What this means is less clear. For some donors and supporters, staying “in the running” could turn into a run for California governor in 2026 when term-limited Gavin Newsom retires and may pursue his own White House ambitions. The job of leading the world’s fifth-largest economy would also put Harris in direct conflict with Trump, who has regularly attacked the state for its left-leaning policies.
But governing a major nation is no small feat, and she would derail any presidential race as she would be sworn in around the time she would need to launch a national campaign.
Those who have spoken with Harris said she is still undecided about the governor’s race, which some allies have described as the potential “pinnacle” of her career.
She served three times as the Attorney General of California, and then as a US Senator. But winning the governorship would give her another historic honor — becoming the nation’s first black female governor.
Still, some allies admit it would be difficult to go from being in a 20-car motorcade to sitting across the table from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the governor’s mansion.
The private sector is another option.
“For women at other levels, when they lose an election, there are sometimes less options available than men who get a soft landing in a law firm or insurance business, and that gives them a chance to reflect. , make some money and then make decisions about what happens next,” said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem for Kamala Harris. I think doors will open for her if she wants to open them.”
But for Harris, who has been in elected office for two decades and was a prosecutor before that, an afterlife as governor may be the best option.
“If you’ve had one client — people — for your entire career,” said one former adviser, “what do you do from here?”
