Kamala Harris Faces Democratic Skepticism Regarding 2028 Presidential Run

<p>As former Vice President Kamala Harris considers a potential run for the White House in 2028, a longtime advisor has responded to Democratic strategists and donors who argue that she has missed an opportunity to politically reinvent herself following her 2024 election defeat.</p><p>Veteran Democratic strategist Maria Cardona, an outside advisor to Harris, defended the former vice president's policy proposals and campaign activities amid ongoing discussions among Democrats about her suitability for another presidential bid. Cardona described the criticism as "infuriating in its silliness," in response to a report from Politico.</p><p>The report, which included interviews with nearly 20 California-based Democratic donors and strategists, indicated a growing skepticism among some party insiders regarding Harris' political future and her ability to differentiate herself from her unsuccessful 2024 campaign.</p><p>Doug Herman, a veteran strategist from former President Barack Obama’s campaigns, stated in the Politico report that Harris "totally blew it... She hasn’t gotten into the mix."</p><p>Former South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges, whose state is the first in the Democratic Party's 2028 presidential nominating calendar, expressed, "I don’t see anything different myself. It seems like more of the same to me."</p><p>Cardona, who has experience from the Bill Clinton administration and the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns, disagreed with the notion that Harris has not articulated new initiatives. She pointed to Harris' proposals, such as expanding the Supreme Court, lowering the voting age to 16, and granting statehood to Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, as significant policy ideas.</p><p>Harris has also suggested that Black voters should be "transactional voters," rather than automatically supporting Democratic candidates. Cardona remarked, "She’s damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t," asserting that Harris remains a highly qualified candidate for the presidency in 2028.</p><p>This year, Harris has been active across the country, initially promoting her best-selling campaign memoir "107 Days" and currently supporting fellow Democrats in the midterm elections.</p><p>While Harris has collaborated with Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and other congressional candidates in her home state, some Democratic nominees in Republican-leaning states have reportedly requested that she refrain from campaigning with them.</p><p>Cardona stated, "Harris has been out there nonstop talking to young voters, women voters, Black voters, Latino voters, and she has been asked by many candidates to come and campaign with them. She has focused her energies on winning the midterm elections. Can you imagine the backlash if she was out there focusing on herself and how she can remake the Democratic Party?"</p><p>Harris succeeded Biden as the Democrats' 2024 presidential nominee after he withdrew from the race following a poor debate performance against President Donald Trump. Her abbreviated three-month campaign concluded in defeat, with Trump winning key battleground states.</p><p>If Harris decides to run for president again, she will benefit from name recognition and support within her party. However, she will also contend with a Democratic base eager to move beyond the challenges of the 2024 election and face a potentially crowded and competitive primary field in 2028.</p><p>A Democratic consultant, speaking anonymously, indicated that "voters feel like they haven't heard much from Harris, which means bad memories from her 2024 election loss remain fresh in their minds."</p><p>Longtime Democratic strategist Michael Ceraso countered that consultants "are not voters," expressing skepticism about their insights into the electorate. He noted that it took Biden three attempts to win the presidency and suggested that Harris could follow a similar path.</p><p>Ceraso remarked, "The third time was the charm and everybody said to Biden when he ran the third time, ‘why are you running.’ Well guess what, he ended up becoming the nominee and the president. Why can’t Harris look at that template and say ‘that can apply to me too?’"</p>