Kamala Harris Should Not Run For President In 2028

A Harris 2028 campaign would remind Democratic voters of her undue loyalty to Biden, whose brand is now badly tarnished in his own party at the grassroots.

By Norman Solomon

The news that former Vice President Kamala Harris has decided to forgo running for governor of California next year is a clear sign that she is serious about a campaign for president in 2028.

Harris would certainly go into the primary season with advantages. But she has proven to be notably tone-deaf in relation to the Democratic Party base, depressing rather than inspiring the kind of turnout needed for victory.

As a national candidate, Harris has failed upward. In 2019, with polls in key states showing her in low single digits, her presidential campaign collapsed before a single primary vote had been cast. She made it onto the ticket not because of any appreciable support from voters but because Joe Biden chose her with an eye toward political balance.

When Biden finally bowed out of the 2024 race last July, Harris was able to quickly consolidate support for replacing him in the top spot — not due to voter enthusiasm but because of swift backing from party power brokers and Biden himself.

During the summer and fall, Harris was unable to sustain momentum, despite raising and spending $1.5 billion in less than four months. Deferring to conventional wisdom when it was least needed, by the time of the party’s national convention in August she abandoned any hint of independence, sounding more like a timeworn politician than a fresh voice for change.