Political analyst Mark Halperin appeared on Newsmax Tuesday to lay out the reasons why former Vice President Kamala Harris is unlikely to run for California governor.
A Politico/UC Berkeley poll released Tuesday said that 36% of California policy influencers feel “indifferent” about Kamala Harris potentially running for governor, signaling widespread apathy toward her prospective bid. During an appearance on “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Halperin said Harris likely doesn’t want the job.
“I still don’t think she’ll run because I don’t think she wants to be governor, and I think she knows she could lose,” Halperin told Schmitt. “So I’m not betting on her running. It’s hard for her to think about not being in an elective office, but this is not a layup.”
Halperin pointed to Harris’ underwhelming performance during the 2020 Democratic primary as evidence.
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“It’s not just a layup because she lost the presidential. It’s because she never had that strong relationship with the people of this state. Go back to 2020 when she ran for the nomination,” Halperin said. “And she was nowhere in the California primary in the polls.”
The UC Berkeley/Politico poll said that among registered California voters, “indifferent” was the most common reaction to Harris’ possible run. Those results, Halperin said, reflect a broader fatigue with Democrats tied to the party’s recent political losses and declining popularity in the state.
“She barely won her first statewide office. She wasn’t seriously challenged the second time. She can run, and I’m not saying she would definitely lose, but indifferent, she’d be lucky if indifferent stays as number one,” Halperin said.
Harris lost all seven swing states in her failed 2024 presidential bid. She underperformed in California compared to past Democratic margins. She won her home state by just over 20 points, far below the 29-point lead Biden secured in 2020 with Harris as his running mate.
Harris, who previously served as California’s attorney general and, later, U.S. senator, has yet to announce if she will run for governor in 2026. Reports suggest she plans to make a final decision by late summer, even as speculation grows about a potential 2028 presidential bid.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom is barred from seeking reelection in 2026 due to term limits. He is widely viewed as a likely contender in the 2028 presidential race.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Newsmax)
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