Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not be making a political comeback with a run for California governor in 2026.
The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee announced Wednesday she will not be throwing her hat in the ring for California governor after losing to President Trump this past November and largely staying out of the spotlight since.
“I have given serious thought to asking the people of California for the privilege to serve as their Governor,” Harris said.
“I love this state, its people, and its promise. It is my home. But after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for Governor in this election.”
Harris, 60, was previously a senator from California and the Golden State’s attorney general. She was vice president for one term during the Biden administration. If she had run, Harris would have been the overwhelming favorite to fill the open seat left by incumbent Governor Gavin Newsom (D), who is term limited and widely considered a future presidential candidate.
Without Harris, the California gubernatorial primary is a wide open race. Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and former Representative Katie Porter are among the Democratic candidates already running.
Kounalakis called Harris “a trailblazer, a fearless fighter for justice, and a dear friend” in a statement reacting to Harris’s announcement.
For now, Harris said she is committed to helping elect Democrats and promised to announce more details about her next move at a later time. She did not rule out a 2028 presidential run in what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary.
Harris is unlikely to be a major electoral asset for Democratic candidates in competitive races, but she could assist with fundraising and voter turnout. She remains popular within the Democratic party despite her poor performance in 2024.
Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee last summer after Biden stepped aside due to a revolt from Democrats because of his worsening mental capacity. When she became the face of the party, Harris had a “brat” summer of enthusiasm that quickly dampened because of Trump’s attacks on her progressive record and past positions.
As Biden’s “border czar,” Harris was widely criticized for her lax approach to the surge of illegal immigration that took place throughout his term. Harris also took heat for once stating that illegal immigrants should receive taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries, a position she took during her failed 2020 presidential run.
On the campaign trail, Harris hardly distinguished herself from Biden and received criticism for her lack of hard-hitting interviews. Harris’s campaign struggled to develop messaging and has been heavily scrutinized for mismanaging the nearly $1 billion she raised.
Trump won all of the swing states against Harris in the 2024 election and carried the GOP to a 53-47 Senate majority. It capped off a remarkable political comeback for Trump after he faced four criminal cases and two assassination attempts while campaigning for president. Trump’s performance put Democrats in the political wilderness and the party has struggled to regain the confidence of the American people ever since.
Over the past six months, Harris mostly avoided public appearances and her social media activity was limited. She almost never commented on California-related issues despite speculation about a run for governor. In May, Harris gave her first major speech since losing the 2024 election and attacked Trump’s approach to various issues.
As an incumbent vice president and former senator from California who lost a presidential election, Harris’s fate was compared to Richard Nixon, who lost to John F. Kennedy in 1960. Nixon ran for governor of California and lost in 1962, leading many to believe his political career was over. But Nixon emerged from the wilderness to win the 1968 presidential election and won a landslide re-election four years later only to resign in 1974 because of Watergate.