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Deciding to run for political office is an incredibly tough, personal decision. It requires an unusual combination of courage, ambition, determination and self-confidence – plus a solid check on reality and a good sense of timing.

It’s hard to get it right. Many people make the mistake of running for office when they have no chance of winning. But Kamala Harris just did the opposite. She made the mistake of not running for governor of California when she had every chance of winning.

Don’t get me wrong. I say that, not as a foe of Harris, but as a longtime, unapologetic fan. She was an outstanding California attorney general, United States senator and vice president. I don’t blame her for 2024. It’s not her fault that a fickle American electorate decided to give the Orange Man another chance to wreck our democracy. True, she should have distanced herself more from President Joe Biden. But she still ran a strong campaign. With more time, she might have won.

So what’s next? Harris is too young to retire on the ranch, plus she wants to stay in public office. And she should. For her, governor of California would have been perfect. Next to president, it may be the most powerful post in the nation. You’re automatically head of the fourth largest economic power in the world – a recognized leader in the fields of technology, finance, entertainment, aerospace, education and agriculture. As the nation’s most visible and powerful governor, you are not only a national player, you can have your own foreign policy and be a major voice on the world stage.

Plus – reality check! – while Harris would enjoy no coronation, getting elected governor would have been a slam dunk. She enjoys total name recognition and high public approval. Current Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and can’t run for a third term. Other strong Democrats were interested, but most of them had admitted they would step aside if she decided to run. And the idea that any Republican could beat her doesn’t even pass the laugh test. No Republican has won statewide in California since 2006, when Arnold Schwarzenegger was reelected governor. The job was hers for the asking.

In fact, as former chair of the California Democratic Party, I’ve been asked over and over again, ever since she lost in 2024, whether Harris should run for governor of California. And my answer was always the same: an enthusiastic “YES!” And then the important caveat: “As long as she stays there, and doesn’t run again for president in 2028.”

My answer’s the same today. The downside of Harris not running is that she leaves open the possibility – in her own mind, and in the world of political speculation – that she would launch her third bid for president by jumping into the 2028 Democratic primary. Reportedly, in private conversations with friends, she’s already toying with that idea.

And that’s the last thing the Democratic Party needs. For Kamala Harris and for the party, running for president again in 2028 would be an even bigger mistake than not running for governor.

Again, that’s no criticism of her qualities as a leader. It’s simply stating the obvious: that in order to get back in power – and save the country! – the Democratic Party needs to move forward with new leadership and not be stuck in the past, trying to recycle the old.

One thing for sure: If Harris were to enter the 2028 Democratic primary, she would not be handed the nomination. She’d have to fight for it. And she’d be up against a strong lineup of already popular candidates, mainly governors, all of whom are already running around the country testing the waters. They include: Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, Maryland’s Wes Moore, Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois’ J. B. Pritzker and, of course, California’s Newsom. Each has executive experience. Plus each as the advantage of being a new face on the national scene and, perhaps most importantly, of not being part of the tired old Washington political establishment.

If nothing else, the stunning victory of Zohran Mamdani in New York City's mayoral race shows that voters are hungry for new faces and new ideas. That presents an incredible opportunity for Democrats nationwide at every level, but not if they insist on repackaging yesterday’s losers.

Having decided not to run for governor, there are other public service options Kamala Harris might consider, like university president or head of a foundation. But running for president again should not be one of them.

(Bill Press is host of The BillPressPod, and author of 10 books, including: “From the Left: My Life in the Crossfire.” His email address is: bill@billpress.com. Readers may also follow him on Twitter @billpresspod and on BlueSky @BillPress.bsky.social.)

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