California Senator Kamala Harris announces she will not seek the governorship in 2026, instead hinting at future professional ventures.

Kamala Harris Decides Against California Governor Bid in 2026

Vice President Kamala Harris has announced she will not run for California governor in 2026, choosing instead to focus on supporting Democrats nationwide and preserving flexibility for a potential future national campaign.

Harris, who was elected district attorney of San Francisco in 2003 and later served as California's attorney general and U.S. senator, made the announcement on July 30, 2022. She emphasized that for now, her leadership and public service will not be in elected office.

Harris' decision leaves a crowded field of Democratic candidates vying to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. Notable contenders include Katie Porter, former U.S. Representative and current frontrunner according to recent polls; Toni Atkins, former California Senate president pro tempore and California House speaker; Betty Yee, former State Comptroller; Xavier Becerra, former Secretary of Health and Human Services and California Attorney General; Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor; and Tony Thurmond, California Secretary of Public Instruction.

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, another potential candidate, has withdrawn from the governor's race to run for state treasurer instead. If Harris had joined the race, she would likely have cleared the field, as left-leaning candidates might have faced pressure to step aside.

Harris' decision to forgo the California gubernatorial race allows other prominent Democrats to compete in what is expected to be a competitive primary. Katie Porter currently leads the field among Democrats according to polling data.

In a statement, Harris emphasized the need for Democrats to embrace "fresh thinking" and not be "bound by the same playbook" moving forward. She also kept some of her most senior White House aides with her when she formed her new Pioneer49 organization, hinting at a potential future national campaign.

Rumours of a potential Harris run for California governor in 2026 or a White House bid in 2028 had been circulating since her 2024 presidential defeat. California's open primary system, which allows the top two vote-getters during the primary contest to advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliations, would have made Harris the automatic front-runner had she sought to succeed Newsom.

California's term limits prohibit Newsom from serving more than eight years, meaning the next governor will be elected in 2026. Harris' life and career began in California, where she won a seat in the Senate in 2016, making her the second Black woman and first South Asian American U.S. senator. In the 2024 presidential election, she and Tim Walz won 48.3% of the popular vote and 226 electoral votes, but lost to Donald Trump and JD Vance. Harris won the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination after Biden withdrew his candidacy for reelection in the final weeks of the race.

California Senator Kamala Harris announces she will not seek the governorship in 2026, instead hinting at future professional ventures.