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Kamala Harris hints at California Gubernatorial bid
“I’m not going anywhere,” Harris said during a public speech at the Leading Women Defined summit.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 05, Apr 2025
- 16:15 EDT
- 292
Kamala Harris / Instagram
Former Vice President Kamala Harris sparked speculation about a potential 2026 California gubernatorial run with a surprise appearance at a summit in California this week.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Harris said while addressing the Leading Women Defined summit, her first major appearance since losing the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump.
Her comments come amid growing speculation about her political future, particularly as California prepares for a competitive governor’s race. Harris, who served as California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2017 and represented California in the U.S. senate from 2017 to 2021, is expected to announce a decision on whether to enter the race by the end of the summer.
Competitive Primary
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra officially announced his candidacy for governor earlier this week. Becerra, who also served as California’s attorney general and as a 12-term congressman, pledged to tackle the state’s affordability and housing challenges.
Also Read: Democrat Xavier Becerra launches run for California governor
Other Democrats who have launched campaigns include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, and former U.S. Representative Katie Porter. Porter has indicated she may reconsider her bid if Harris enters the race, acknowledging the former vice president’s strong standing within the party.
Polling suggests Harris would be a formidable frontrunner. A February survey conducted by Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics/The Hill found her leading the Democratic primary field with 57 percent support, far ahead of Porter at 9 percent.
Despite the strong numbers, Harris has not formally declared her candidacy. In December, she said, “I have been home for two weeks and three days. My plans are to be in touch with my community, to be in touch with the leaders and figure out what I can do to support them.”
Sense of Fear
During her nearly eight-minute speech, Harris made pointed references to recent political developments in the country without mentioning Trump.
“There is a sense of fear that is taking hold in our country, and I understand it,” she said. “These are the things that we are witnessing each day in these last few months in our country, and it understandably creates a great sense of fear.”
“There were many things that we knew would happen, many things,” Harris said in a nod to her presidential campaign. “I’m not here to say, ‘I told you so,’” she added with a smile as the crowd cheered. “I swore I wasn’t going to say that.”
However, she left the gathering with a positive message and urged the community to keep advocating for their rights. “Our commitment to lifting each other up, lifting up our community, lifting up our country has not changed,” she said.
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