Multiple Democratic aides and strategists have identified former Vice President Kamala Harris as the "fairly obvious" frontrunner for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, according to a report by New York Magazine's Intelligencer.
These individuals suggest that Harris possesses significant advantages due to her high name recognition and recent public engagements, positioning her ahead of other potential party candidates.
"She walks in as the front-runner. It is fairly obvious she is followed wherever she goes," one former aide told the Intelligencer. "And I don’t want to upset any narratives that any of the other candidates are pushing, but she comes in with 99 percent name ID and everyone else is going to have to raise money and buy it."
Another supporter indicated that Harris is strategically assessing political trends and is motivated by a belief that her previous campaign could have succeeded with a different approach. "Her mindset is that I should have won, and I am going to do it my way because my way would have won, and it was all these consultants that were telling me to take this position or that position, and it was their fault."
While some express concerns about her past alignment with the Biden administration and other past policy positions, others believe voters' memories may be short, drawing parallels to how public perception of former President Trump shifted after his first term. "Look how quickly voters forgot about Trump’s first term," an anonymous Democratic official stated. "People have short attention spans and short memories, and for all the criticisms that could be directed at Biden today, who knows what they think 12 or 16 months from now."
However, not all insiders share this optimistic outlook. One New York donor expressed doubt about Harris' ability to secure support from major donors, questioning her viability to win the White House. Similarly, Democratic strategist Alex Hoffman stated, "I hope she runs. Because then she will lose, and we will never have to hear from her again. She will never win an election at a national scale. Never."
Harris herself has repeatedly indicated openness to running for president again in 2028 and has been active with appearances in key swing states. In April, at the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary Convention, she responded to questions about a potential run by saying, "I might. I might. I’m thinking about it… I’ll keep you posted."
The discussion about Harris' potential 2028 candidacy occurs amidst speculation about other potential contenders, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has also teased the possibility of a presidential run.