Kamala Harris Reportedly Eyeing Comeback in 2026 California Governor’s Race

After underperforming everywhere in the 2024 election and handing the presidency back over to Donald Trump, Kamala Harris could have  her eye on the California governorship as she plans her comeback. 

Harris was formally the DA of San Francisco, AG of California, and a California Senator, before becoming Vice President. 

According to the Populist Times: 

Quoting undisclosed sources, The Hill reported that the race has given Kamala a “renewed sense of excitement,” putting a “glimmer in her eyes.”

She has a lot of people in her ear telling her that it makes the most sense and she can do the most good,” the source spilled. However, the outlet cautioned that Kamala has not “made a final decision yet and is still considering all her options.” Nonetheless, the former Vice President “says she has made it clear that she is not done with public service and is giving the race strong consideration.”

Sources said Kamala is observing a “self-imposed end-of-summer deadline” to decide on whether to join the “crowded” gubernatorial race, which includes Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.  Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis has also expressed her interest in the gubernatorial seat, but will step down if Kamala decides to run. Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA-47) will also run unless Kamala does. Former Speaker of the California State Assembly Toni Atkins has also declared her interest. The incumbent, Gov. Gavin Newsom, is leaving the seat after serving the maximum of two terms, making him ineligible for re-election. He also has his sights on running for U.S. president in 2028, for which he is believed to be the Democratic Party’s frontrunner.

The election is a ways off, and polling is sparse, but the recent polling does show Harris as the frontrunner (with plurality support) if she is to jump in the race - though that’s despite most also saying she shouldn’t run. According to a May survey from Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics/The Hill, Harris has the support of 31% of Californians who are likely voters, while her closest competitors all polled below 10%. They included former Rep. Katie Porter (8%), Republican Chad Bianco, Eleni Kounaliakis (2%), among many other names you won’t recognize. 

Regardless, “undecided” is technically the true frontrunner - though we all know Democrats will all end up supporting whoever the Democrat nominee is in the end, no matter how radical. 

Despite Harris losing the presidency, we have to remember that California is California, a state where she took in nearly 60% of the vote. The only states where she got a larger percent of the vote were Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Vermont (and DC and ME-1). California was also the state she got the largest number of individual votes from (though obviously this is also due to California’s size).  

Matt Palumbo is the author of The Heir, Inside the (Not So) Secret Network of Alex Soros