Kamala Harris made the smart decision to take a pass on what would have been a tough race for governor of California in 2026. But she should be skeptical about a third presidential campaign in 2028 as well.
Kamala Harris has now ended the suspense by announcing she will not, after all, run for governor of California in 2026. No one should have been surprised to learn, after she ended a long rise through the ranks of California elected positions with a tough stint as vice-president and then as a substitute presidential nominee, Harris didn’t particularly want to take on the punishing job of governing America’s largest state, which faces major fiscal problems as well as guerrilla warfare with the federal government. This will liberate the many potential Democratic candidates for that office in light of the term limits facing Gavin Newsom next year. And perhaps the decision reflects her own recognition that she isn’t necessarily a slam-dunk certainty as a candidate, as shown by the fact that her most formidable rivals (i.
