidate Ro Khanna is returning to Iowa to headline a fundraiser for state Rep. Sean Bagniewski in October.

Khanna will appear at Bagniewski's annual fish fry fundraiser Oct. 11 in Des Moines, according to a news release.

Bagniewski is running unopposed to his Des Moines-based state House seat this November. Driving turnout in the heavily Democratic area will be important for the party as it heads into a critical midterm election with close races for governor, U.S. House and U.S. Senate on the ballot.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Congressman Ro Khanna back to Iowa," Bagniewski said in a statement. "He’s shown immense courage in leading the bipartisan fight to force the release of the Epstein files. He’s been a forward-thinking voice on technology and the American economy. And he’s shown a commitment to Iowa and the Midwest for years.”

Khanna, a Democrat who represents California's Silicon Valley, has traveled to Iowa frequently over the years and has championed efforts to bring high-tech, high-paying jobs to rural Iowa.

Amid speculation that he'll run for president in 2028, Khanna is seen as someone who could try to claim U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' mantle as the leader of the national progressive movement.

Iowa Democrats no longer hold an officially sanctioned spot in the early voting window of the 2028 presidential calendar after the national party again omitted them from their lineup.

But state party leaders have left open the possibility that they would hold an unsanctioned first-in-the-nation caucus regardless of what the Democratic National Committee decides.

Recently, Iowa Democrats have hosted U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She writes about campaigns, elections and the Iowa Caucuses. Reach her at [email protected] or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.