Former Vice President Kamala Harris tested her influence with California voters by endorsing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in her bid for reelection.
Her endorsement, announced Monday, comes weeks ahead of California’s primary election.
It also comes at a time when the incumbent Bass’ opponents experienced a bump in support.
Reality TV star Spencer Pratt, an independent candidate, recently released an ad that positioned himself as the “outsider” against Democratic political elites like Bass or former city councilwoman Nithya Raman by showcasing their multimillion-dollar homes and comparing them to his trailer home in the Pacific Palisades. His home burned down in the horrific fires last year.
According to a poll from early April, about 25% of voters supported Bass, while Pratt garnered 11% and Raman hovered at 9%. But 40% of voters remained undecided.
Will Kamala Harris also chime in on the California governor’s race?
Harris also endorsed other candidates — like Rob Bonta, an incumbent, for attorney general; Malia Cohen, an incumbent, for state controller; and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, for treasurer.
But she fell short of throwing her support behind a candidate for governor.
Many leading California Democrats — including sitting Gov. Gavin Newsom — have also refrained from endorsing a candidate in what “is the most wide-open race for California governor in decades,” as one column in The Los Angeles Times notes.
The existing slate includes a large number of Democratic hopefuls. That includes former Rep. Katie Porter and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Do Republicans have a chance in the California governor’s race?
If the field doesn’t narrow, the Democratic vote could split and pave the way for the top two polling Republicans to advance in a runoff election in November.
In a letter dated March 3, Rusty Hicks, the state Democratic Party chair, urged candidates to reconsider their run for governor to reduce the possibility of a Republican winning this contest.
The latest survey from the California VOTER index shows that Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Becerra are tied at 18%. Meanwhile, the number of undecided voters dropped by 10 percentage points to 14%.
Should Kamala Harris have run for governor?
These uncertain circumstances have prompted some, like Sunny Hostin, a co-host of “The View,” to wonder what would have happened if the former vice president ran for governor.
“California, it’s like running a country,” she said on the morning show. “I know that she’s talked about being president — I don’t know if that’s the right position for her — but my goodness, she certainly knows California.”
Harris decided not to run for California governor in July last year. At the time, polls showed she was the top choice for governor with more than 40% support, more than what any other candidate has garnered so far. Many candidates didn’t fully begin campaigning until the former vice president made up her mind about a run.
What is Kamala Harris up to now?
The Golden State has elected many “larger-than-life governors — Ronald Reagan, Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gavin Newsom — who have happily used the statewide office as a megaphone to speak to a worldwide audience,” as Jennifer Medina wrote for The New York Times.
With mail-in voting set to begin on Monday ahead of the June 2 primary, it may be too late for Harris to enter, but she is still very influential in the state.
Harris is currently on a nationwide book tour, where she’s hinted she’s “thinking about” a third run for the White House, according to the South Carolina Daily Gazette.
She also recently purchased an $8.15 million home in a closed-off luxury community in Malibu. Some speculated Harris is stepping away from the limelight right now, perhaps to mull her White House bid while others criticized the phrase as out-of-touch with everyday Americans.
“I’m not sure how much less in touch with average Americans you could be from an $8 million compound surrounded by $50 million compounds … in Malibu,” said Reed Galen, the co-founder of the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump super PAC.