Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ future remains unclear months after her election loss to now-President Donald Trump.
As she grapples with navigating next steps, Harris has spoken with family and close friends, including the one other person who has been in her exact position: Hillary Clinton, New York Magazine reported. The two have reportedly spoken several times since Harris’ defeat.
Some have speculated that she will stage a gubernatorial run next year in California, as her close friend, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, is limited on terms and can’t run again. Others think she still has her eye on the Oval Office and will launch another bid for the presidency. Shortly after the election, Harris reportedly told advisors not to make any plans that would preclude her from seeking the presidency in 2028, according to New York Magazine.
The former vice president has not spoken directly about her future, but she has hinted that she’s not done with politics. Last week, just days before the end of her time as then-President Joe Biden’s VP, Harris addressed a room of staff as she participated in the decades-long tradition of signing her desk drawer. During her brief remarks, Harris said she would not ‘go quietly into the night,’ saying that ‘our work is not done.’
The comments she made to staff echoed a message from her concession speech in which she told supporters, ‘While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.’
After her 2020 bid for the presidency failed, Harris was given a clear path forward as Biden’s pick to be his running mate. While Biden seemed to imply that he would be a one-term president, he announced his re-election campaign in April 2023.
However, after a disastrous debate that highlighted ongoing issues, Biden made the historic decision to drop out of the race in July 2024. This was just one week after a gunman nearly killed Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania.
Shortly after dropping out of the race, Biden endorsed his VP, moving her to the top of the ticket. Some believed this move could have hurt her prospects, as voters saw her nomination as a coronation, in stark contrast to the ‘save democracy’ message channeled by the Democrats.
Harris and Clinton have more than election losses in common. Both were backed by a long list of Hollywood A-listers, whose endorsements ultimately did not help. Not even Taylor Swift could make the ‘Harris Era’ happen.
‘The outcome of this election is not what we hoped, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,’ Harris said in her concession speech. ‘But hear when I say … the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.’