A number of Democratic aides and political strategists recently suggested that former Vice President Kamala Harris is widely perceived as the undisputed frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. This assessment comes from interviews conducted for a New York-based magazine's Intelligencer column, which explored her potential prospects should she pursue the presidency following a hypothetical loss in the 2024 election.
Harris's Perceived Advantages
Even with a potential electoral defeat, some anonymous Democratic supporters cited in the report contend that Harris holds a distinct advantage over other potential party candidates. This is attributed to her widespread name recognition and her recent active public presence. One former aide emphasized her strong starting position, stating,
"She walks in as the front-runner. It is fairly obvious she is followed wherever she goes. And I don’t want to upset any narratives that any of the other candidates are pushing, but she comes in with 99 percent name ID and everyone else is going to have to raise money and buy it."
Another supporter characterized her strategic approach:
"She is looking for where the wave is going and is determined to ride it. Her mindset is that I should have won, and I am going to do it my way because my way would have won, and it was all these consultants that were telling me to take this position or that position, and it was their fault."
Doubts and Challenges Facing a Potential Bid
While some observers voiced concerns that Harris's past association with the Biden administration and certain contentious policy stances could hinder her campaign, others posited that voters might exhibit greater leniency towards the former vice president, particularly after a second Trump term. An unnamed Democratic official remarked on voter memory:
"Look how quickly voters forgot about Trump’s first term. People have short attention spans and short memories, and for all the criticisms that could be directed at Biden today, who knows what they think 12 or 16 months from now."
Conversely, not all individuals interviewed for the Intelligencer piece shared an optimistic outlook regarding Harris’s chances or even the advisability of her running in 2028. A donor from New York expressed skepticism about her capacity to persuade major financial backers that she could secure the White House. Democratic strategist Alex Hoffman was notably direct in his assessment:
"I hope she runs. Because then she will lose, and we will never have to hear from her again. She will never win an election at a national scale. Never."
Harris's Openness to Another Campaign
Harris herself has consistently indicated an openness to the prospect of another presidential campaign, making appearances in several crucial swing states over the past year. In April, while attending the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary Convention, she addressed the possibility directly, stating,
"I might. I might. I’m thinking about it… I’ll keep you posted."
The report from the New York-based magazine also emerges amidst ongoing speculation that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, might launch her own 2028 presidential bid, an idea she alluded to last month.
