Vice President Kamala Harris is telling her aides to keep her political options open as she weighs whether to make another run for the White House in 2028 or for California governor in 2026, sources told Politico.
The vice president is expected to deliberate more over her political prospects throughout the next few weeks, five people in Harris’ inner circle told Politico. As she mulls her choices, her staff has been working to craft a message for the vice president that both takes aim at President-elect Donald Trump and solidifies her role in the Democratic party, the outlet reported. (RELATED: ‘We Didn’t Pander’: How Donald Trump Blew Up The Obama Coalition To Win Popular Vote)
“There will be a desire to hear her voice, and there won’t be a vacuum for long,” a person close to Harris told the outlet.
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Some close to Harris feel that with the speed of the news cycle and the current position of the Democratic party, the vice president may be forced to make a decision quicker than she would like, Politico reported. Though there is disagreement among the vice president’s allies about which office she should gun for, there is a sense of agreement that Harris can not make a run at both, according to the outlet.
“She doesn’t have to decide if she wants to run for something again in the next six months,” one former Harris campaign aide told Politico. “The natural thing to do would be to set up some type of entity that would give her the opportunity to travel and give speeches and preserve her political relationships.”
“She is not someone who makes rash decisions,” Brian Brokaw, a former Harris aide who has remained close to her circle, told the outlet. “She takes, sometimes, a painfully long time to make decisions. So I would pretty much guarantee you she has no idea what her next move is.”
Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greets former first lady Michelle Obama during a campaign rally at the Wings Event Center on October 26, 2024 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Vice President Harris will be campaigning today with former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama in the battleground swing state of Michigan. With 10 days remaining, Harris continues campaigning against Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the November 5 election. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Among the Democratic party, there is acknowledgment that the vice president has the “X factor” in the next party primary, Politico reported. Her short run for president, Harris’ allies feel, helped her standing within the Democratic party, the outlet reported.
“She proved a lot of skeptics wrong as a political athlete. And her standing with the public is as good as any Democrats with the name I.D. that she has,” a Harris ally told Politico.
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