An opinion poll organized by POLITICO and UC Berkeley’s Citrin Center has indicated ambivalence towards Kamala Harris potentially contending for California’s gubernatorial seat. Despite the fact that Harris, the former Vice President, doesn’t yet appear to have settled on whether to pursue the 2026 California governor’s race, an initial voter sentiment assessment through this survey speaks volumes about the lukewarm feelings towards her potential candidacy.
In this poll, participants were asked to express their thoughts on Harris by opting from various descriptors, such as ‘ecstatic’, ‘somewhat thrilled’, ‘indifferent’, ‘annoyed’, ‘incensed’, ‘despairing’, among others. Interestingly, respondents could choose more than one option. Seems like the deliverers of this poll were eager to paint a rosy picture, hoping to gather multiple positive responses towards Harris’ potential bid.
The survey tapped into two major voter categories, namely, registered California voters and so-called ‘policy influencers’. Look at the audacity, as if trying to install a setup where Harris could score brownie points. However, on the contrary, it revealed the glaring difference in perception towards a would-be Governor Harris.
Over-enthusiasm was seen amongst registered Democratic voters for Kamala Harris; how can we forget she is their own party’s leader. A total of 33% innocently confessed their happiness about Harris possibly fighting for California’s prestigious post, while 41% claimed they would be ‘mostly excited’. Those expressing discomfort were restricted to a single-digit percentage, just showing how much they are overlooking the negatives. A quarter of Democrats had the decency to state they were indifferent.
Just like the voice of dissent should exist in a democracy, a significant number of Republican voters in California responded with ‘annoyance’ or ‘rage’ when asked about Harris’ potential run. But with Democrats having a stronghold in California, the enthusiasm of Democratic voters seems to be taken as a sign of Harris having a cakewalk to the governorship. Can anyone be more presumptuous?
Despite the intimidating possibility of Harris slaying all in this race, a few brave hearts are willing to contend, these include California Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Congresswoman Katie Porter, ex-Biden Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Looks like it’s going to be a battlefield where everyone wants a piece of the pie, which can’t be monopolized by Harris.
The current Governor, Gavin Newsom, is wrapping up his term and is barred from vying for a third term, thank goodness for term limits. Newsom seems to be nursing presidential ambitions for 2028. But among his cohort expected to run for the presidency are some Democrats, which may include Harris, showing their ever-ready opportunistic tendencies.
However, when it comes to those labeled as ‘policy influencers’, Harris’ support seems to be on shaking ground. A lion’s share of 36% stated they ‘couldn’t care less’ regarding Harris’ bid for the governorship. Isn’t it reminiscent of the lukewarm backing Harris fell victim to during her 2019 presidential run in California itself?
Harris’ national recognition may have gained some momentum after she was named the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024, but she couldn’t ride that wave to thwart President Donald Trump’s second term. Despite her failure, she accumulated the third most votes by any candidate in just 107 days, showing her popularity in her own echo chamber.
This could be possibly why Harris hasn’t entirely discarded the idea of another presidential running campaign come 2028. Surprisingly resilient, Harris, who is 60 years old – a young age according to political standards – could stir the pot beyond 2028 as well.
After maintaining a tight-lipped stance on President Trump’s initial months in his second office term, Harris recently decided to share her unsolicited opinions at a summit. Harris claimed to the audience, ‘We are witnessing the silence of organizations, individuals bowing down to clear unconstitutional threats.’ Does she think just because she raises concerns makes them valid?
Threadbare observations, says Harris, have been made in the past few months which has stoked fear among the masses. The funniest part was when Harris addressed the audience saying, ‘I’m not here to say I told you so’ which drew cheers from the crowd. As if we needed to hear that!
Harris’ comments point to nothing but an attempt to fan fear and paint already fixed images. The beauty of democracy lies in its diversity of perspectives, and it would be a mistake to reduce all voters to single opinion holders following the whims of their so-called leaders.