Could Kamala Harris potentially run for governor of California in two years?

In two years, nearly half of voters in California, Vice President Kamala Harris' home state, would be open to supporting her if she decided to run for governor.

A poll from the University of California at Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, found that 46% of Golden State registered voters are likely to support Harris for governor.

A majority of respondents, 58%, said they would be very likely or somewhat likely to support the vice president.

The poll, released on Wednesday, was conducted before the November 3rd election, which saw former President Donald Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.

In 2026, Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, will be unable to run for a third term due to term limits.

The race to replace Newsom as governor of California, a state with a two-to-one Democratic advantage and no Republican governors in nearly two decades, is likely to attract significant national attention and interest from prominent politicians.

San Francisco district attorney and state attorney general, Harris, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, representing California.

In the recent election, the Democratic Party presidential nominee and vice president effortlessly secured California's 54 electoral votes, with nearly 87% of the vote tallied in her home state, she currently leads Trump by more than 20 points.

In July, after President Biden was replaced on the Democrats' 2024 ticket, Vice President Harris faced criticism from Trump, who accused her of being responsible for the crime, high prices, and other problems in California. Trump also argued that Harris and her policies had contributed to the decline of San Francisco.

In more than 35 years, California has not voted for a Republican in a presidential election, and Trump held a large rally there last month.

Harris, a Bay Area native, resides in Brentwood, West Los Angeles, with her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Despite much speculation about her future plans, Vice President Harris has not publicly discussed what she will do after leaving office in two months.

Over a year ago, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis of California announced her bid to succeed Newsom in the 2026 gubernatorial race.