Who's Running 2028
General explainer

Is Kamala Harris running for president in 2028?

Kamala Harris has publicly said she is thinking about a 2028 run. She appears in all eleven mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys and leads nine of them, with results ranging from 9 to 44 percent -- the widest first-place footprint in the Democratic field. She has not formally declared or filed with the FEC as of mid-2026, and is constitutionally eligible.

Updated

Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee and former Vice President, is one of the most closely watched names in the 2028 Democratic field. In April 2026 she said 'I might. I'm thinking about it' when asked at the National Action Network convention in New York about a 2028 presidential run - the clearest public signal she has given that another campaign is a live option.

She passed on the 2026 California governor's race, a decision widely interpreted as keeping the door open to a presidential bid. Harris appears in all eleven mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys, newest first: McLaughlin and Associates (June 17-23, 2026, 464 LV) 26 percent; Echelon Insights (June 11-14, 2026, 515 LV) 20 percent; Noble Predictive Insights (June 1-4, 2026, 1,013 RV) 27 percent; Focaldata (May 29-June 1, 2026, 685 RV) 37 percent; Harvard-Harris (May 29-31, 2026, 1,725 RV) 44 percent; I&I/TIPP (May 26-28, 2026, 593 RV) 31 percent; Big Data Poll (May 24-27, 2026, 1,378 LV) 28 percent; Emerson College (May 24-25, 2026, 432 LV) 9.9 percent; Rasmussen Reports (May 18-20, 2026, 433 LV) 34 percent; Overton Insights (May 16-20, 2026, 509) 9 percent; Echelon Insights (May 14-18, 2026, 501 LV) 23 percent. She leads nine of the eleven surveys; in the five most recent surveys (May 29-June 23, 2026), her support ranges from 20 to 44 percent and she places first in all five. In the two surveys where she trails (Emerson College May 24-25 and Overton Insights May 16-20), Pete Buttigieg placed first. Her implied probability in prediction markets is in the mid-single digits as of mid-2026, substantially lower than her polling numbers in most surveys.

Harris is constitutionally eligible. She is a natural-born U.S. citizen born in Oakland, California, is 61 years old as of mid-2026 (well above the constitutional minimum of 35), and has been a U.S. resident her entire life. There is no legal bar to another presidential run - the 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two elected terms, and Harris has never been president.

The 2028 Democratic field also includes Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Josh Shapiro. No major candidate has formally declared as of mid-2026. If Harris runs, she would enter as the party's most recent presidential nominee and a candidate with strong name recognition and an established fundraising network.

Related: Kamala Harris - full candidate profile | The 2028 Democratic field | 2028 Democratic primary polls | Kamala Harris VP pick analysis | Kamala Harris favorability rating | Will Kamala Harris run for president in 2028? | Everything Kamala Harris has said about 2028

More on this

Related questions

Has Kamala Harris announced a 2028 presidential run?
No. She has said she is 'thinking about it' but has not filed with the FEC or formally announced a campaign. She passed on the 2026 California governor's race, keeping 2028 open.
Is Kamala Harris eligible to run for president in 2028?
Yes. She is a natural-born U.S. citizen born in Oakland, California, is 61 years old as of mid-2026, and meets all three constitutional requirements. She has never been president, so the 22nd Amendment two-term limit does not apply to her.
What are Kamala Harris's 2028 poll numbers?
She appears in all eleven mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys and leads nine of them. Her results range from 9 percent (Overton Insights, May 16-20, 2026) to 44 percent (Harvard-Harris, May 29-31, 2026). In the five most recent surveys (May 29-June 23, 2026), her range is 20 to 44 percent and she places first in all five. Her implied probability in prediction markets is in the mid-single digits as of mid-2026, substantially lower than her polling numbers.
Why did Kamala Harris skip the 2026 California governor's race?
Harris passed on that race, and analysts widely interpreted her decision as preserving the option to run for president in 2028 rather than locking herself into a statewide role.
Stay ahead of 2028

Get the 2028 race by email

One short alert when the 2028 race actually changes - a candidate enters or drops out, the rules firm up, the polls move. No spam.

Keep reading

Related explainers

Who can run for president of the United States?

To be eligible, a person must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.

When do 2028 presidential campaigns start?

The 2028 presidential campaign effectively starts after the November 2026 midterms, with formal announcements expected through 2027 - historically 12 to 18 months before the first primaries in early 2028. There is no legal start date, and as of July 2026 no major candidate has formally declared.

Is Gavin Newsom running for president in 2028?

Gavin Newsom is widely considered a likely 2028 Democratic candidate. He has not formally declared but appears in all eleven mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys and places second in every one of them, with results ranging from 12 to 26 percent -- the most consistent second-place finish in the Democratic field. He leads 2028 Democratic prediction markets as the most likely Democratic nominee and is constitutionally eligible.

See the live 2028 candidate trackerAll 2028 election questionsAre they running? -- all 2028 candidates

Top
Get The 2028 Daily
One short email each morning - the noteworthy moves in the 2028 race from the last 24 hours. Free, unsubscribe anytime.