Kamala Harris Keeps Democrats Guessing About 2028

Kamala Harris is studying artificial intelligence and strategizing with civil rights leaders on voting rights. She’s recasting her political operation. And she’s been exploring philanthropic work to cement her legacy — if she doesn’t run for president.

For the second consecutive summer, political insiders are parsing her every move for clues about the former vice president’s electoral intentions — and reaching vastly different conclusions. Her increased visibility in early primary states and reported meetings with pro-Palestinian activists suggest that she’s in. Her $8.15 million beach house in Malibu, not so much.

“She hasn’t decided, and she hasn’t ruled it out. No credible strategist would recommend ruling it out this early,” said a person familiar with Harris’ thinking who was granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations. “But she also understands that the window to make the case that her vision and leadership in elected office is what this moment requires isn’t open indefinitely.”

By taking the “all options on the table” approach, Harris has preserved maximum flexibility at the expense of sending a clear message to would-be backers.

"If you look at her actual behavior — if you weren't going to run, you would just go make a boatload of money doing a bunch of different things, all of which would be a downside for you if you change your mind and decide to run. She's smart enough and has done this long enough to know not to do those things,” said Wade Randlett, a tech executive and prominent Democratic bundler based in the Bay Area.

“I think the default regular donor, regular bundler, thinks that she won't run. But I think they're wrong. I would put myself in the 10 percent category of people who think she's going to run,” he added.

For now, the Harris operation is notably small. Some senior advisers — most recently her strategic communications consultant Kirsten Allen, who served as Harris’ communications director in the White House and a top strategist in her post-vice-presidential office — have left their day-to-day roles, though they remain in regular contact with the former VP.

Early primary polls consistently show Harris leading the pack of potential Democrats, keeping her at the forefront of 2028 speculation. Any rumor of Harris pursuing another bid, such as a recent X post by former 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang, sets off a fresh round of “she’s running” social media discourse.

But among one key group — major donors — the chatter about Harris is notably more muted. Fundraisers and donor advisers say they’ve heard little from the former vice president, a marked contrast from other 2028 hopefuls such as Josh Shapiro, Andy Beshear and Pete Buttigieg who have actively cultivated donors and clearly signaled their openness to a bid.

“I call it the ‘Kamala Mirage,’” said one Los Angeles-based consultant who is active in national Democratic politics. “Her name does not come up. She’s not part of people’s calculus for 2028, whether she runs or not.”

Harris’ most immediate focus, according to another person familiar with her activities, is the midterms. She has been fundraising for candidates, including sending an email solicitation for Troy Jackson, the Democrats’ newly minted Senate candidate in Maine, and recording a video for Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff. She has headlined state party fundraisers, including in battleground states like Nevada and Michigan, and plans to campaign with candidates in the coming months.

She has also homed in on voting rights and the redistricting fallout from the Supreme Court’s Callais decision. Harris, who has accused conservative justices of “backdooring racism through the subject of politics,” addressed the issue at the National Urban League Conference in Nashville on Friday and will continue doing so as the headliner at Louisiana Democrats’ fundraising gala in New Orleans the following week.

In recent months, Harris has spoken with Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate, and prominent civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill about policy proposals to counteract the ruling’s effects.

She has also sought out artificial intelligence experts, including industry figures, said the person familiar with her schedule, who declined to provide specific names. Those conversations have been less focused on policy than the calls on voting rights and more aimed at keeping her current on how the latest technological changes could affect the workforce.

Last year, Harris formed KDH for the People Inc., a nonprofit that can collect unlimited, undisclosed donations to support her political activities. But a lesser-known arm, designated as a nonpolitical 501(c)3, could offer hints at Harris’ path if she does not run in 2028. Still in its early stages, the group could be the eventual home for a women’s empowerment initiative, according to people familiar with the operation. Some supporters have encouraged Harris to consider women’s leadership development as a way to make a longstanding imprint outside the Oval Office.

With near-universal name recognition and an impressive digital fundraising list, Harris can afford to wait longer than her potential competitors. Unlike her deliberations over running for California governor last year, she has not set herself a deadline to make a decision. One ally sees Harris’ timeline as more akin to when Joe Biden jumped into the 2020 race, in April of 2019, as opposed to when Harris did, about four months earlier.

But the baggage of her 2024 loss cuts against the advantages of her prior candidacies. Few Democrats are interested in relitigating the last campaign, and major donors are still stung at the staggering sum spent to boost her candidacy to no avail.

“There was no Dukakis 2.0. There was no Al Gore 2.0. There was no John Kerry 2.0. The default for the last 30 years has been if you lose, we hate you, and you're never coming back,” Randlett said. “I do think Kamala is going to test that.”