Despite getting trounced in the 2024 presidential election by Donald Trump, former Vice President Kamala Harris has made it clear she has no intention of moving away from public office quiety.
Now insiders say Harris could be the leading candidate to become the governor of her home state of California.
Kamala Harris is Democratic frontrunner for California governor in 2026: Poll https://t.co/MFskWpxFJY
— The Hill (@thehill) February 14, 2025
Here’s why political insiders say she could have the inside track to the job, and why a no-name GOP opponent could keep Harris out of the state house.
According to a survey from Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics/The Hill, Harris would be the Democratic front-runner for governor of California if she jumped into the 2026 race to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
According to the polling, Harris gained support for a hypothetical gubernatorial bid from nearly 6 in 10 Democratic primary voters in California — equating to about 57 percent over likely Democratic voters.
Since losing her 2024 White House bid, speculation has swirled over what’s next for Harris.
Some see an opening for her to succeed Newsom, who is expected to have national political ambitions of his own after he leaves office, including a run for president.
Harris has long ties to California, and her national profile and experience as a former state attorney general and U.S. senator could set her up for success with the Democratic Party there, according to experts.
However, Harris has brushed off talk of running for governor.
Last Friday she pushed aside questions about a potential gubernatorial bid in California, saying she’d barely been home and wanted to connect with her local community.
“I have been home for two weeks and three days. My plans are to be in touch with my community, to be in touch with the leaders and figure out what I can do to support them,” she told reporters after touring areas impacted by the recent Los Angeles-area Palisades wildfire.
“If Vice President Harris enters the Democratic Primary, she would start as the clear favorite,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. “Without Harris in the race, the primary is wide open.”
The polling was conducted Feb. 10-11 among 1,000 California registered voters, and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. Among the 469 Democratic primary voters, the margin of error was 4.5 percentage points.
In addition to Harris, former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), who left the House to mount an unsuccessful Senate bid last year, followed at 9 percent support.
Ex-Speaker of the California State Assembly Antonio Villaraigosa (D) and sitting Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalaki (D) brought in 4 percent each, and another 17 percent were undecided.
The last time a Republican was the governor of California was when Arnold Schwarzenegger was in office from 2003-2011.
But according to Fox News, tough-on-crime Republican sheriff in southern California is making waves in the state and could be a serious contender in the next election.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who was a supporter of President Trump in last year’s election will launch a campaign for Golden State governor.
Bianco is expected to announce his candidacy at a scheduled event Monday in Riverside, California, about 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Bianco, a vocal critic of Newsom and other state Democratic leaders when it comes to the issues of crime and punishment, was one of the leaders who helped push California’s Proposition 36 ballot measure to a landslide victory in last November’s elections.