Latest news with #CaliforniaGovernor
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Kamala Harris gives clearest signal yet she will run for White House again in 2028
Former Vice President Kamala Harris triggered further speculation over the weekend that she is not running for governor of California after she delivered a lackluster address to the Democratic state political convention. Harris did not attend the event in-person but sent a three-minute video address that was politely received by the audience. In a steady, monotone voice, she spoke about the Trump administration's recent actions against universities and praised activists efforts to fight the president's agenda. 'While this administration in Washington tries to divide us, we hear know that we are stronger when we stand together,' she said, a flashback to her 2024 campaign slogan. Harris' failure to appear at the convention and her video address suggested she was not interested in running for governor of California, and instead pursuing a return to presidential politics. The Democratic primary for the race is scheduled for June 2, 2026, with the general election scheduled for November. Harris has always been popular in California, easily beating Democratic challengers in her race for Attorney General and her race for Senator of California. Her 2020 race for president, however, failed spectacularly as she ended her campaign before the Iowa caucuses and the California primary. Since her loss, Harris has vowed to 'stay in the fight' and organized some of her trusted aides into the organization Pioneer49, while she explores her political future. California Democratic activists are frustrated by the lack of signals from Harris, as they are impatient to move forward with a clear candidate. If Harris runs for governor, she will likely forego another run for president in 2028, which Democratic strategists in Washington, DC fully expect her to explore. She continues to delay any decisions about running for governor or diving into presidential politics again, telling advisors she will made a decision in late-summer. A third option remains, that she will forego a political career entirely and remain a paid speaker and inspirational figure for activists with the option of publishing a book of her memoirs. In the meantime, Harris continues to take the stage to protest the Trump administration and rally activists. Last week, she appeared at an event in Australia where she shared a bizarre story about her mother and spiraled into word salads when asked to speak about the importance of humility. Harris also appeared at the lavish Met Gala last month wearing a custom look from Off-White, designed by creative director IB Kamara, but skipped the red carpet. The failed presidential candidate also took the stage at Emerge 20th anniversary gala at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco to deliver the keynote speech that began late in the evening. 'It's good to be home!' Harris laughed as she took the stage, criticizing Trump for his agenda, particularly his tariffs. 'Instead of the administration working to advance America's highest ideals, we are witnessing a wholesale abandonment of those ideals,' she said. Trump's agenda, she said, was 'not lowering costs' and 'not making life more affordable' and 'not what they promised.' She noted that the Trump administration was counting on the fact that fear was 'contagious.' She also urged Democrats to find courage in the video of the San Diego Zoo elephants who responded to a recent earthquake by circling around each other. 'As soon as they felt the earth shaking beneath their feet, they got in a circle and stood next to each other to protect the most vulnerable,' she said. 'Think about it. What a powerful metaphor.' Harris cautioned Democrats from dismissing Trump's efforts as 'chaos.' 'Understand what we are in fact witnessing is a high velocity event, where a vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making,' She urged Americans to stand against the administration with courage. 'What we are experiencing right now is exactly what they envisioned for America, right now we are living in their vision for America, but this is not a vision that American's want.' She praised people who protested the president's agenda, including his deportation orders. 'It is not okay to detain and disappear American citizens or anyone without due process,' she said. Harris only spoke for about 15 minutes, but it was the crowning moment for the event that helped raise money for female political candidates.
