California donors cool on Kamala Harris: ‘No one is incredibly pumped.'
LOS ANGELES — Kamala Harris is ramping up her outreach to longtime supporters as she weighs a run for California governor. But many Democratic donors aren't enthusiastic, still hobbled by the hangover of her presidential loss.
Some party funders have privately shared that ambivalence with each other as Harris has embarked on a quiet schedule of thank you visits, catch-up calls and listening sessions, touching base with her most trusted supporters as she weighs her options. The former vice president has tasked aides with exploring several paths, including not just a campaign for political office but also a philanthropic venture.
In interviews, several major donors in the state told POLITICO they fear her reemergence as a candidate would re-open still-fresh wounds from her defeat in 2024. Some harbor lingering frustration about how her billion-dollar campaign juggernaut ended in debt and want assurances she would have a clear plan to win the governor's mansion. Others are impatient for Harris to start publicly making her case for why she'd want the job.
'There was more enthusiasm at first,' said Mather Martin, a San Francisco-based fundraiser who has worked for past Harris campaigns. 'I think it waned a bit.'
One California Democrat who contributed six-figures to her presidential bid said a Harris candidacy would only serve as a reminder of how 'traumatizing' the last election was.
'Kamala just reminds you we are in this complete shit storm. With Biden, we got bamboozled … I think she did the best she could in that situation, but obviously she knew about the cognitive decline too,' the donor said. 'I've written so many checks because I knew the Trump administration would be horrible, but we're living in a nightmare because of the Democrats. I'm furious at them, truly.'
Close Harris allies acknowledge the sting of Harris' failed White House bid has not fully dissipated among the donor class. But they feel confident that even recalcitrant Democrats would rally behind Harris if she hopped into the governor's race, given the commanding advantages she'd have over the other contenders. They point to the sluggish state of the field, with declared candidates struggling to raise significant sums, as proof that funders are keeping their powder dry in case Harris runs.
As she contemplates, Harris is leaning heavily on the input of her most loyal pals — those who have backed her campaigns since she ran to be San Francisco's district attorney more than 20 years ago. She held multiple private meetings when she was in the Bay Area this month to headline a Democratic National Committee fundraiser. The intimate confabs in supporters' homes were billed as social gatherings, according to multiple people present, but carried an unmistakable subtext as Harris' self-imposed decision deadline creeps closer.
While still considering all her options, including running for president again, Harris' focus has been skewed toward a 2026 gubernatorial bid, since that is the most immediate decision to be made, according to a person close to her. The former vice president, who can be painstakingly deliberative, has been steadily collecting input and opinions from her allies to weigh the pros and cons of seeking her home state's top gig.
The outcome of those conversations could dramatically reshape California's stagnant governor's race. Harris, with near-universal name ID and a well-oiled fundraising machine, would enter the race as a formidable frontrunner, likely causing many — though perhaps not all — Democratic rivals to leave the field. In addition to her decades-old fundraising apparatus in the state, she has an enviable small-donor email list and a national network of Black women who will be eager to support her in another history-making bid.
Republicans, meanwhile, are eager for another shot to campaign against Harris, and her entrance in the field could prompt more GOP contenders to jump into the fray, even though the prospect of flipping solidly-blue California remains a long-shot.
Republicans' giddiness at a Harris candidacy stands in marked contrast to some Democrats' unease about Harris' last turn in the political spotlight. Some stalwart donors said they feel misled about the state of former President Joe Biden's physical and mental acuity. They wonder whether Harris helped bolster his compromised candidacy until it became glaringly obvious in his disastrous debate he was not up for another campaign.
Donors 'realize it's just going to bring up the whole pathetic last presidential, which no one wants to hear about again. And then it's the whole 'Did you know Joe Biden?' thing,' said one Southern California fundraiser who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations. 'She still would probably lead, but honestly, no one is incredibly pumped.'
Harris has yet to weigh in on the topic which has roiled her party, even as Antonio Villaraigosa, a fellow Democrat who is running for governor, has accused her of being complicit in a cover-up. Even some of her supporters are antsy for her to address the issue head-on, believing she'll have to swiftly dispense with that question before she can make a positive case for her candidacy.
Others in the finance world say that so long as Harris plays coy about her plans, she's giving little for would-be supporters to rally around.
