Overview

• Harris has held discreet outreach sessions with major contributors but faces diminishing enthusiasm for a return to elected office in her home state.
• Key donors warn that a Harris candidacy would revive the “traumatizing” memories of the 2024 presidential contest and underscore concerns about her involvement in Biden’s health discussions.
• Bay Area donor adviser Scott Drexel says there is no “overwhelming clamor” for her campaign as she approaches a self-imposed late-summer deadline to decide.
• With Xavier Becerra, Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis already in the race, rivals stand ready to benefit from lingering doubts over Harris’s entry.
• If she forgoes the governor’s race, Harris is reportedly considering a 2028 presidential bid or the launch of a philanthropic initiative.