New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Party Activists in California Aren't Sold on a Harris Run for Governor
Kamala Harris's voice rang out across a convention hall packed with California Democratic activists, and she wore a beaming smile. But the former vice president was not in the room where 4,000 party delegates had gathered in Anaheim, Calif., to prepare for next year's elections. Instead, she spoke to them through a three-minute video address that drew tepid applause. Ever since Ms. Harris returned home to California in January after losing last year's presidential race, Democrats have wondered whether she would run for governor in 2026. Her entry would shake up the race, and many observers believe she would be the front-runner. But she has made few public appearances and offered little indication of which way she is leaning. Her absence from the hall in Anaheim this weekend loomed over the state party convention like the pair of large video screens that carried her message. And that left many party activists questioning just how seriously she was considering running. Some said they weren't sure they wanted her to enter the race. 'I don't think she should get into the campaign for governor,' said Mark Gracyk, a delegate from San Diego who works for a water utility. 'The working class would say, 'Oh there she is again, she has the support of the elites.'' Ms. Harris plans to decide by the end of the summer whether to run. She is weighing other possibilities, including another presidential run in 2028 or retiring from electoral politics. A spokeswoman for Ms. Harris did not respond to requests for comment for this article. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Wayfarers Chapel announces prospective campus in Rancho Palos Verdes
After the ongoing land movement in Palos Verdes forced its closure last year, the Wayfarers Chapel may have found a new hilltop to call home. The National Historic Landmark's prospective campus is located on Battery Barnes next to Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall, above Point Vicente Lighthouse and Golden Cove. It's roughly 1.7 miles away from the shuttered Portuguese Bend location. The National Historic Landmark's prospective campus is located on Battery Barnes next to Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall, above Point Vicente Lighthouse and Golden Cove. It's roughly 1.7 miles away from the shuttered Portuguese Bend location. Wayfarers Chapel Over the last two years, land movement has severely damaged roads, homes and utilities in Rancho Palos Verdes, eventually leading the region's major natural gas and electricity providers to shut off their services to hundreds of residents. Since August, the Portuguese Bend slide has impacted about 650 homes. The ongoing natural disaster prompted FEMA and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services to implement a $42 million voluntary buyout program, allowing residents to sell their homes at "fair market value." In October, geologists gave residents a small glimmer of hope after confirming that the slide had decelerated from an average of 13 inches a week to 8 inches, a roughly 38% decrease. Further studies conducted by researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory showed that the movement slowed to about 4 inches a week in the fall of 2024. Once rebuilt, the Wayfarers Chapel campus would include a visitors center, a museum, a cafe and gardens. The 100-seat, glass chapel designed by famous architect Lloyd Wright originally opened in 1951. Wayfarers Chapel gained its National Landmark status in 2023. However, the decades-long Portuguese Bend landslide forced it to close in February 2024. In July 2024, construction crews fully disassembled the historic church while it waited for a new location. "We look forward to rebuilding and serving the community for another 75+ years," Wayfarers Chapel wrote on its website.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Kamala Harris gets VERY embarrassing endorsement to run for governor of California
As speculation swirls around whether Kamala Harris will make a bid for governor of California, she has received support from the most unlikely source - California Republicans. 'I sense that this is the best shot for someone to be elected statewide in California who's not a Democrat for at least 20 years, and I think the evident reason for that is the failure of one-party rule,' conservative commentator Steve Hilton declared in a recent fundraising email. 'The candidate who's going to win in 2026, regardless of party label, is the change candidate. Kamala Harris is the one who least represents change.' With Governor Gavin Newsom term-limited out in 2026, Harris has remained coy about her future, teasing in an April appearance, 'I'll see you out there. I'm not going anywhere.' Across GOP circles, the prospect of Harris entering the race is being openly celebrated for what it promises Republican candidates. From political consultants to fringe MAGA influencers, a Harris candidacy is being treated as a golden opportunity to rile up donors, energize disaffected voters, and, perhaps most crucially, draw national attention to an otherwise unwinnable contest. 'I'd jump for joy,' Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told supporters. 'She's the perfect example of everything Californians are sick of - soft on crime, blind to our problems, and more focused on DC than Main Street.' Republican strategist Dave Gilliard agreed, saying her entry would be a dream scenario. 'I think it could attract some donors from around the country who might be interested in taking another pound of flesh,' Republican political consultant Dave Gilliard said to Politico. 'Money is the biggest obstacle other than the registration because the donor world doesn't think a Republican can be elected governor anymore.' Even Elon Musk's name has been floated as a possible wildcard donor. The former vice president has given herself until late summer to decide whether to run. The billionaire has sparred with Harris on social media and publicly blasted her support for diversity policies and social justice causes. While Musk hasn't weighed in directly, insiders suggest his disdain for Harris could reignite his interest in California politics. There's a reason Harris evokes such a visceral response from the right. Her tenure as vice president was marked by relentless attacks from Donald Trump and conservative media. Her prosecutorial past has been dissected from both the left and the right and her 2024 loss to Trump, after stepping in as the Democratic nominee following Biden's withdrawal, mean she is toxic when it comes to elections. 