Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not throw her hat in the ring to become California’s next governor after her failed presidential bid last year.
“I love this state, its people, and its promise. It is my home,” Harris said in a statement Wednesday. “But after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for Governor in this election.”
Californians are expected to choose a replacement for term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in 2026.
Since President Donald Trump retook the White House, Harris had been rumored to be a serious contender for her state’s governor’s mansion. She had reportedly given herself a deadline to make a decision by the end of summer.
In her statement, the former vice president said she has spent the last six months “reflecting on this moment in our nation’s history, and the best way for me to continue fighting for the American people and advancing the values and ideals I hold dear.”
“I am a devout public servant, and from the earliest days of my career, I have believed that the best way I could make a difference in people’s lives and fight for a better future was to improve the system from within,” Harris said, adding that it had been an honor to fill the roles that defined her career.
“For now,” she said, “my leadership — and public service — will not be in elected office. I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans.”
“Grateful for her service and friendship,” Newsom said of Harris in a statement. “Whether it be as a prosecutor, Attorney General, Senator, or Vice President she has always kept a simple pledge at the heart of every decision she’s made: For the People.”
Harris became a California state prosecutor in 2004 and later, in 2011, the state’s attorney general. She won a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2016 as a replacement for Sen. Barbara Boxer (D). In August 2020, former President Joe Biden picked her as his running mate after she dropped her own bid for the presidency.
Since leaving the Naval Observatory — the vice president’s home in Washington — Harris has maintained a relatively low public profile. She gave a speech at a women’s empowerment summit in April, using part of her time to lodge a wry rebuke against Trump’s second term.
“There were many things we knew were gonna happen,” she told the crowd, a nod to the frequent Project 2025 references she made in her stump speeches.
“I’m not gonna say ‘I told you so,’” she added, to cheers.
With Harris out, there is no clear front-runner in California governor’s race.
The Democratic side includes former Rep. Katie Porter, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and current Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis.
The Republican side includes former Fox News host Steve Hilton and antisemitic jokester Kyle Langford.
Villaraigosa commended Harris for her decision and commitment to public service, saying in a statement that Harris “will continue to be a powerful voice for justice, equality, and opportunity.”