NBC’s Chuck Todd didn’t mince words this week when asked about former Kamala Harris potentially running for governor of California in 2026: don’t do it.
“Boy, I would be shocked if she does,” Todd said in an interview. “If she wants to run for president in ’28, you can’t run for governor of California in ’26.” Translation? If Kamala jumps into the governor’s race, it’s basically a white flag on any shot she has left at the White House.
That’s a pretty stark warning coming from Todd — a guy who, let’s be honest, has rarely strayed far from the establishment lane. But after Harris’s disastrous 2024 loss to President Trump, even liberal commentators are starting to question her political future. Her short-lived campaign — hastily assembled after Biden finally gave up the ghost — fizzled fast. She couldn’t energize the base, connect with independents, or escape the shadow of Biden’s legacy. That’s not exactly the résumé of a comeback kid.
Now she’s supposedly mulling a run for California governor in 2026. But as Todd pointed out, that may be the worst possible move if she’s serious about another national run.
“Governor is the one place where voters won’t always vote their jersey color,” Todd explained. In other words, even in deep-blue California, voters occasionally say, “Enough,” after nearly two decades of one-party rule. And Harris, who’s been the definition of an establishment figure — vice president, senator, San Francisco DA — isn’t exactly going to campaign as a political outsider.
Worse, as Todd put it, she’d have to run against Gavin Newsom’s legacy just to create space for herself — an awkward situation since they’re both California Democrats cut from the same cloth. “How does she sell change?” Todd asked. “I just don’t see the path for her.”
He’s not wrong. If Harris jumps into that race, she’s not just risking another electoral loss — she’s basically conceding she’ll never sit behind the Resolute Desk.
Todd’s advice? Take a step back, rebuild credibility, and maybe re-emerge post-Olympics in 2030 or 2032 with something to show beyond political ambition. That is, if voters even remember her by then.
For now, Kamala Harris stands at a political crossroads. And the message from even her former media cheerleaders is clear: the governor’s mansion might be the end of the road.
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