Khanna campaign says he won’t run for Miller seat

Democrat Ro Khanna’s campaign says he will continue his primary against Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) rather than run for retiring Rep. George Miller’s (D-Calif.) seat.

“Representative George Miller has been a tireless advocate for working families and he will be missed in Congress. As for Ro, he will continue to work hard for the opportunity to represent the people of California’s 17th district,” Khanna spokesman Tyler Law told The Hill in a statement.

{mosads}Miller’s retirement announcement Monday morning had many California Democrats speculating that Khanna might run for his seat. Miller’s East Bay district is about 40 miles to the north of the Silicon Valley district where Khanna is challenging Honda. He would have started off with a huge cash advantage over potential opponents if he had decided to go that route.

Khanna had considered a run against then-Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) in a different nearby district in 2012, but took a pass on the race. Stark lost a primary to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), leaving Khanna with few options for an easy House race. He’s been raising big money against Honda, a longtime congressman, and could be competitive in the race.

Some California Democrats believe Khanna could reconsider his decision not to run in the now-open 11th District, however.