Kamala Harris governor run threatened by donors' cold feet

Telegraph

6 hours ago

Donors do not want Kamala Harris to run for California governor over fears her presidential election loss makes her a liability to the Democrats.
The former presidential candidate is considering whether to launch a bid to replace Gavin Newsom as governor when his term ends next year, relying on the advice of her closest allies as she weighs up the decision.
But Golden State donors have warned her campaign would be a 'traumatising' reminder of last year's election.
One Democrat who donated six-figures to her campaign said: 'Kamala just reminds you we are in this complete sh--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,' Politico reported.
'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.'
Ms Harris, 60, has kept a low profile since leaving Washington, DC, in January and returning to California. She has a holiday planned for July and allies hope she will make a decision about whether to run by late summer.
She was criticised for rubbing shoulders with A-list stars at the Met Gala last month after her campaign spent $1billion in three months, including on a string of celebrity performances.
Ms Harris is said to be deciding whether to enter the gubernatorial race, run for president in 2028 or explore positions outside of elected office.
One California fundraiser told Politico that donors believe Ms Harris's campaign would 'bring up the whole pathetic last presidential [race], which no one wants to hear about again. And then it's the whole 'did you know Joe Biden?' thing.''
'She still would probably lead, but honestly, no one is incredibly pumped.'
'There was more enthusiasm at first,' Mather Martin, a San Francisco-based fundraiser who has worked on Ms Harris's campaigns before, said. 'I think it waned a bit.'
Ms Harris's allies are said to be assured Democrats would coalesce around her. They also note she has advantages over the other contenders including a being a recognised name and the ability to fundraise.
Christopher Galdieri, politics professor at Saint Anselm, said while some California Democrats might be unenthused by the possibility of Ms Harris running, he does not think that will stop them donating to her campaign.
'I don't know that those donors are saying that they wouldn't write checks if it came down to it... especially if you have a situation where a you know, heavyweight candidate enters the race is favoured to get nominated, favoured to win the election', he told The Telegraph.
He added: 'I think those donors would figure out how to get over it and write checks quickly just because, in a purely instrumental sense, do you want to be the big name democratic donor who didn't write a check for the incoming governor of the state?'
The GOP is said to be keen to face off against Ms Harris again, with more contenders poised to jump into the race were she to declare.
The Republican machine will have ample material to attack the former vice president with in light of the damning allegations in the book Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which claimed that Mr Biden's inner circle shielded the public from the extent of his decline while serving as president.
Mr Biden said the allegations were 'wrong' and 'there's nothing to sustain' them.
Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat who is running for governor, has accused Ms Harris of being complicit in masking the reality of Mr Biden's decline.