After Kamala Harris’s clear defeat in the presidential election, the question now arises as to what the Vice President will do after Donald Trump’s inauguration next Jan. 20, 2025.
Her loyal and closest aides and sympathizers all agree that, at the moment, it is too premature for Harris to make any kind of decision after a resounding defeat and that she will take time to reason out what went wrong and what could have been done differently.
The Democratic Party will also have to take a hard look at this debacle, which created a political shakeup by causing the party to lose not only the presidency but also the Senate and probably the House.
Dem officials are now discussing next steps, including the possibility of moving beyond the Biden and Obama eras by seeking new faces for the party’s future.
“I believe that she is more respected than ever within our party,” stated Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis of California, a longtime Harris ally. “I think the question really is, what does she want to do? Right now I’m sure she is simply trying to process. But I have no doubt that she will have an answer to this in the coming months.”
What are the scenarios that might lie ahead for Kamala Harris in the near future?
These include a potential run for reelection in the November 2028 elections, although Democrats have often abandoned this scenario after their presidential candidates have lost; after her defeat in 2016, Hillary Clinton maintained relations with donors but no longer manifested any intention of returning to political life.
Al Gore attempted a run for president in 2004 but then endorsed Howard Dean in the Dem primary.
It is highly unlikely therefore, that the Democratic Party will choose Kamala Harris again as its nominee for the upcoming presidential race since one of the criticisms that has been made by the party is that Harris did not undergo the regular democratic process of the primaries but directly replaced Biden after he withdrew from the race.
A reelection to the Senate might be another scenario, but it remains an unlikely choice; Next year, California will have two senators serving their first full terms, and neither is expected to step down anytime soon.
In addition, there will be elections for governor in California in 2026, but Harris is unlikely to seek office since Democrat Kounalakis is already running.
As for Harris entering the private sector, plenty of people with lots of money and business in Washington and California would be happy for her to take them on as clients if she chose to join a law firm or lobbying outfit.
Cashing in after a career in Washington is such a well-traveled path that recruitment of retiring and defeated members of Congress begins well before they leave office. But while it would be quite lucrative, Harris would probably avoid going into lobbying or corporate law if she has any visions of running for president again.
There is also speculation that Harris may write a book; publishers will undoubtedly be eager to release Harris’s reflections on her time in the Biden administration and her campaign against Mr. Trump. Much like Hillary Clinton’s “What Happened” following her 2016 defeat, or Al Gore’s pivot to environmental advocacy and the documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, Harris could find significant public interest in sharing her story. The level of candor she exhibits in discussing her experiences will likely depend on her future political ambitions.
Finally, Harris could simply take time for herself, as Hillary Clinton did after her defeat when she was seen hiking a trail near her home.
Displaying her trademark humor, during the campaign Harris declared, “I plan on putting on some pounds after this is over [… ]they’re working me to the bone.”
Kamala Harris, therefore, has a variety of possibilities after she leaves behind her life as Vice President in the White House, but right now the priority is to absorb the disappointing outcome of the election and reflect on the mistakes she made and what she could have done differently.
