Kamala Harris sets deadline for decision on California governor run

Mar 7

Kalé Carey Anchor

By Kalé Carey (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer), Harry Fogle (Video Editor)

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has set an end-of-summer deadline to decide whether she’ll run for California governor in 2026. Gov. Gavin Newsom will leave office in early 2027 after a term limit.
Harris would be the first Black woman to be governor in America.
Harris is also reportedly still considering another historic run for president in 2028.

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Could Kamala Harris be the next governor of California? The former vice president is weighing the idea of a gubernatorial run and has reportedly given herself a deadline to decide. Multiple outlets are reporting that Harris said she’ll decide by the end of the summer.

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California’s current governor, Gavin Newsom, is term-limited. He will leave office in early 2027, with the state’s primary race scheduled for June 2026.

The top two candidates with the most votes will move on to the general election.

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Where does Harris stand now for a possible gubernatorial run?

According to a recent Emerson College poll, Harris would be the Democratic favorite for governor of California. Fifty-seven percent of registered Democratic voters in the state said they would support Harris if she entered the race.

The next highest potential candidate from the poll is former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter. Nine percent said they would support Porter’s bid for governor.

Other Democrats who have already announced their candidacies include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former California state senate leader Toni Atkins, California schools superintendent Tony Thurmond and the state’s former comptroller Betty Yee.

Harris won statewide elections in California three times before becoming state attorney general in 2010. She was reelected in 2014 and elected as a U.S. senator in 2016.

Harris’ aides told Politico that she’s been intrigued by the idea of being the chief executive of California, the fifth-largest economy in the world and the first Black woman to be governor in America.

Could Harris run for president again?

Harris is also still considering another run for president in 2028. She’s maintaining significant leads in early polls of the field of Democratic candidates, including Pete Buttigieg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Newsom is also a possible 2028 Democratic presidential contender. He recently voiced his new position on trans athletes. He condemned their participation in women’s sports on Thursday, March 6, reopening a rift in the Democratic Party that could become one of the earliest flashpoints of the 2028 primary election, while some suggest his remarks on transgender athletes may resonate with voters.

Tags: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, California, Democratic Party, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Katie Porter, Pete Buttigieg

[Kale]

COULD KAMALA HARRIS BE THE NEXT GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA?

THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT IS WEIGHING THE IDEA OF A GUBERNATORIAL RUN … AND HAS REPORTEDLY GIVEN HERSELF A DEADLINE TO DECIDE.

MULTIPLE OUTLETS ARE REPORTING THAT HARRIS SAYS SHE’LL MAKE THE DECISION BY THE END OF THE SUMMER.

CALIFORNIA’S CURRENT GOVERNOR, GAVIN NEWSOM, IS TERM LIMITED AND WILL LEAVE OFFICE IN EARLY 20-27 WITH THE STATE’S PRIMARY RACE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 20-26.

THE TOP TWO CANDIDATES WITH THE MOST VOTES WILL MOVE ONTO THE GENERAL ELECTION.

ACCORDING TO A RECENT EMERSON COLLEGE POLL, HARRIS WOULD BE THE DEMOCRATIC FAVORITE FOR GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA WITH 57 PERCENT OF REGISTERED DEMOCRATIC VOTERS IN THE STATE SAYING THEY WOULD SUPPORT HARRIS, IF SHE CHOSE TO ENTER THE RACE.

THE NEXT HIGHEST POTENTIAL CANDIDATE FROM THE POLL IS FORMER DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE KATIE PORTER, WITH 9 PERCENT SAYING THEY WOULD SUPPORT PORTER’S BID FOR GOVERNOR.

OTHER DEMOCRATS WHO HAVE ALREADY ANNOUNCED THEIR CANDIDACIES INCLUDE FORMER LOS ANGELES MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ELENI KOUNALAKIS, FORMER CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE LEADER TONI ATKINS, STATES SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT TONY THURMOND AND THE STATE’S FORMER COMPTROLLER BETTY YEE.

HARRIS HAS WON STATEWIDE ELECTIONS IN CALIFORNIA THREE TIMES BEFORE … BECOMING STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL IN 20-10, GETTING RE-ELECTED IN 20-14 AND IN 20-16 SHE WAS ELECTED AS A U-S SENATOR.

HARRIS’ AIDES TOLD POLITICO, SHE’S BEEN INTRIGUED BY THE IDEA OF BEING THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF CALIFORNIA, THE FIFTH-LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD AND THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO BE GOVERNOR IN AMERICA.

BUT, SHE’S ALSO STILL CONSIDERING ANOTHER RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 20-28 MAINTAINING SIGNIFICANT LEADS IN EARLY POLLS OF THE FIELD OF DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES INCLUDING PETE BUTTIGIEG AND ALEXANDRA OCASCIO CORTEZ.

NEWSOM, IS ALSO SAID TO BE A POSSIBLE 20-28 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER … RECENTLY VOICING HIS NEW POSITION ON TRANS ATHLETES … CONDEMNING THEIR PARTICIPATION IN WOMEN’S SPORTS – REOPENING A RIFT IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT COULD BECOME ONE OF THE EARLIEST FLASHPOINTS OF THE 20-28 PRIMARY ELECTION, WHILE SOME SUGGEST HIS REMARKS ON TRANSGENDER ATHLETES MAY RESONATE WITH VOTERS.

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT NEWSOM’S STANCE ON S-A-N DOT COM OR BY DOWNLOADING THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.

FOR SAN, I’M KALÉ CAREY.

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Bias Comparison

Media outlets on the left emphasize Kamala Harris’s previous victories and potential impact on the Democratic primary, highlighting her strong background and the possibility of deterring other candidates if she runs.

Media outlets on the right underscore Rob Bonta’s support for Harris and brings attention to the current Republican competition, suggesting a more contentious political landscape.

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