Democrats Need New Leaders After 'Colossal Defeat,' Rep. Ro Khanna Says

South Bay Rep. Ro Khanna on Wednesday called upon the Democratic Party to put in place new leadership after it suffered what he called a “colossal defeat.”

The remarks came as Vice President Kamala Harris conceded her race for the presidency after former President Donald Trump secured more than enough electoral college votes early Wednesday to win the White House.

While Khanna said in a tweet he was proud of Harris and recognized her for “blazing a trail,” he blasted the Democratic establishment for failing to secure her victory.

“We had a billion dollars that was spent, and the results weren’t there,” he said. “There needs to be a cleaning house.”

Echoing calls following the first Trump victory in 2016 that Democrats needed to do more to understand the Republican candidate’s appeal, Khanna said it was incumbent upon Democrats this time around to “go around the country to see why people didn’t vote for us and what people are upset about and why we lost working-class votes.”

“They want the old faces out,” he said of voters writ large. “It’s time for people to gracefully step aside, who’ve been responsible for this loss and who’ve held on in some cases too long. And it’s time to let a new generation lead this party back.”

Khanna won reelection on Wednesday with about 66% of the vote, compared to his Republican challenger, Anita Chen, who garnered 34%.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Republicans had secured 205 seats within the House of Representatives, and Democrats had 190 with 40 seats yet to be called, according to the Associated Press. Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday night, with 52 seats, compared to Democrats’ 44, with four undecided seats.

Khanna said he was deeply disappointed about the results but hopeful his party would rebuild.

Election cycles “come quickly,” and Khanna said he was already preparing for 2026 and for the next general election in 2028.

“The good news is that Donald Trump is a lame-duck president,” he said. “This is his last hurrah.”

He echoed sentiments Harris expressed during her concession speech when she called upon her supporters to continue to stay engaged in politics.

“This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves,” she said from Howard University in Washington, D.C. “This is a time to organize, to mobilize and to stay engaged.”