Booker, Van Hollen and Khanna slated for Democrats’ Denver summit after midterms

Sens. Cory Booker and Chris Van Hollen and Rep. Ro Khanna are slated to join a Democratic summit in Denver on November 12–14, after the midterm elections, according to an updated attendee list first shared with CBS News. Their addition puts three more prominent lawmakers in a planned discussion about the party’s direction as it looks toward 2028.

The gathering, called the ‘What’s Next’ summit, is being hosted by Majority Democrats, CBS reported. It is scheduled for nine days after the November elections. A spokesperson for the group told CBS that it intends to bring different wings of the party together for open discussions aimed at winning in 2028.

Who is expected at the Denver summit

CBS described Booker, Van Hollen and Khanna as figures widely seen as having presidential ambitions. Booker ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020 but left the race before the first primary contests. Khanna has called himself a ‘long-shot presidential candidate’, while Van Hollen has said he was ‘kicking the tires’ on a possible 2028 bid, according to CBS. Their planned participation in the summit does not amount to a campaign announcement.

What Majority Democrats says it wants to do

Majority Democrats describes its mission as reshaping and growing the Democratic Party. Its stated objectives include elevating leaders and ideas and building Democratic majorities. CBS reported that elected officials and other prominent Democrats formed the group last year, providing an organizing base for the post-election gathering.

The summit is planned as a forum for discussion after voters choose the next Congress. Its timing places the party’s internal debate immediately after the midterms, with the next presidential election two years away. For the newly added lawmakers, the confirmed development is their inclusion on the planned attendee list; any decisions about a 2028 race remain separate from the meeting.