NEW: Kamala Harris’ Comeback Bid Hits Another Snag

A number of wealthy Democratic Party financiers are not at all excited by the prospect of former Vice President Kamala Harris running for governor of California when Gavin Newsom terms out in 2026, according to an explosive report from Politico’s Melanie Mason and Jeremy B. White.

In the aftermath of her crushing electoral defeat this past November, reports surfaced that Harris was eyeing a political comeback sooner rather than later. Supporters of the former vice president pointed to the hefty fundraising numbers that poured into the Harris-Walz campaign after then-President Biden dropped out as a primary selling point for her viability as a candidate.

According to the report, the Harris camp was sold on a comeback and was merely debating whether she would run for president in 2028 or the crowded California gubernatorial race next year.

As the former presidential nominee’s deadline to decide approaches, the mood among her staunch allies has become much more pessimistic, Politico reported. “There was more enthusiasm at first,” said Mather Martin, a San Francisco-based fundraiser who has worked for past Harris campaigns. “I think it waned a bit.”

Another California Democrat who donated a six-figure sum to Harris’ presidential campaign said a gubernatorial campaign would only remind voters how “traumatizing” her crushing presidential election defeat was.

“Kamala just reminds you we are in this complete shit storm. With Biden, we got bamboozled … I think she did the best she could in that situation, but obviously she knew about the cognitive decline too,” the donor told Politico. “I’ve written so many checks because I knew the Trump administration would be horrible, but we’re living in a nightmare because of the Democrats. I’m furious at them, truly.”

Other donors have raised concerns over the ongoing investigation into former President Biden’s cognitive decline and the role Harris played in covering it up. Multiple “stalwart” donors told the outlet that they “feel misled about Biden’s physical and mental acuity. They wonder whether Harris helped bolster his compromised candidacy until it became glaringly obvious in his disastrous debate he was not up for another campaign.”

Donors “realize it’s just going to bring up the whole pathetic last presidential, which no one wants to hear about again. And then it’s the whole ‘Did you know Joe Biden?’ thing,” another Southern California donor told the outlet on the condition of anonymity. “She still would probably lead, but honestly, no one is incredibly pumped.”

Despite the challenges, Harris is still reportedly considering a gubernatorial bid for 2026. If she does enter the race, she is widely expected to become the instant frontrunner and would hold significant advantages over the crowded field in terms of name recognition, a massive small-donor list and the fact that multiple candidates have said they would drop out if the former vice president does indeed enter the race.

Aides to Harris further told the outlet that she has recently embarked on a “private listening tour” in order to meet with her top allies in the state and get a read on enthusiasm behind her potential candidacy. She will then be taking a vacation in July in order to “decompress” and make a final decision.

Another White House bid is also being considered, as a number of national polls have Harris either leading or trailing just behind other candidates like Pete Buttigieg in a hypothetical Democratic Party primary race. Most notably, Harris has consistently polled well among black voters, which could prove to be a massive advantage with the party primary cycle set to begin in South Carolina.