Many Democratic donors are largely unenthused about a potential Kamala Harris gubernatorial run, Politico reported on Friday.
Harris has recently begun reaching out to longtime donors as she considers whether to run for California’s governor’s mansion in 2026, according to Politico. Still, many Democratic donors seem reluctant about supporting a potential Harris candidacy, largely due to lingering concerns over President Donald Trump decisively defeating her in the 2024 presidential election, Politico reported.
Mather Martin, a San Francisco-based fundraiser who has worked for past Harris campaigns, told Politico that he believes enthusiasm for supporting a potential Harris candidacy has “waned.” (RELATED: REPORT: Kamala Harris Quietly Phones In To Newsom’s Voicemail Box Amid LA Riots)
“There was more enthusiasm at first,” Martin told Politico. “I think it waned a bit.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 06: Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the State of the People POWER Tour opening ceremony on June 6, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. The ten city State of the People POWER Tour is a national campaign aimed at ‘uniting Black communities through healing, direct relief, and power building.’ (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
One anonymous California Democrat who contributed a six-figure amount to Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign told Politico that he or she believes a Harris candidacy would remind Democrats how “traumatizing” the November presidential election was for their party.
“Kamala just reminds you we are in this complete shit storm. With Biden, we got bamboozled … I think she did the best she could in that situation, but obviously she knew about the cognitive decline too,” the donor told the outlet. “I’ve written so many checks because I knew the Trump administration would be horrible, but we’re living in a nightmare because of the Democrats. I’m furious at them, truly.”
Harris is reportedly considering whether to step into the race to succeed term-limited Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026 or seek the White House in 2028. Though, several anonymous sources told The Hill that Harris is currently leaning towards jumping in the California gubernatorial race, the outlet reported on Sunday.
One anonymous Southern California fundraiser told Politico that “no one is incredibly pumped” at the prospect of a Harris candidacy.
“[Donors] realize it’s just going to bring up the whole pathetic last presidential [election], which no one wants to hear about again,” the anonymous source told the outlet. “And then it’s the whole ‘Did you know Joe Biden?’ thing. She still would probably lead, but honestly, no one is incredibly pumped.”
The former vice president has set a self-imposed deadline to decide whether to run for governor of California by the end of this summer, Politico reported on March 7.
“It’s very fair to say there’s not an overwhelming clamor” for Harris to announce her candidacy for California governor, Scott Drexel, a Bay Area-based donor adviser, told Politico. Drexel also told Politico that he believes Harris is “going to have to work for the nomination.”
Currently declared Democratic candidates for California’s governorship include former Biden-era Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Democratic California Rep. Katie Porter and Democratic California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. Porter and Kounalakis both said they would drop out of the race if Harris decides to run.
Trump swept all seven battleground states in the 2024 presidential election and won 49.8% of the popular vote to Harris’ 48.3%. (RELATED: Kamala Harris Lost Because People Voted, Not Because They Didn’t, Research Shows)
Harris’ decision on whether to mount a political comeback by seeking a new office comes shortly after another prominent Democrat’s comeback attempt stunningly failed. Disgraced former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday conceded defeat in Democratic primary for New York City mayor to socialist Democratic New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani — in what has been called a major upset.
“She is talking to people around the state about whether she is going to run,” longtime Democratic donor Joe Cotchett told Politico. “If she does, she’s going to have very difficult problems.”
Harris’ office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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