Former “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd offered some advice to former Vice President Kamala Harris who is reportedly considering either a run for California governor in 2026 or the presidency in 2028.
Todd said if she does run for governor, it’s likely an indication she is not pursuing the presidency. But the problem with even a run for governor is that Harris is the epitome of an insider, and voters are likely looking for change, he argued.
“Here would be my warning to any conventional Democrat running for governor of California in ’26,” Todd said. “Go look at the track record of any political party trying to win a governorship for basically 20 straight years. It doesn’t happen very often, right? And so this is 16 straight years of Democratic governance in California. It’s the longest, I think, going back nearly 100 years. Governor is the one place where voters won’t always vote their jersey color.”
Since Harris is a former VP, former U.S. senator, and former district attorney, Todd said it will be very difficult for her to “sell change.”
“She’s got to somehow run against Gavin Newsom’s governorship, so I just don’t see the path for her," he noted. "I could see an outsider Democrat being able to message this. I think it’s a tough place for her to be.”
Todd said if he were advising her, he'd tell her to go "be above politics" for a few years and come back in 2030 or 2032.
Chuck Todd issues a warning to Kamala Harris: “Don't run for the Governor of California again. There's no path for you."
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) March 31, 2025
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