Overview

• Harris has set a late-summer deadline to decide on a 2026 gubernatorial run but has not yet confirmed her intentions
• Several California House Democrats warn that her candidacy could energize Republican voters and threaten crucial down-ballot races
• Major Democratic donors and party leaders are urging Harris to address her 2024 presidential defeat before launching another statewide campaign
• Representative Ro Khanna argues that Harris’s experience as district attorney, attorney general, senator and vice president would help tackle California’s housing affordability and public safety challenges
• Political analyst Mark Halperin predicts that Harris may ultimately opt out of the governor’s race and either retire from politics or refocus on a 2028 presidential bid