The former vice president and presidential candidate decided not to run for the governorship of California, amid doubts about her ability to manage such a complex state
After losing the presidential elections to Donald Trump in 2024 and after strong rumors about her candidacy for the governorship of California, former Vice President Kamala Harris announced this Wednesday that she will not run for any public office this year.
This way, the far-left politician leaves the door open to the possibility of seeking a new presidential candidacy in 2028, according to POLITICO.
Harris es considerada la apadrinada política de Obama.
Harris's statement
"In recent months, I have seriously reflected on asking the people of California for the privilege of serving as their governor. I love this state, its people, and its promise. It is my home. But, after deep reflection, I have decided that I will not run for governor in this election", part of the statement says.
"For now, my leadership—and my public service—will not be from an elected office. I look forward to getting back out there, listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the country who fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the coming months about my own plans," Harris added.
The announcement by the former vice president shakes up Democratic politics and marks the beginning of a fierce internal battle to succeed current governor Gavin Newsom, who after two terms and more than two decades in California politics will leave office to focus on a potential run for the White House.
Trump celebra su victoria presidencial.
There were doubts about Harris's ability to govern California
Some figures had suggested Harris's name as governor of one of the flagship states of the Democratic Party because she supposedly had near-universal recognition, high approval ratings among voters, and a national fundraising network.
However, it appears that these aspirations do not match reality, and that Harris doesn't have as much support within the party as she thought, which explains why she has declined to lead such an important state as California.
Some donors were not enthusiastic about her possible candidacy due to her poor presidential campaign last year, and there were also constant doubts about her ability to govern such a large and complex state in which she has not lived full-time for almost a decade.
Even Harris's mentor, Willie Brown, a California political icon and her former partner during her early years as a prosecutor, cast doubt on her ambitions for the governorship in a recent podcast, arguing that she was not made to be a politician.
Harris y Newsom.
What the list of candidates looks like
Meanwhile, Kamala is keeping a low profile after losing the presidency, limiting herself to a few political appearances where she consults with her advisers about running for the White House again in 2028, while various Democratic candidates are playing their cards to secure the party's nomination.
Among these candidates, former congresswoman Katie Porter, former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Biden administration Health Secretary Xavier Becerra stand out, who insisted that they would compete regardless of Harris's plans.