'She's had her chance,' said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. 'Democrats must turn elsewhere for leadership.' But Republican messaging is far from subtle. 'This is our shot,' Hilton told supporters. 'She'll clear the Democratic field, but we'll get to define her - and she's already underwater.' Indeed, while Harris trounced Trump in California in 2024, she underperformed Joe Biden's 2020 numbers, particularly among Latinos and swing voters in purple counties. 'She won two statewide elections, and she won in California when she was running for president,' Bianco said. 'But those votes didn't go to Kamala Harris. Those votes went against Donald Trump.' California's infamous 'jungle primary' system means that Harris wouldn't necessarily face a Republican in the general election. 'I'd jump for joy,' Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, pictured, told supporters (if Kamala Harris ran). 'She's the perfect example of everything Californians are sick of - soft on crime, blind to our problems, and more focused on DC than Main Street.' All candidates compete in a single open primary, and the top two vote-getters - regardless of party - advance. That means Harris could be forced into a brutal head-to-head with another Democrat in the general. Already, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Rep. Katie Porter, and Xavier Becerra are eyeing the race. At least some, however, are expected to bow out if Harris runs. 'She's got the résumé - but so do a lot of people who've lost,' said Republican consultant Kevin Madden. 'What she doesn't have is momentum.' And Democratic strategist Eric Jaye cautioned against viewing the race as a coronation. 'She's polarizing, and not just with Republicans. Democrats have questions too.' If Harris were to run, she'd inherit a California in turmoil. The state is facing a $12 billion deficit, wildfires are worsening, homelessness remains a humanitarian crisis, and home insurance markets are collapsing. 'Why the hell would you want this job?' Newsom himself quipped on the Next Up with Mark Halperin podcast. 'You need a burning 'why.' If you can't enunciate that, don't do it.' While Harris has nearly universal name recognition, an elite fundraising machine, and deep institutional ties, she also carries a historic loss to Donald Trump, middling approval ratings, and a political brand that has never quite caught fire. 'If she's beatable (and if she runs), it won't be by a Republican. But Republicans can still turn her candidacy into a weapon,' Democratic consultant Dan Newman explained. 'For now at least, Republicans can't win statewide.' Even if Harris wins, Republicans are ready to claim a different kind of victory.
CTV News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Why Kamala Harris could run for California governor and bypass another White House bid
Former Vice President Kamala Harris delivers the keynote speech at the Emerge 20th Anniversary Gala in San Francisco, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) LOS ANGELES — Many 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 immediately 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 résumé of having served as San Francisco district attorney, state attorney general, U.S. senator and vice president. Beyond being expected to make a decision by the end of summer, Harris said little about her future. She told 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 said 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 some 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 2028 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 2028 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 2008 campaign, said Harris would enter a presidential primary with a proven fundraising network, strong recognition with voters and the experience of operating in a Trump-fueled media environment. 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 said. Could Harris make that case? Some think her time has passed. 'She's had her chance,' Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said in a statement. '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 said, California is one of the world's largest economies by itself, and its governor becomes, by default, a national figure. She would most 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 many problems, among them homelessness and a punishing cost of living. In her San Francisco speech last month, she said 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 health secretary Xavier Becerra. It's expected that at least some of her rival Democrats would bow out rather than compete against her, including Porter, who in 2012 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 2024 presidential convention, said Harris would stand better odds in a race for governor in her home state. With multiple election wins in California, 'there is just more certainty,' Salazar said. '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 2008 and 2012, was dubious about her chances in either race. It's unusual 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 election candidates should be scared off,' Madden added. Con: She won't necessarily run against a Republican in November Unlike many other states, California doesn't automatically advance a Democrat and a Republican to the November election. The state's open primary system has tormented many 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 election. 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 election 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 2, 2026, primary facing a Democrat who ends up criticizing her in much the same way she'd have faced in a 2028 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 1960 election by then-Sen. John F. Kennedy, Nixon lost the 1962 race for California governor. (Of course, 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 many 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 said. '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 crisis is playing out daily on the streets of Los Angeles and other big cities. Newsom this month said the state is facing a $12 billion deficit and he wants to freeze enrollment in a state-funded health care program for immigrants living in California without legal status. There is a home insurance crisis and a continuing threat from destructive wildfires. And as the last election 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. Michael R. Blood, The Associated Press