'It's very fair to say there's not an overwhelming clamor' for her candidacy, said Scott Drexel, a Bay Area-based donor adviser who works with individuals, labor groups and businesses. 'It's very hard for there to be one if it's not 100 percent clear if she really wants to do it.'
Many Democratic givers don't blame Harris for the November outcome, Drexel said. But neither are they inclined to see Harris waltz into the race and expect the party to automatically fall behind her.
'She's going to have to work for the nomination,' he said, adding, 'Every day that passes, there's less of a sense of inevitability about her candidacy.'
Martin, her former fundraiser, said every time another Democrat enters the race, 'it becomes a story about 'Where is she?'' in her decision-making process. But, she noted, Harris' advantages 'overshadow the concerns about baggage. I'm not saying people don't have them, but if she were to get in, I think the strengths are going to overpower a lot of that.'
The former vice president has kept a purposefully low profile in the months since leaving Washington. Among other things, she is dealing with the anodyne realities of adjusting to life back in Los Angeles, joking with friends about sorting through storage units.
Harris is sticking with her late-summer deadline, though she has put a finer point on her season of decision-making. One key milestone is a planned July vacation — her first getaway since leaving office — where allies hope some time away to decompress and tune out will help clarify her thinking.
'I believe she is approaching this moment with thoughtfulness and a deep sense of responsibility,' said Debbie Mesloh, a political strategist and longtime Harris confidante, in a text message. 'I'm sure she is weighing where she can make the greatest impact, how best to serve, and what the moment demands. It's a process grounded in experience, values, and a clear understanding of the stakes.'
Meanwhile, California political insiders are endlessly parsing her selective public outings and comments for clues about her plans. She was warmly received at Easter services in Inglewood and a Compton High School graduation, where she made surprise appearances that were vivid demonstrations of the organic grassroots support she still inspires in the state. But her attendance at the glitzy Met Ball gala in New York, and her absence at the California Democratic Party convention, do not necessarily fit the mold of a candidate for governor.
The reality, according to people who know her well, is that Harris is keeping all of her options on the table. She has tasked aides with delving deeper into three possible routes: running for governor in 2026, running for president in 2028 or exploring a role outside of elected office where she can still have an impact on civic life.
Harris' most ardent supporters have told the former vice president that they'll enthusiastically back her, no matter what she decides to do. But there's no universal consensus that the governor's race is her best option.
'There are folks who are saying, 'You should absolutely do this, you'd be great at it,'' said Todd Hawkins, a Harris bundler dating back to her days as state attorney general. 'And there are others who are saying, 'You don't need to do this. You've done enough. Create a legacy outside of politics.''
Running for governor would mean plunging into one of the most fraught moments in California's recent history. The state is rebuilding from devastating wildfires, bracing for economic fallout from Trump's tariffs and reeling from an unprecedented White House assault that has included immigration raids and military deployments.
Those challenges are at top of mind for those who are handicapping the race.
'She is talking to people around the state about whether she is going to run,' said Joe Cotchett, a San Francisco trial lawyer and longtime Democratic donor. 'If she does, she's going to have very difficult problems.'
Those in Harris' inner circle say she is not dissuaded by the challenges awaiting the next governor; no one would expect running the fourth-largest economy in the world to be easy. Instead, Harris' inquiries have largely been focused on what kind of impact she could have in the role.
People familiar with Harris' outreach say the efforts are akin to a listening tour. She is keenly interested in how supporters are feeling and what their top concerns are for the state, where she hasn't lived full-time in nearly 10 years. The conversations, even in social settings, serve as a crucial pulse reading that could inform a gubernatorial campaign, all while reinforcing bonds with once and potentially future donors.
In more overtly political discussions, Harris has been pressed by some allies about campaign strategy, especially if the current field is shaken up by a new entrant, such as Rick Caruso, the centrist billionaire developer and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate.
'The donors that are here, that have been with her know that this is her home state. She can win… so they're trying to encourage her,' Hawkins said. 'But they also don't want her to find herself in a spot of vulnerability, particularly if someone like a Rick Caruso comes into the race.'
Even though her outreach, for now, is concentrated on her most long-standing allies, Harris is also relying on her inner circle to report back on how less gung-ho Democrats would respond to her potential bid.
'She is trusting those people to tell her the truth,' Hawkins said. 'What are the people on the sidelines saying?'
He added: 'I do believe she's really listening — more than she ever has.'
Dustin Gardiner contributed to this story.
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