What's Next For Kamala Harris? We Haven't Seen The Last Of Her, According To Advisers

Vice President Kamala Harris took a bit of a step back from the public eye following her loss to Donald Trump in the November 2024 presidential election. However, those who advised Harris on her campaign believe her time in the world of U.S. politics is far from over. "I don't think the world has seen the last of Vice President Kamala Harris," former Harris adviser Symone Sanders-Townsend told "Morning Joe" (via The Hill) in December 2024. "I don't know how she will show up again, but she is a young politician who garnered over 75 million votes in this election. And she will be back."

Though Harris encouraged her young supporters to "stay in the fight" (via ABC News), she didn't have much to say regarding her own future plans in the immediate aftermath of the election. But as Harris adviser Donna Brazile told BBC in January 2025, that's understandable, seeing as how she still had vice presidential duties to carry out between election day and inauguration day. "She has a decision to make and you can't make it when you're still on the treadmill. It may have slowed down — but she's on the treadmill until 20 January," Brazile said. "You can't put anyone in a box." She referenced Al Gore, who pivoted fully to climate change activism after his loss in the 2000 presidential election. Brazile added, "All options are on the table because there's an appetite for change and I do believe that she can represent that change in the future."

Though both current and former Kamala Harris advisers believe she still has a future in politics, there is some dissension among them regarding what exactly that future should entail — more specifically, whether she should make another bid for the White House in 2028, or perhaps instead run for governor of her native California in 2026. But while these advisers have differing opinions on which path Harris should take, they seem to agree it's an either-or situation.

In December 2024, one former Harris adviser told CNN a gubernatorial bid would represent a plateau for the vice president, adding, "If you're thinking of running for president in 2028, the worst thing you can do is run for governor in 2026." An additional source similarly noted, "Running for governor would be a step down, and it would interfere with her ability to run for president again." However, they added, "I don't know if she's going to run for president again, but a shot at running for president again is worth giving up running for governor."

According to CNN, some advisers believe Harris could win the presidency in 2028, given the short-notice campaign she managed to pull together in 2024 after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Others, however, expect a particularly stacked Democratic primary in 2028, and think running for governor of California would be more of a slam dunk for Harris, considering her previous victories in the state.