Vice President Harris's Term Ends January 20 Next Year
Expected to Spend Time Reflecting on Presidential Election
Intends to Run Again... Stepping Stone Could Be Governor?
As attention is focused on the future moves of Vice President Kamala Harris, who was defeated in the U.S. presidential election, the possibility of her running for California governor in 2026 has been raised.
On the 24th (local time), The Hill, a U.S. congressional media outlet, analyzed, "With the inauguration of President-elect Trump next year and Vice President Harris stepping down, there is a possibility that Harris will run for California governor in 2026," adding, "There may be another opportunity for Harris in her hometown of California, considered a stronghold of blue states (Democratic-leaning areas) opposing the second Trump administration."
Gavin Newsom, the current California governor from the Democratic Party, was re-elected in the 2022 election and is currently serving his second term, so under state law, he cannot run for a third term in the 2026 election. Democratic strategist Fred Hicks told The Hill, "It will be difficult for Harris to easily win the 2028 Democratic presidential primary," noting, "There are too many potential candidates, and that is too long a time from now." He also predicted, "(If Harris becomes California governor) she will be in a favorable position to fight against 'Trumpism.'"
In other words, the governorship of California could be used as a stepping stone for a presidential re-challenge. Earlier, on the 6th, in her concession speech after the presidential defeat, Vice President Harris hinted at a presidential re-challenge by saying, "The fight for freedom and opportunity, fairness, and dignity for all, the fight for the ideals that represent the best America, will never be given up."
California is Vice President Harris's hometown, and her campaign has often highlighted her experience working in California as a prosecutor, attorney general, and senator. In a survey conducted from the 22nd to 29th of last month by the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) School of Public Policy and the Los Angeles Times, targeting 4,838 registered California voters (with a margin of error of ±2 percentage points), nearly half of respondents, 46% (72% of Democrats), said they would support Vice President Harris in the next gubernatorial election.
However, if she runs for the four-year governor term, it may be difficult for her to run in the 2028 presidential election immediately. Regarding this, Hicks said, "Harris is more than 20 years younger than President-elect Trump or President Joe Biden. She can and should be the face of Democratic resistance," adding that she should also keep the 2032 presidential election in mind.
Vice President Harris is expected to take a break after stepping down and to reflect on this year's presidential election process. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to President-elect Trump in the 2016 election, published her presidential memoir, What Happened, the following year. Another Democratic strategist, Abu Amara, told The Hill, "Whether through speeches or writing a book, her understanding of what happened during the election process will be properly revealed."
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