Kamala Harris announced she will not run for governor of California on Wednesday, but the former vice president did not rule out a future bid for higher office.
Harris made her announcement not to run to lead the country’s most populous state following months of deliberation over what her future holds after losing the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump.
“In recent months, I have given serious thought to asking the people of California for the privilege to serve as their Governor. 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,” the former vice president said in a statement.
Her decision comes as Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited, leaving the race wide open in 2026 as the deep blue state has been at the forefront in the fight against the Trump administration.
Harris served as a senator representing California before being tapped by President Joe Biden as his running mate in the 2020 race. She also served as the state’s attorney general.
While the vice president ruled out running in California, she vowed she would stay in the fight and would be helping Democrats get elected.
She also noticeably did not rule out a presidential bid in 2028, sharing only that “for now,” her leadership and public service would not be in elected office.
An ally of the former president described her decision not to run in California as a tough one for Harris to make.
While the former vice president has not signaled she would run for president again, that ally said her bid for governor was an “either/or” decision and the vice president likely saw that if she spent the next year and a half running for governor it would close the door on 2028.
Harris herself said she would share more on her plans in the future, but she warned that the government and politics have failed the American people and argued the country was in a “moment of crisis.”
“I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans,” the vice president said in her statement.
“In the United States of America, power must lie with the people. And We, the People must use our power to fight for freedom, opportunity, fairness, and the dignity of all. I will remain in that fight,” she added.
Should the former vice president mount another bid for the presidency in 2028, she would likely face a crowded field of candidates seeking to carry the Democratic Party back into the White House, including fellow Californian Newsom, whose name has also been floated as a potential candidate.
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