Former US vice president Kamala Harris is facing doubts over a possible 2028 presidential bid, with her husband, Doug Emhoff, privately expressing a preference for her not to run again and some Democratic donors warning that another campaign would be a long shot.Emhoff has told people privately that he would prefer Harris to stay out of the presidential race, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. However, people close to the former second gentleman expect him to support his wife if she ultimately decides to seek the White House again, the report said.Some Democratic donors have also directly cautioned Harris about the prospects of another presidential campaign, amid concerns about her political future following her defeat to President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, the New York Post reported.Harris lost the Electoral College and every swing state to Trump in 2024, despite raising around $1.5 billion for her campaign. However, she continues to lead the hypothetical Democratic presidential field by double digits in several recent polls, keeping her in contention for the party’s 2028 nomination.The former vice president has not announced whether she intends to run again, but her recent political activities have fuelled speculation about a possible return to the White House.Ahead of the November midterm elections, Harris has attended Democratic fundraisers, including private events supporting Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate David Crowley and Nevada gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford, according to the Wall Street Journal.She also recently joined a call with the Democratic National Committee and more than 2,000 volunteers, urging them to support get-out-the-vote efforts across a dozen states.Speaking at a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) event in Michigan in September, Harris said she had yet to decide whether to launch another presidential campaign.“I have not decided if I’m going to run again,” she said, adding that the immediate priority was the midterm elections. “I do sincerely believe ’28 won’t matter if we don’t get through ’26.”
Harris faces questions over political future
Some people who have known and worked with Harris remain sceptical that she will ultimately enter the 2028 presidential race, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks with the Rev. Wendell Anthony, President of the Detroit Branch of the NAACP, and the Rev. Genetta Y. Hatcher during a fireside chat on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026 at Fellowship Church in Detroit. AP/PTI(AP09_23_2026_000002A)
Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024 after then-president Joe Biden withdrew from the race, leaving her with just 107 days before the election. She went on to lose to Trump, who secured a second term in the White House.The defeat has left questions about Harris’s standing within the Democratic Party and whether she can build a stronger campaign for another presidential run. Despite the setback, her continued engagement with Democratic candidates, donors and party activists suggests she intends to remain politically active.Harris had earlier ruled out running for California governor in 2026, leaving open the possibility of pursuing national office again. She has also indicated that her political career is not over.Meanwhile, Emhoff has taken up a position as a partner at Los Angeles law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. Harris and Emhoff also purchased an $8 million mansion in Malibu earlier this year.While her husband’s reported reservations and concerns among some donors could complicate a potential campaign, Harris has not ruled out another presidential bid. For now, she has maintained that Democrats must focus on the 2026 midterm elections before turning their attention to the next presidential race.
