JUST IN: Kamala Announces Decision On Run For Higher Office

Kamala Harris shocked the Democratic Party on Wednesday by striking a path from her pursuit of higher office.

The former vice president, who has quietly been mulling her next steps following November’s defeat, spent the summer contemplating a run for governor in her home state of California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited. Both allies and opponents predicted Harris’s road to clear the primary field would be a rocky one, and it was unclear if Harris desired the office more than seeking a second shot at the White House in 2028.

Those parlor games were put to rest on Wednesday with Harris’s announcement that she has opted against a run for governor next year, according to a statement she released on social media.

“Over the past six months, I have spent time reflecting on this moment in our nation’s history, and the best way for me to continue fighting for the American people and advancing the values and ideals I hold dear,” she said.

“In recent months, I have given serious thought to asking the people of California for the privilege to serve as their Governor. I love this state, its people, and its promise. It is my home. But after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for Governor in this election,” the statement goes on.

Harris pledged to support a nominee for governor who offers “new methods” and “fresh thinking,” both of which are in short supply as the Democratic Party works to dig out from the doldrums of record-low approval ratings among the general public.

The Democrat was coy about what her future holds, stating that “for now,” it “will not be in elected office.”

“I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans,” she added.

Regardless of where she lands, it will be the first time in almost two decades that Harris steps away from elected office.

She muscled through the ranks of San Francisco’s progressive politics, becoming district attorney before winning her first statewide race for attorney general in 2010. In 2016, she won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate with endorsements from former President Barack Obama and her future boss, former President Joe Biden, defeating Democrat Loretta Sanchez in the state’s jungle primary general election.

Although Harris leads the current 2028 crop of Democratic contenders, there is reason to believe her pole position may not last. Formidable alternatives are champing at the bit to fill a void left by the Biden-Harris administration, including Newsom and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has remained vocal about his intention to run for president.