Kamala Harris Laying Groundwork for a Third Presidential Run
Harris is quietly rebuilding a national operation
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is laying the groundwork for a possible third presidential run in 2028, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Journal reported that Harris has been meeting major donors, hiring political staff, and traveling to battleground states to campaign for Democratic candidates ahead of the November midterm elections.
Harris has not announced a bid. At an NAACP event in Michigan last month she said she has not decided if she is going to run again, adding that 2028 will not matter if Democrats do not get through 2026.
Doubts inside the family and the donor class
The Journal reported that her husband, Doug Emhoff, has privately told people he would prefer Harris not seek the presidency again, though people close to him expect he would support her if she decides to run.
Some Democratic donors have privately questioned whether she should seek the nomination again and have told her directly that a bid would be a long shot, while several party figures argue Democrats should pick a fresh candidate for 2028.
Harris has stayed visible in the meantime, holding private fundraisers in California for Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate David Crowley and Nevada gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford, and joining a Democratic National Committee call with more than 2,000 volunteers.
She lost the 2024 race to President Donald Trump after becoming the Democratic nominee, a campaign that raised about 1.5 billion dollars. Her memoir, 107 Days, described the personal toll that campaign took on their marriage.
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How this could hit the options market
A Harris decision shapes the entire 2028 field, including whether other major Democrats run, and early positioning can move prediction-sensitive and policy-sensitive trades well before any announcement.
Watch SPY, QQQ, XLF, and TLT for macro flow if midterm results change the 2028 narrative.
For options traders the near-term trade is the midterms themselves, with Harris battleground travel acting as a signal for where national money and attention are going.
Track the flow as it hits the tape and Sign up for Unusual Whales to stay ahead of the next move.