As questions swirl over her political future, former Vice President Kamala Harris is offering at least a partial answer: a planned swing through four Southern state Democratic Party events this April.
Harris is scheduled to appear at fundraisers for the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia state parties the week of April 13, culminating with a keynote address at the Arkansas Democrats’ annual Fisher Shackelford Dinner in Little Rock on April 25. These stops follow her recent appearance at the National Women’s Law Center annual gala in Washington and precede another speaking engagement later this month. A person familiar with her plans told CNN that discussions for similar events this summer and fall are already underway.
Invitations for many of these events will start going out in the coming days, coinciding with heightened interest from other potential 2028 Democratic candidates eager to gauge her intentions. Though Harris has not confirmed a repeat run for the White House, the choice of Southern states mirrors what her 2020 campaign called the “SEC strategy,” targeting heavily Black primary electorates to offset anticipated weaker performances in other early voting states. That year, she ultimately dropped out over a month before the first contest.
The former vice president has been finishing a six-month national tour promoting her memoir of the campaign, engaging dozens of friendly audiences. Published last September, shortly after Harris opted against running for California governor, the book tour was intended to give her a break from government while boosting Democratic candidates in this year’s midterms.
In addition to appearances, Harris has remained politically active, recording ads for the Democratic National Committee and for a Virginia ballot proposition set for April 21. She endorsed Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the final days of the Texas Senate Democratic race and has stayed in touch with winners including James Talarico in Texas, Juliana Stratton in Illinois, and Scott Colom in Mississippi. Past endorsements include Helena Moreno and Zohran Mamdani in mayoral races and Dan Koh in his Massachusetts congressional primary bid.
