Former Vice President Kamala Harris is leaving the door open to another White House bid in 2028, but Democratic senators aren’t rushing to line up behind their party’s 2024 nominee.
“Well, I’ve backed her before, but there’ll be other contenders this time,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital. “I’ve made no decisions about who I would support.”
“I think we’re going to have a very, very, very messy and very big primary,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said. “It’s going to be every Tom, Dick and Harry. And that’s probably where it should be.”
HARRIS KEEPS 2028 DOOR OPEN AS SHE HITS MIDTERM CAMPAIGN TRAIL, WARNS ‘28 WON’T MATTER’ WITHOUT 2026
“We’ve got a lot of people who are going to run and I think we should sort that out after the midterms,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said.
Harris returned to the campaign trail last week alongside Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, while continuing to leave open the possibility of another White House bid. Asked in Detroit whether she would run in 2028, Harris said she had not decided and urged Democrats to focus on November, warning that “’28 won’t matter” without success in 2026.
“We’re focused on 2026,” said Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md. “We’re gonna win back the House and the Senate.”
She continued, “I love Kamala Harris. I have a very personal friendship and relationship. She’s amazing. I think anybody who wants to run should. She’s obviously very well qualified. We need to focus on ’26.”
DEMOCRATS SHY AWAY FROM QUESTIONS ON WHETHER HARRIS SHOULD RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028
“This is going to be a wide open primary, and again, that’s democracy at its best,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said. “Everyone who wants to run should be able to run for office here.”
Another potential 2028 contender is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who represents the party’s progressive wing. Ocasio-Cortez describes herself as a democratic socialist.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is another potential 2028 contender, although he said last month that he would not run if Harris enters the race.
“We should have a lot of candidates running so we have a very broad discussion about the future of this country,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said.
A July University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll found Ocasio-Cortez leading the prospective 2028 Democratic primary field in New Hampshire with 22% support among likely Democratic primary voters. Harris registered 5%. Neither Harris nor Ocasio-Cortez has announced a 2028 campaign.
