Los AngelesKamala Harris, the former vice president, has decided not to run for governor of California next year, which could lead to a third run for the presidency in 2028.
In a statement issued by her office on Wednesday, Harris said, “I have spent the last six months thinking about this point in our country’s history and how I can best continue to fight for the American people and advance the values and ideals I hold dear.”
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I’ve thought carefully about requesting the Californian people’s permission to be their governor. This state, its people, and its promise are all things I adore. I call it home. However, after giving it some thought, I’ve chosen not to run for governor this time around,” she stated.
Harris’ choice continues the speculation about her political future that began when she fell to Donald Trump in the previous year’s presidential election. After her crushing loss to Trump, Harris contemplated in secret for months whether to run for governor, make another try for the White House, or leave electoral politics entirely.
Despite losing in 2020 and 2024, she has not ruled out running for president again. When she will make that choice is unknown.
Harris stated that our institutions, government, and politics have all too frequently let the American people down, leading to this catastrophe, without specifically mentioning Trump in her remarks.
Staying in the battle
My public service and leadership will not be in elected office for the time being. In the coming months, I hope to share more information about my own intentions, help elect Democrats across who will fight boldly, and get back out there and listen to the American people, Harris added.
The people must have the power in the United States of America. And it is up to us, the people, to fight for everyone’s freedom, opportunity, justice, and dignity. According to the statement, I will continue to fight that battle.
Harris’s broad name recognition, ability to raise money, and history of winning statewide races would have made her a front-runner in the crowded race to succeed term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom. She was elected San Francisco’s district attorney and state attorney general before becoming vice president and a U.S. senator.
However, it was never certain whether Harris would be interested in going back to the less glamorous world of statehouse politics in Sacramento after spending years in Washington on the national and international scene.
Young voters
Longtime Harris aide and Democratic strategist Sean Clegg said the former vice president considered running for governor but ultimately chose to look at other possibilities. Creating a nonprofit organization to reach younger voters is one option she has thought about.
According to Clegg, she has been in public service since graduating from law school and has held political office for 22 consecutive years. She is more driven and thrilled about the chance to effect change outside of the system because she has lived her entire life inside it.
Clegg went on to say that her choice was ultimately based only on instinct. She pondered herself if she wanted to try something entirely different or return to the system as California’s highest elected official.
Another attempt to win the White House?
Harris’ political career outside of California has been characterized by both historic firsts and setbacks.
Harris lost her first political battle when she withdrew from the 2020 Democratic presidential candidacy before the leadoff Iowa caucuses. She became the first woman, Black person, or person of South Asian heritage to hold the position of vice president after Joe Biden selected her as his running mate. Biden dropped out of the race months before Election Day and endorsed Harris, who went on to become the Democratic presidential contender in 2024. Trump won all of the swing states, and she lost that race.
If Harris decides to run for president again, there will be some ambiguity.
Despite losing to Trump last fall, Harris would need to persuade national Democrats that she is the party’s future face. She also bears the burden of being associated with Biden, who has come under growing criticism from Democrats for running for a second term instead of resigning. After Biden’s legacy was damaged when he stepped down from government, further inquiries concerning his mental and physical capabilities have surfaced.
A sizable field is anticipated for the 2028 presidential election, which may include Newsom. A divided Democratic Party with poor support ratings that is finding it difficult to halt Trump’s agenda in Washington will need to be brought together by any contender.
In a speech in San Francisco, Harris made her most lengthy public statements since she left office in January, claiming that Trump’s leadership amounted to a wholesale rejection of American values.
The race to succeed Newsom remains open as a result of Harris’ decision not to run for governor. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Biden Administration Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Representative Katie Porter, and a few state officeholders are in the Democratic field.
Villaraigosa conjectured in a statement that Harris’ political career was far from ended. He claimed that her choice demonstrated her ongoing dedication to working at the highest echelons of government.
