Former Vice President Kamala Harris has set an end-of-summer deadline to decide on a California gubernatorial bid, sources revealed today.
Harris has been telling supporters at private gatherings and through phone calls, “I am staying in this fight,” as she weighs her political future after her unsuccessful bid for president, according to Politico.
The revelation about her timeline came during a pre-Oscars party last weekend when Harris definitively told another attendee she would make her gubernatorial decision by summer’s end, two sources told Politico.
The sources also said that a Harris victory in the California governor’s race would most likely take a 2028 presidential run off the table, despite early polls indicating a strong lead for Harris in the primary field.
Harris maintains significant leads in early national polls of potential candidates for California governor and has kept her political operation intact through her newly formed organization Pioneer49, with several top aides remaining on board.
The commitment of top aides is seen as a strong sign for Harris, as the VP had previously had a revolving door of staff due to a reportedly harsh management style.
The Washington Post reported in September 2024, “More than 90 percent of Harris’s vice-presidential staff who started working for her in early 2021 have since left the office.”
The mere prospect of Harris entering the race has already reshaped the Democratic field, with nearly every other top Dem prospect considering bowing out if Harris announces her run.
State Attorney General Rob Bonta didn’t even see the need to wait for Harris’s announcement, dropping any exploration of a governor’s bid, and announced he will seek reelection instead.
Asked about whether Harris should run, Bonta said, “I hope she does. I have already raised my hand to endorse her, if she does,” adding, “Her name recognition, her favorables, her ability to run a successful campaign would have the impact of clearing the field on the Democratic side.”
Former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis would likely avoid challenging Harris in the state’s primary, while former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has suggested he might stay in the race despite doubts from people close to him, Politico reports.
While the Democratic field adjusts to Harris’ potential candidacy, the field of Republican candidates is somewhat sparse, with the frontrunner appearing to be Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a veteran of law enforcement who has been praised for his handling of crime in the county of 2.5 million despite policing restrictions from Newsom’s government and staffing shortages.
Harris has been increasing her public profile in recent weeks, accepting the Chairman’s Prize at the NAACP Image Awards last month and planning a trip to Las Vegas this weekend for a moderated conversation about artificial intelligence, signaling she intends to maintain her presence in national political discussions.
