Despite her unsuccessful 2024 presidential bid, former Vice President Kamala Harris signaled Thursday that her political career may be far from over.
“We can’t go out there and do battle if we don’t take care of ourselves and each other. I’ll see you out there. I’m not going anywhere,” Harris told attendees at the Leading Women Defined Summit in Dana Point, Calif., marking one of her first major public appearances since her November loss to Donald Trump.
Though she did not announce any specific plans, Harris is reportedly considering a run for California governor in 2026, according to Politico. Sources say the former senator has set a self-imposed deadline of late summer to decide whether she will enter the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
If she does throw her hat in the ring, Harris would join an already crowded Democratic field. Potential contenders include former California Attorney General and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, former State Controller Betty Yee, former state Senate leader Toni Atkins, and current Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
In her remarks, Harris spoke broadly about the current political climate, warning of a “sense of fear” she believes is gripping the nation.
“These are the things that we are witnessing each day in these last few months in our country, and it understandably creates a great sense of fear,” she said. “We’re seeing people stay quiet. We are seeing organizations stay quiet. We are seeing those who are capitulating to clearly unconstitutional threats.”
With a laugh, Harris added, “I’m not here to say I told you so. I swear, I wasn’t going to say that.”
Harris’s appearance comes amid revelations from a new book suggesting she was caught off guard by her loss last fall. According to journalist Amie Parnes, speaking on the podcast Somebody’s Gotta Win with Tara Palmeri, Harris “bought the hype” that her ticket with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz would prevail in November.
“She was completely shocked, and Tim Walz was shocked,” Parnes said.
While Harris has remained largely out of the public spotlight since the election, her remarks Thursday suggest she’s not ready to exit the political stage just yet.
