All Democratic eyes are on former Vice President Kamala Harris.
That’s because they are waiting to see what her next move is and if she will run for governor of California.
Antonio Villaraigosa, the former Los Angeles mayor, said it was time for Harris to make up her mind.
“The time is now,” Villaraigosa said. He added the governor’s race would not be a “coronation,” per a report in Politico, titled, “Dem rivals to Kamala Harris: Hurry up and decide.”
“The challenges are too big. We deserve a real conversation. We had a 100-day campaign. So no, you can’t get in at the end of the rainbow. Get in now,” he said.
Former state controller Betty Yee is another person urging Harris to decide.
“Our state cannot wait for the robust conversations we must have regarding our most pressing issues,” Yee said. “The voters deserve candidates who are committed to tackling the problems they face now. They are not interested in parlor games and musical chairs to define this critical moment in our state’s history.”
Former Orange County representative Katie Porter recently threw her hat in the ring and was asked what she’ll do if Harris jumps in.
“This is a moment that calls for leadership, and I am not waiting,” Porter said on CNN.
Harris, should she decide to run for governor, has two strong advantages — name recognition and fundraising, Politico reported.
The race remains status quo, which does not bode well for the other candidates.
“Everything is effectively frozen. Donors aren’t going to write [maximum] checks when there’s the prospect for musical chairs after the fact,” said a Democratic consultant who was granted anonymity. “It hurts every candidate in the race to have that looming over us. She has the luxury of waiting as long as she wants, but I don’t think that’s good for the race, good for the party, or good for the voters.”
Yee agreed.
“With the field not defined yet, I think people are kind of struggling trying to figure out, ‘Who do we talk to? Who’s our leadership going to be?’” Yee said in an interview.
Some see Harris’ balking as a sign she is preparing to enter the 2028 presidential race.
“The next governor must absolutely want to serve as Governor for California and not see the job as a stop along the way,” Toni Atkins, the former state legislative leader, said in a statement. “I launched my campaign for governor over a year ago because there is an urgent responsibility to meet with voters up and down the state and hear how they are impacted by the greatest challenges of our time.”
Stephen Cloobeck, the hospitality magnate in the race, said Harris “will do whatever she wants to do when she wants to do it.”
“They want her to declare because they’re looking for the next paycheck,” he said.
