California voters and political insiders greeted the possibility of Kamala Harris running for governor with a collective shrug, new polling shows, even as she contemplates her next move after losing the presidency.
At a Glance
- 36% of California “policy influencers” feel indifferent about Harris potentially running for governor
- Only 33% of registered Democratic voters feel “joyful” about Harris running, with 41% “mostly excited”
- Republican and independent voters largely responded with irritation or outrage to the prospect
- Harris lost all seven swing states in her 2024 presidential campaign and underperformed in California
- Harris has not announced her decision but plans to decide by late summer, while also considering a 2028 presidential bid
Californians Largely Unmoved by Harris’s Potential Return
The woman who couldn’t win the presidency apparently isn’t generating much enthusiasm for a consolation prize in California either. According to a new poll conducted by Politico and UC Berkeley’s Citrin Center, Kamala Harris’s potential gubernatorial bid has been met with remarkable indifference from the very people who supposedly know policy best. A whopping 36% of California’s “influencers” – those policy experts and insiders who shape the state’s direction – responded with a collective yawn at the prospect of Governor Harris. This lackluster response comes after Harris’s failed presidential campaign, where she lost every single swing state to Donald Trump and even underperformed in deep-blue California.
The poll, which surveyed 1,025 California registered voters and 718 influencers with a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points, reveals a stark reality: after losing the presidency, Harris can’t even count on unanimous enthusiasm from her home state. Democratic voters showed tepid support, with only 33% feeling “joyful” and 41% “mostly excited” about a Harris gubernatorial run. Meanwhile, registered Republican voters responded with predictable disdain, feeling either “irritated” or “outraged” at the prospect, proving that Harris continues to be a divisive figure even in the state where she launched her political career.
Demographics Tell a Troubling Tale
The demographic breakdown of the poll reveals even more trouble for Harris’s potential gubernatorial ambitions. While Black registered voters showed relatively strong support, with 35% feeling “joyful” and 38% “mostly excited,” other minority groups were far less enthusiastic. Latino voters, a crucial demographic in California politics, displayed what poll creator Jack Citrin called “a surprising lack of enthusiasm,” mirroring a nationwide trend that Harris experienced in the presidential race. Asian Americans also showed mixed reactions, with significant numbers feeling “irritated” or even “hopeless” about Harris potentially running.
“It’s almost a surprising lack of enthusiasm [from Latinos],” said Jack Citrin. “But we know from the general election that Latino voters shifted as compared to 2020 or 2016 towards [President Donald] Trump.”
Perhaps most telling is the reaction from independent voters, who could ultimately decide the outcome of a gubernatorial race. This crucial swing group registered their disapproval loudly, with 21% feeling “hopeless” and 26% “irritated” by the prospect of Harris running. These numbers should send a clear message to Harris and her political advisors: the independent voters who abandoned her in the presidential race aren’t any more enthusiastic about her governing California. The fact that Harris’s office declined to comment on these poll results speaks volumes about their awareness of these troubling trends.
A Political Career at a Crossroads
Harris now finds herself at a pivotal moment, weighing whether to pursue the governorship of California in 2026 or perhaps make another run at the presidency in 2028. The poll suggests that either path faces significant obstacles. Harris became the Democratic nominee in 2024 only after President Biden’s disastrous debate performance forced him to exit the race, leaving her to inherit a troubled campaign with little time to correct course. Since losing to Trump, Harris has maintained a relatively low profile, unlike her running mate Tim Walz, though she has occasionally emerged to criticize the new administration.
“Americans are standing up to the administration as they implement Project 2025 at full speed,” Harris claimed, continuing to push divisive rhetoric rather than reflecting on why voters rejected her vision for America.
If Harris does decide to run for governor, she’ll face competition from other potential candidates like Xavier Becerra and Katie Porter. According to sources close to Harris, she plans to make her decision by late summer, but the lukewarm reception indicated by this poll might give her pause. After all, if she can’t generate enthusiasm in deep-blue California after serving as Vice President, what does that say about her political future? For a woman once touted as the future of the Democratic Party, the road ahead suddenly looks much rockier than anyone might have predicted when she first stepped onto the national stage.
