Why Kamala Harris could run for California governor and bypass another White House bid

By MICHAEL R BLOOD Associated Press LOS ANGELES Multiple of Kamala Harris supporters and detractors alike think she d have better odds running for California governor rather than president a third time There are several reasons for Harris to make a bid to replace term-limited Gov Gavin Newsom She would straightaway become the early front-runner instead of entering a presidential primary with a dozen or more serious contenders No other candidate in California could match her r sum of having served as San Francisco district attorney state attorney general U S senator and vice president Related Articles Barabak The real question isn t whether Harris will run for governor It s why Walters Democrats seeking governorship strut their stuff for state s unions Kamala Harris returns to spotlight in major speech slamming Trump After months of lying low Kamala Harris to slam Trump in major new speech Trump dismisses Biden nominees to US Holocaust Memorial Council including Doug Emhoff Beyond being expected to make a decision by the end of summer Harris mentioned little about her future She reported a crowd in Orange County in April I ll see you out there I m not going anywhere Newsom has predicted that Harris would top the field in a contested primary but added if she runs To run for governor you have to have a burning Why Newsom mentioned on the Next Up with Mark Halperin podcast And if you can t enunciate that the answer is No Newsom added Why the hell would you want this job Here are certain reasons why she might want it and why she might not Her office did not respond to requests for comment for this story Pro She can skip a fractious primary Harris would have to convince national Democrats that she s the face of the party s future despite losing to President Donald Trump last fall She s also tied to former President Joe Biden whom Democrats are increasingly criticizing as new books drive further discussion about his age and physical and mental readiness during his time in office The presidential contest is expected to attract a large field likely to include Newsom Any candidate will have to unify a fractious Democratic Party with low approval ratings and struggling to slow Trump s agenda in Washington Democratic consultant Bill Burton who was national press secretary for former President Barack Obama s campaign mentioned Harris would enter a presidential primary with a proven fundraising setup strong recognition with voters and the experience of operating in a Trump-fueled media milieu But the looming question for Democrats is likely to be Who is the best person to stand up to the MAGA movement and exhibit a strength that is going to need to be really formidable Burton announced Could Harris make that situation Selected think her time has passed She s had her chance Adam Green co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee explained in a announcement Voters want authentic outsiders who will shake up our broken political system and challenge an economic status quo rigged for billionaires against working people Green added That s why Kamala Harris lost and it s why Democrats must turn elsewhere for leadership Pro California governor might be a safer bet Harris calls herself a proud daughter of California and after serving as vice president and in the Senate she doesn t need to chase another title That disclosed California is one of the world s largest economies by itself and its governor becomes by default a national figure She would most of likely run as a proven hand with the experience to lead California s tussles with Trump the state is known as the epicenter of the so-called Trump resistance while dealing with its multiple problems among them homelessness and a punishing cost of living In her San Francisco speech last month she noted the nation was witnessing a wholesale abandonment of American ideals under Trump The contest to replace Newsom in California is crowded with leading candidates including former U S Rep Katie Porter former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Biden administration soundness secretary Xavier Becerra It s expected that at least selected of her rival Democrats would bow out rather than compete against her including Porter who in was appointed by then-attorney general Harris to be the state s independent bank monitor in a multibillion-dollar nationwide mortgage settlement Democratic consultant Roger Salazar who was a delegate in the party s presidential convention declared Harris would stand better odds in a race for governor in her home state With multiple voting wins in California there is just more certainty Salazar mentioned I think she s got a leg up right now but this race hasn t solidified with the primary more than a year away Con Will voters welcome her back How will voters view her As a favorite daughter of California returning home Or a two-time presidential also-ran looking for a soft landing Republican consultant Kevin Madden who was a senior adviser to Mitt Romney s presidential campaigns in and was dubious about her chances in either race It s uncommon for a candidate to capture the presidency after two losses Biden was one example As for governor the California electorate is about as ideal as it gets for Harris but nothing about her current electoral record indicates that primary or general ballot candidates should be scared off Madden added Con She won t necessarily run against a Republican in November Unlike a multitude of other states California doesn t automatically advance a Democrat and a Republican to the November voting process The state s open primary system has tormented multiple candidates critics call it the jungle primary All candidates appear on a single ballot regardless of party and the top two vote-getters advance to the general balloting The system can lead to strategic gambles Last year s U S Senate race included three prominent Democrats U S Reps Adam Schiff Porter and Barbara Lee Schiff ran TV ads in the primary that spotlighted Republican Steve Garvey presumably a weaker contender in the general ballot than either of his Democratic rivals Garvey ended up advancing to November where he was soundly defeated by Schiff who now holds the seat But Harris could come out of the June primary facing a Democrat who ends up criticizing her in much the same way she d have faced in a bid San Francisco-based Democratic consultant Eric Jaye recalled another Californian who after losing a presidential race sought to rebound in his home state Richard Nixon After being narrowly defeated in the electoral contest by then-Sen John F Kennedy Nixon lost the race for California governor Of subject Nixon ended up winning the White House six years later While Harris is a favorite with Democrats a slice of the electorate has deeply negative views of her Jaye noted That doesn t leave her with several voters to gain and the Democratic primary vote could be divided among multiple candidates I don t think it s in any way guaranteed that she would win Jaye mentioned She s a highly polarizing figure Con Does she want to go to Sacramento Harris would be coming home to a long list of problems The homeless problem is playing out daily on the streets of Los Angeles and other big cities Newsom this month announced the state is facing a billion deficit and he wants to freeze enrollment in a state-funded fitness care scheme for immigrants living in California without legal status There is a home insurance dilemma and a continuing threat from destructive wildfires And as the last polling made clear Republicans will attempt to saddle her fairly or not with her home state s reputation for confiscatory taxes gas prices and utility bills seven-figure home prices and liberal social policies