(AFP) – Former US vice president Kamala Harris on Friday delivered her clearest signal yet that she may mount another bid for the White House, telling a Democratic audience she is thinking about running in 2028. Speaking at a convention hosted by civil rights leader Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, the 61-year-old stopped short of a formal declaration but left little doubt she is weighing a third campaign.
The Democrat — defeated in 2024 by Donald Trump in a tumultuous presidential election — was asked if she would run again in 2028 and electrified the crowd of party activists in New York when she replied: “I might, I might — I’m thinking about it.” Having served four years a “heartbeat away” from the presidency under Joe Biden, Harris said she understands the demands of the job — and argued that the current political and economic landscape is failing many Americans.
“I spent countless hours in my West Wing office, footsteps away from the Oval Office. I spent countless hours in the Oval Office, in the Situation Room. I know what the job is. And I know what it requires,” she said. Harris has maintained a relatively low profile since her 2024 defeat, but has been easing back into the spotlight with a series of appearances and trips across southern states. Allies say she remains undecided but is taking steps to preserve the option of a campaign.
The National Action Network event has emerged as an early proving ground for 2028 hopefuls, with Black voters — a cornerstone of the Democratic base — expected to play a decisive role in choosing the party’s nominee. Harris used the platform to launch a broad critique of Trump’s leadership, telling the crowd: “The status quo is not working, and hasn’t been working for a lot of people for a long time.”
Early polling suggests that she begins the shadow 2028 race with a significant advantage in name recognition. But with several prominent Democrats testing the waters, her path to the nomination — if she runs — is far from guaranteed. “The American people have right to expect that anyone who wants to run for office and be a leader, that it can’t be about themselves and what they want for themselves,” Harris added. “It’s got to be about the American people, and that’s how I think of it.”
© 2024 AFP
