Kamala Harris for California governor? Have liberals learned nothing from November? | Opinion
Despite what everyone in liberal politics wants to believe, Kamala Harris is not a savior. Proof of that was the November election.
In August 2024, it appeared that Harris had a shot to be the next president of the United States. She raised a billion dollars and had the endorsements of Beyoncé, billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban and just about everyone else she wanted. Yet, she didn’t win one battleground state.
The hope of a decent, respectful and better America rode on Harris’ shoulders and she did everything she could to live up to those expectations. However, she could not speak ill of the current administration, as most candidates do, because she was a part of the administration. She tried to focus on her opponent, Donald Trump, but that could only take her so far.
Voters had made it clear during the Republican primary that they were not going to be deterred by Trump’s foolishness.
Even with the horrific loss that she took in November, Harris created an image of herself: Her message of joy did reach Americans, especially young women, which could prove handy in future elections. Because of that, rumors of her running for governor of California are spreading.
Harris for governor?
Recently, Richard Grenell, a Trump administration official, said he would run for governor in 2026 if Harris enters the race. Grenell is just trying to be relevant, but all this does is create a narrative that she wants to be governor.
Harris has tried, in many ways, to tell the American public that she may not be interested.
“I have been home for two weeks and three days,” Harris said during a tour of the wildfire devastation. “My plans are to be in touch with my community, to be in touch with the leaders and figure out what I can do to support them,” she told reporters Friday after touring areas impacted by the Palisades wildfire.
“I am here and would be here regardless of the office I hold, because it is the right thing to do, which is to show up in your community and thank the folks who are on the ground,” Harris added.
It’s unclear what Harris wants to do, but the speculation around her running seems like we’re trying to prove to ourselves that we weren’t wrong about her.
What else do you want from Harris?
With only months to introduce herself to voters, we got the imagery of Harris as the candidate — but we didn’t learn enough about the candidate. Harris was in a bubble when the American people needed to hear from her. All they got were Michelle and Barack Obama scolding Black men to show and vote.
The idea for Harris as governor isn’t terrible, but the sentiment behind it is flawed. Yes, California voters know her better than the rest of America does. Yes, California voters have elected Harris to statewide office three times. But we’ve already had enough stagecraft from the current governor. Much of California doesn’t work for everyday people. What could Harris offer to address California’s greatest needs besides her name recognition?
Harris, as she said, is just getting back to her home after an intense few months. She’s probably had a rough time coping with her November loss. It is premature to assume she’d want to run for governor.
It’s fair to want Harris to be successful, but she has to determine what that success will look like. She didn’t have that control in this past election and she needs to demonstrate it in the next one — if there is a next one.. She answered the call after Dems wanted Joe Biden out as president. Her campaign preached to the converted, but fell short with those needing to be convinced.
Beyond the image Harris created for herself, it’s still left to be determined if she could lead California. Our state is too complex and diverse, and its issues are too challenging to a testing ground for a political experiment.
If Harris wants to run, she should do it for the right reasons.
This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
