Kamala Just Blindsided By Devastating News Months After Election Loss
When she returned to California, the reaction from several of her neighbors about the idea of her becoming the next governor was essentially a collective shrug. It was the only reaction they could muster when asked about her potential candidacy for the state’s highest office.
As the 2026 race for California governor heats up, early polling shows that Harris is largely benefiting from name recognition rather than genuine support. Many believe she’s weighing a presidential run down the line, possibly eyeing 2028 as her launch year.
Ask a handful of registered voters in California, and you'll encounter a wide mix of reactions—ranging from “joyful” to “outraged” to “hopeless.” That’s according to recent polling by Politico in collaboration with the UC Berkeley Citrin Center, which sought to capture public opinion ahead of the state’s first open governor’s race in eight years.
When respondents were prompted to describe their feelings about a potential Governor Harris, they were given several descriptors to choose from—“joyful,” “mostly excited,” “indifferent,” “irritated,” “outraged,” “hopeless,” among others. They were also allowed to select more than one option to better reflect their sentiments.
The survey was distributed across two key demographics: general registered voters and a group referred to as “policy influencers,” which included lawmakers, staffers, and paid subscribers to Politico’s publications.
Among those influencers—who largely operate in California’s deeply Democratic political environment—36% labeled themselves as “indifferent” to the idea of a Harris gubernatorial run. Her lack of popularity doesn’t come as a surprise to some who’ve observed her career in the state.
“She’s never been that popular in the California political high school,” remarked Mike Murphy, a veteran anti-Trump strategist based in Los Angeles.
In that same group, 22% said they would be either “excited” or “irritated” by a Harris campaign, with 20% selecting one of those emotions specifically.
Among the broader pool of registered voters, emotions ran stronger. Harris still enjoys significant support from Democrats, with roughly three-quarters expressing they feel either “joyful” or “excited” about a potential 2026 campaign.
But digging deeper into the independent voter segment reveals vulnerabilities. Among that group, 26% said they would be “irritated” if Harris were to run, while 21% described feeling “hopeless.”
Independents make up about 20% of California’s registered voters, while Republicans account for around 25%. Taken together, both groups appear significantly displeased with the idea of Harris as their next governor—something that could weigh heavily in her decision-making process, particularly since Democrats comprise less than half of the state's total electorate.
According to insiders, Harris has told allies she’ll make her final decision by the end of summer regarding whether she’ll join the race to replace Governor Gavin Newsom. Should she opt out, other figures—like Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, a close friend of Harris—have begun floating different plans to her base in anticipation.
Murphy, who previously worked with real estate billionaire Rick Caruso as he considered a gubernatorial bid, noted that Harris’s lackluster polling numbers might open the door for challengers.
“If I were a rival Democrat, I look at those numbers, and I would say she’ll start in front, but she’s vulnerable to a campaign,” he said. “So there’s plenty of time to move.”