Harris Hints at 2028 Run Amid Mixed Democratic Support

Former Vice President Kamala Harris told African American activists on Friday that she is actively considering another presidential bid after chants of 'run again!' filled the room at the National Action Network's annual convention in New York City. 'I might. I am thinking about it,' Harris told Rev. Al Sharpton when asked directly whether she was going to run for president in 2028.

The event, hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton, focused on midterm elections, affordability issues, foreign policy concerns like the war in Iran, and the future of the Democratic party. Several prominent Democrats and potential 2028 presidential contenders spoke at the gathering, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, California Representative Ro Khanna, Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Harris' comments came during a 'fireside chat' with Sharpton, where she earned the only standing ovation and the largest crowd of any other 2028 prospect this week. Sharpton noted that Harris earned more votes in her losing 2024 campaign than even former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

The convention highlighted the Democratic party's focus on engaging with Black leaders and activists as potential 2028 contenders jockey for position. Speakers emphasized the importance of Black voters in Democratic politics, with Harris criticizing former President Trump's foreign policy and warning against the erosion of voting rights across the US.

Harris has raised the possibility of another presidential bid before in the 15 months since she left office. She also recently launched a political action committee and began to travel across the United States to support Democrats, especially across the South.

Before explicitly telling Al Sharpton she was considering running for president again on Friday afternoon, Harris had not exactly been hiding her ambitions. The book tour for her campaign memoir, 107 Days, is now longer than its title. She's started holding fundraisers for state parties and has issued a handful of endorsements — everything you would expect a presidential contender to do more than two years out from the 2028 election.

While Harris has been met by large crowds at her book stops – and was greeted with a wave of unbridled enthusiasm at the Sharpton event – the broader Democratic Party apparatus is not exactly rushing to encourage her to run, a sign of how difficult the former vice president might find it to convince Democrats to run again at a time when seemingly everyone thinks the party needs major change.

Some Democratic operatives and consultants have expressed reservations about Harris' potential candidacy. One operative who works closely with major Democratic donors told HuffPost, 'Why would we do the same thing all over again?' Similarly, a consultant working on several contested congressional races advised candidates to avoid campaigning with Harris in the fall.

The reception Harris received on Friday, however, was a potent reminder of the strengths she would bring to any run. The mostly Black crowd yelled 'Run again!' at her at one point and gave her a standing ovation at another. While other potential 2028 candidates also appeared at the conference, only Harris was greeted with a sizzle reel of moments of her interacting with Sharpton.

The devotion Harris has from Black party loyalists would go far in a primary, as southern states with heavily Black electorates wield significant power under the Democratic Party's delegate system. However, other Black candidates like Maryland Governor Wes Moore and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker could challenge her grip on this key constituency.

Harris has held a consistent but small lead in early public polls of the 2028 Democratic primary, generally leading a top group of candidates which also includes Buttigieg, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. However, concluding too much from her reception at NAN might be premature.