“At this point, my leadership and public services are not in the elected office,” she said. He explained that he has no intention of participating in the California governor race in 2026.
Kamala Harris says he’s not running for California governor
Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced he would not run for California governor, but did not rule out another bid for the presidency.
WASHINGTON – Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not run for governor of California in 2026, but has not ruled out another bid for the White House.
The two-time Democratic presidential candidate, who suddenly took over as a party candidate in the 2024 general election, said in a surprising announcement on July 30 that he would not compete in the governor’s race next year.
Harris, who currently lives in Southern California with her husband Doug Emov, had not said whether she had decided to run for president in 2028.
“At this point, my leadership and public services are not in the elected office,” she said. “I look forward to going back and listening to the American people, electing Democrats from across the country who are fearlessly fighting, and sharing details about my plans for the next few months.”
A source familiar with her ideas said Harris, 60, did not pass the governor’s campaign to clear his path to running for president in 2028.
However, the person noted that Harris also did not close the door when he ran for the president. And it would have been politically impossible to find both offices she was elected.
California’s next governor will take over at the beginning of 2027. If Harris competes again, it’s about the same as Harris needs to prepare for his presidential bid.
Another factor: Harris is currently writing a book. The two, who know her plans, are expected to go on tour.
“She can do whatever she wants to do, but she doesn’t owe anything to us. And she hopes she’ll spend time with her kids and Dougie, and she’ll probably tell her. I’m ready to read,” said longtime Harris Ally Bakari Sellers. “She’s a talent, and 2028 could be that, or 2032. Whatever she decides. She’s young.”
The announcement adds additional wrinkles to the decision-making process of Democrats with national ambitions forced to take the backseat to Harris last year when former President Joe Biden quit his reelection campaign and approved his seating vice president as his replacement.
Harris lost to President Donald Trump in a landslide. She characterized the trail as a serious threat to democracy, facing robust evidence that voters were primarily concerned about inflation and the economy.
She also received criticism in a campaign that was abbreviated for refusing to distance herself from Biden.
In her California governor’s statement on race, Harris said the country is in a “hot moment of crisis” as the country’s politics, government and systems frequently fail the American people.
“We need to look ahead and be willing to pursue change through new ways and fresh thinking. We commit to the same values and principles, but not tied to the same playbook,” Harris said.
“She still managed to drop the hammer.”
The announcement surprised even some of her nearest political allies.
“She was good at it, so I was hoping for the governor’s announcement. She still wanted to go back to that Flya,” said the seller, co-chairing Harris’ first presidential election.
Harris’ allies said they didn’t know how Harris would come down in the 2028 presidential bid, but they said they were happy to see her commitment to continuing to act politically.
“I think we’re all waiting with breath to see what her next step is,” said former Biden and Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez.
Chavez Rodriguez works for Harris in the Senate office and bid for the 2020 presidential nomination before joining Biden’s team. She worked as a senior aide at the White House and ran his reelection campaign.
She said she believes Harris is “focused on figuring out what can be done at this point.”
Glinda Kerr, president of Hightie Heights, who works to expand the political power of black women and helps Harris’s 2020 presidential bid, said her campaign has run other women.
“I told Team Kamala Harris what she decided to do.” Harris said he could lead outside from having an elected office.
Jaime Harrison, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said in 2026 he wanted to see the Democratic Harris campaign, particularly in the South.
He encouraged his party to overturn the narrow Republican majority in the US home and Senate and focus on getting governors.
“It’s good that she’s there. When she’s around the country, she decides what she wants to do around 2028. But we can’t think of 2028 until we reach 2026.”
The answer is simple as what that means for all candidates, including former Transport Secretary Pete Battigieg, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, the seller said.
“There’s nothing, because if she wanted to run for president, she could still drop a hammer on them all,” Harris Alley said. “If she decides, she’ll beat them all.”
