Eight candidates are running for governor of California. Only four are breaking double digits in polling. And there is a chance that Democrats could be shut out of the general election entirely in November.
In a reliably liberal state where Democrats have long dominated, the calculus seems rather grim. Some Democrats cannot help but wonder about a never-was-but-what-if variable: Kamala Harris.
Maybe, they say, she should have run for governor instead of publicly pondering a third run for president.
The Road Not Taken
After Harris lost her bid for president in 2024, many believed she would try to become the next governor of California. The state has a tradition of larger-than-life governors — Ronald Reagan, Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gavin Newsom — who have happily used the statewide office as a megaphone to speak to a worldwide audience. Harris, a former California attorney general and senator, seemed like a natural fit.
But she did not run. Instead, she has been publicly pondering another presidential bid. And in her absence, the California governor’s race has become a chaotic free-for-all that Democrats are now scrambling to salvage.
Sunny Hostin, a co-host of “The View,” recently urged Harris to reconsider. “California, it’s like running a country,” she said on the morning show. “I know that she’s talked about being president — I don’t know if that’s the right position for her — but my goodness, she certainly knows California.”
That sentiment is not isolated. Behind closed doors, some Democrats are asking a simple question: Did Harris pick the wrong race?
The California Problem
The governor’s race is shaping up to be a nightmare for Democrats. With eight candidates splitting the vote, it is mathematically possible that two Republicans could advance to the general election under California’s top-two primary system. That would lock Democrats out entirely — a stunning outcome in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly two to one.
Harris would have changed that calculus. She has name recognition. She has a fundraising network. She has the ability to consolidate the Democratic vote in a way that none of the current candidates can match. Her presence alone would have made a Republican shutout far less likely.
But she is not on the ballot. And Democrats are left wondering what might have been.
The Presidential Mirage
Harris has been here before. She ran for president in 2020, dropping out before the first primary. She ran again in 2024 and lost. Now she is considering a third run. For some Democrats, that feels like stubbornness rather than strategy.
The path to the presidency runs through swing states — Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia. Harris has no natural base in those states. California is her home. California is where she could have won, governed, and built a record. Instead, she is chasing a national office that has already eluded her twice.
Sunny Hostin’s comment — “I don’t know if that’s the right position for her” — reflects a growing unease. Harris is a talented politician. But talent alone does not win presidential primaries. And with each passing year, the Democratic bench grows deeper.
What If?
The hypothetical is painful for Democrats. If Harris had run for governor, she would almost certainly be the front-runner. She would be raising money, building a team, and preparing to take charge of the world’s fifth-largest economy. She would be relevant. She would be in power. She would be preparing for 2028 or 2032 from a position of strength.
Instead, she is in political limbo. The presidential race she is considering may not materialize. The California race she ignored may produce a Republican governor. And Democrats who once celebrated Harris as the future of the party are now left wondering whether she made a catastrophic miscalculation.
The Bottom Line
California’s governor’s race is in chaos. Eight candidates are running. Four are breaking double digits. Democrats fear they could be shut out of the general election entirely. Some are asking whether Kamala Harris — a former California attorney general and senator — should have run for governor instead of publicly pondering a third presidential bid.
Sunny Hostin of “The View” recently urged Harris to reconsider, saying California “is like running a country” and that Harris “certainly knows California.” After losing the presidency in 2024, many believed Harris would run for governor. She did not. Now Democrats are second-guessing everything — and wondering if Harris picked the wrong race.
The California dream may still be alive for Harris. But if a Republican wins the governor’s mansion in November, Democrats will have a long time to think about what might have been.
