Some Democrats Doubt Kamala Harris' Potential CA Governor Run

CALIFORNIA — As rumors that former Vice President Kamala Harris will run for Gov. Gavin Newsom's seat next year swirl, some Democrats are uncertain about her future, according to multiple reports.

Following her loss to Donald Trump in a historic presidential bid, a few fellow party members are doubting her appeal in the Golden State.

One of the concerns shared among Democratic delegates has been her disappearance from the public eye.

"It's just that she lost the presidential race and she's been almost — gone. We don't hear from her. We don't see her," Denise Rob, a Democratic Party delegate from Pasadena, told The Washington Post.

She also said: "I think she'd be fine. I mean, she's already been a state leader right?"

Harris has held statewide office in California before as attorney general and as a U.S. senator.

Over the weekend, Harris addressed a convention hall full of the state's Democratic activists in Anaheim. But her voice did not ring out in person. Instead, she spoke to the crowd through a video call.

Many believe her entry into the 2026 governor's race would automatically make her a front-runner. However, she has offered little insight into whether she is committed to running. She has said she will decide by the end of the summer whether she will run.

"I don't think she should get into the campaign for governor," Mark Gracyk, a delegate from San Diego told the New York Times. "The working class would say, 'Oh there she is again, she has the support of the elites.'"

Her weekend address at the Anaheim hall reportedly garnered lukewarm applause. Meanwhile, her former running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, delivered speeches that sent the crowd into a cheering frenzy. Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey gave a speech that received similar enthusiasm.

Harris reportedly did not speak much of Golden State issues.

"I wonder where her priorities are, and where she's at right now," a delegate from Santa Cruz told the Times. "I do support her and think that she's great, but right now I have more questions than answers."

Other delegates said they were skeptical of the job she would do as California's governor.

"I liked her as a presidential candidate, but it was a different job," Amanda Day, a delegate from Merced, told the Post. "Coming back to California is a whole other story."

So far, eight Democrats have stepped up to try their hand at winning Newsom's seat. The Democratic governor, who also didn't attend the convention, is reaching his term limit.

Not everyone at the convention cast doubt on Harris.

“As a woman myself, and as a minority myself, I felt like I wanted someone like her representing me,” Patricia Wenkart, a speech pathologist who attended the convention, told the Times.

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is among the contenders and says it is her first goal to have a woman in the governor's seat in 2026.

"And my second goal is that it's me," she told the Democratic women's caucus.

Kounalakis is expected to drop out of the race to support the former vice president, should Harris step into the ring, according to media reports.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is also considered a top contender for the governor's seat.

In a poll published by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies last month, respondents reported two very different views of Harris and Bass.

About 50 percent said they held a favorable view of her, while 46 percent did not. Meanwhile, Bass did far worse, holding a 32 percent positive view versus a 50 percent negative image rating.

Bass has been widely scrutinized for her handling of the devastating Altadena and Pacific Palisades fires.

“Kamala Harris would enter the governor’s race with very high favorability among the state’s Democrats, positioning her well to make it through the top-two primary to the November 2026 election, while Bass’s lower favorability in heavily Democratic Los Angeles, would require that she make up some ground with voters to hold onto her office," said IGS co-director Eric Schickler.