LOS ANGELES — Kamala Harris isn't planning to go gentle into that good night. This week the former vice president made clear to potential 2028 rivals that she's working to keep another White House campaign viable.
Why it matters: Despite worries from party leaders and donors that she can't win, Harris remains at or near the top of most 2028 Democratic primary polls. She also has strong support among Black voters — the most critical voting bloc in most recent Democratic presidential primaries.
Driving the news: After lying low the first part of this year and then embarking on a 2024-focused book tour, Harris made several moves this week that many Democrats see as the beginnings of a 2028 campaign.
- Her book tour expanded. Harris announced many more stops on her tour to promote "107 Days," her story of her short presidential campaign last year. Tour stops in early 2026 will include the historically critical primary state of South Carolina and cities with many Black voters, including Detroit, Jackson, Miss., Memphis, Tenn., and Montgomery, Ala.
- She appeared before the Democratic National Committee. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, mingled with national party officials and state party chairs in Los Angeles this week during the DNC's winter meeting.
- At a reception Wednesday evening, DNC chair Ken Martin introduced Emhoff as the former second gentleman and quipped that he could be the future first gentleman, people who heard the remarks told Axios.
Harris is rolling out new rhetoric.
- She railed against both parties and the status quo in a speech Friday to Democratic officials. Many in the room told Axios they were struck by how different Harris' remarks were from her Biden-defending message on the campaign trail last year.
- "Both parties have failed to hold the public's trust," Harris said. "Government is viewed as fundamentally unable to meet the needs of its people…. People are done with the status quo and they're ready to break things to force change."
- "We cannot afford to be nostalgic for a flawed system that failed so many," she added, arguing that President Trump is a "symptom" of a bigger problem.
- After the speech, some committee members told Axios they want Harris to run in 2028 — and that when Harris mentioned "the future" during her speech, someone shouted, "You!"
What they're saying: Harris spokesperson Kirsten Allen said Harris "will approach 2026 with the same commitment that anchored 2025 — listening to the American people, reflecting where leadership has fallen short, and helping shape the path forward beyond this political moment."
- Allen added that includes "supporting efforts to win back Democratic majorities in the House and Senate."
Zoom in: Harris also spoke Thursday night at the annual gala for the United Farm Workers and received enthusiastic applause.
- UFW President Teresa Romero told Axios: "Rank and file UFW members from towns like Bakersfield, Salinas, Oxnard, and Modesto were excited to see her and know she's still fighting for them."
Other potential 2028 Democratic candidates also were in L.A. this week but didn't speak at the full DNC meeting.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom stormed through on Thursday and met with several committee members, and Martin.
- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker headlined a DNC fundraiser in Los Angeles that raised more than $1 million, but he didn't make the rounds at the nearby DNC meeting — surprising some party officials.
By the numbers: Several early polls have shown Newsom as a top contender for the 2028 nomination, but Morning Consult has consistently found Harris leading.
- Morning Consult's surveys also have shown Harris narrowly outperforming Newsom against Vice President Vance.
- But two recent polls of the traditionally important state of New Hampshire found Harris trailing Newsom and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Reality check: National polls of presidential primaries — especially more than two years out — make for good cocktail party debates, but not much else.
What's next: Harris is set to appear on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" next week.
Go deeper: Inside the push to knock Newsom off his perch as 2028 frontrunner
