Harris's absence at Calif Democratic Party convention raises more questions about political future

Former Vice President Kamala Harris’s absence at the California Democratic Party’s annual state convention this past weekend is raising questions about her commitment to state politics. Delegates wonder whether she’s positioning herself for a gubernatorial run as a springboard to a presidential nomination, or if she’ll even run at all.

“My concern about Harris is that she would be using the position, if she won, as a placeholder for a second run at the presidency,” delegate Carol Weiss told Politico. “And that would make me feel like I’m wasting my vote. I want a strong governor for at least four years.”

The convention marked a key moment in the state's 2026 gubernatorial race, providing a platform for the seven Democratic candidates to make their case to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who must leave his post due to term limits.

Harris, however, appeared only by video, as she decides whether to run for governor or launch a second bid to be her party's presidential nominee, after losing to Republican Donald Trump in 2020.  

The presumptive gubernatorial front-runner instead spent the weekend in Australia speaking at a real estate conference.

“If she decides to get in this race, shame on her for not showing up for the most important people in the party, which is the people who are here today,” said Stephen Cloobeck, one of the seven candidates who did attend the convention. “And if she doesn’t have the IQ to show up, she’s tone-deaf once again.”

Matt Savage, another state delegate, told the LA Times: “People are kind of waiting to see what she’s going to do." 

While early polling shows Harris is the presumptive front-runner, her failure to retain Democratic control over the White House has raised questions about her political future. 

Fifty percent of voters said Harris should run for governor, while the other 50% said she should not, according to an Inside California Politics/Emerson College poll.