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Meanwhile, the general public seemed slightly more receptive, particularly among Democrats and minority voters. Among Democratic voters surveyed, 41% said they’d be “most excited” about a Harris candidacy. Another 33% admitted they’d feel “joyful.” Still, nearly a quarter of Democrats had no strong feeling either way—a surprising level of ambivalence for a former U.S. senator and vice president.
Even support among minority groups—a key demographic for Harris—wasn’t overwhelming. While 35% of minority voters said they’d be “joyful” and 38% were “mostly excited,” others were far less enthusiastic. A full 19% of Latino voters admitted to feeling “hopeless” about a Harris run, and 19% of Asian voters said they felt “irritated” by the idea.
Despite the dismal enthusiasm, Harris has remained largely silent about her next move. She’s been keeping a low profile ever since her crushing defeat to President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. While whispers of her running for California governor—or even launching another presidential campaign in 2028—have made the rounds, she has yet to officially declare her intentions.
According to longtime UC Berkeley political science professor Jack Citrin, the numbers aren’t all that shocking. “These people are not given to euphoria,” Citrin said. He added that Harris is still trying to rebound from what he called her “heartbreaking” 2024 loss.
Still, Harris has made it clear she’s not disappearing from politics anytime soon.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she declared during a rare public appearance at the Leading Women Defined summit for black women in California. In her eight-minute speech, Harris signaled that she intends to remain active and vocal despite her electoral loss. “I’m not here to say, ‘I told you so,’” she added with a smirk. “I swore I wasn’t going to say that.”
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The crowd cheered, but the cheers don’t seem to be echoing much beyond that room.
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While Harris continues to play coy, others aren’t waiting. Former Biden administration official and ex-Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has already thrown his hat into the ring for the 2026 race. His formal announcement came Wednesday, adding another heavyweight to what’s shaping up to be a crowded Democratic primary.
Polls suggest that if Harris jumps in, she’d be the instant frontrunner—at least on paper. A February Emerson College/Inside California Politics poll gave her a commanding lead with nearly 60% of likely primary voters favoring her. But the same polls also highlight the deep divide among voters, especially when it comes to their emotional response to her possible candidacy.
What’s more, Harris still hasn’t directly addressed the elephant in the room—whether she truly wants to return to California politics or whether she’s eyeing another shot at the presidency in 2028.
In her summit speech, she avoided mentioning President Trump by name but made clear references to the political climate. “There were many things that we knew would happen, many things,” Harris said. “There’s a lot of fear out there in these last few months in our country.”
But fear may not be enough to rally a state that’s already lukewarm on her comeback tour.
For now, Kamala Harris’s future remains a mystery—but the people of California aren’t exactly holding their breath.
