Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced on Wednesday that she will not be running for governor of California in 2026.
The announcement caused some to speculate that her reason is to keep open the possibility of running for president for a third time in 2028.
First, it should be noted that Harris would not face an easy road to becoming California’s 2026 gubernatorial Democratic nominee, with former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, ex-Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra already in the race.
That aside, her chances of becoming the 2028 Democratic presidential nominee seem even less certain.
On Friday, CNN data analyst Harry Enten discussed the Kalshi Prediction Market standings, showing Harris in a distant fourth place for the nomination.
“Hold your horses here. The chances that Kamala Harris is going to be the 2028 Democratic nominee — they don’t look too good right now, to be perfectly honest with you,” he said.
“Look, Gavin Newsom is the favorite at 20 percent, according to the betting markets. Do not sleep on [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez — AOC — right up there at 15 percent. [Pete] Buttigieg, nine. [Josh] Shapiro, six,” Enten added.
MUST-SEE: CNN’s Harry Enten says Kamala Harris’ chances for the 2028 presidential nomination are looking slim.
“Hold your horses! The chance that Kamala Harris is going to be the 2028 Democratic nominee, they don’t look too good right now, to be perfectly honest with you.” pic.twitter.com/DlOEaoCZxQ
— Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) August 1, 2025
Do you think Gavin Newsom can win a national election?
“Harris all the way down at six, basically in a tie for fourth place at this particular point,” he said.
Enten concluded, “So if you have any ideas that Kamala Harris is passing up a potential gubernatorial run for 2026 in California and perhaps would be trading up for a presidential bid, the betting markets at this point, simply put, do not buy it.”
CBS “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert asked Harris Thursday night about passing on the governor’s race “if she was saving herself for a different office,” meaning the White House.
“Recently, I made the decision that for now, I don’t want to go back in the system,” she responded.
Kamala Harris went on the canceled Late Show with canceled host Stephen Colbert to announce she’s not running for Governor or President because “the system is broken.”
Kamala, the system isn’t broken, it’s functioning perfectly.
It stopped you from running the country. pic.twitter.com/vWZ6T0avDx
— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) August 1, 2025
So that wasn’t a hard no.
It would seem her time has passed. Of course, the experts said that about then-former Vice President Richard Nixon when he lost to John F. Kennedy in 1960, but he went on to successfully run for president in 1968.
If Democrats have any brains at all, they will be looking for someone more centrist than Harris in 2028 — think Bill Clinton in 1992 — to try to right their ship.
Enten’s correct. For now, Harris is not looking like the Democrats’ choice.
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