LOS ANGELES — The antsy field of Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls has started sending an increasingly sharp message to former Vice President Kamala Harris: Let’s get this show on the road.
After weeks of silence about Harris’ leisurely timeline to decide whether she’d run for governor, her potential rivals are starting to chafe at being trapped in their current purgatory — a calcified contest with major funders and interest groups staying on the sidelines.
Challenges to Harris
Antonio Villaraigosa, the former Los Angeles mayor who is trying to carve a center-left lane in the crowded field, challenged Harris outright to make up her mind in a public appearance this week moderated by POLITICO.
“The time is now,” Villaraigosa said, after declaring the upcoming governor’s race would not be a “coronation.”
“The challenges are too big. We deserve a real conversation. We had a 100-day campaign. So no, you can’t get in at the end of the rainbow. Get in now,” he said.
Restless Rumblings
Villaraigosa’s jab was a rare jolt in a race that has been largely defined by paralysis. Candidate fundraising has dried up, and the behind-the-scenes rumor mill had been more fixated on how a potential Harris entry could send the candidates scurrying to seek other offices downballot.
But the restless rumblings have not been confined to Villaraigosa. Former state controller Betty Yee, an underdog in the race, issued an implicit challenge to Harris this week to make up her mind.
“Our state cannot wait for the robust conversations we must have regarding our most pressing issues,” said Yee. “The voters deserve candidates who are committed to tackling the problems they face now. They are not interested in parlor games and musical chairs to define this critical moment in our state’s history.”
Leadership Moment
Meanwhile, the newest entrant to the field, former Orange County representative Katie Porter, had a ready answer to questions about whether she’d drop out if Harris runs — that she was not waiting to jump into the fray.
“This is a moment that calls for leadership, and I am not waiting,” Porter said on CNN last week — a contrast with Harris’ unformed plans that did not go unnoticed by many observers.
There are, of course, varying degrees of sharpened elbows. As one of the few Democrats who has said they will run regardless of Harris’ next move, Villaraigosa’s remarks — including a pointed reference to her truncated presidential campaign — are by far the most provocative against the former vice president, who would have a tremendous advantage in name identification and fundraising muscle if she enters the race.
Porter, meanwhile, has gone out of her way to speak fondly of Harris, who as state attorney general appointed Porter to monitor a landmark $18 billion mortgage settlement with major banks. She has made no demands on her former boss to speed up her decision, saying on a local television show that “the vice president has said it may take many, many months for her to make a decision, and respectfully she’s entitled to that time.”
Stagnation and Frustration
The stagnation comes at a particularly inopportune time: As Democratic base voters become increasingly galvanized in response to the actions of the Trump administration, the would-be contenders for governor have been largely absent, unable to channel that energy into a groundswell for their campaigns.
“With the field not defined yet, I think people are kind of struggling trying to figure out, ‘Who do we talk to? Who’s our leadership going to be?’” Yee said in an interview.
Subtle Pushback
That frustration, perhaps, has led to signs of subtle pushback by longtime allies such as Toni Atkins, the former state legislative leader who made a backhanded reference to Harris potentially eyeing a 2028 presidential bid.
“The next governor must absolutely want to serve as Governor for California and not see the job as a stop along the way,” Atkins said in a statement. “I launched my campaign for governor over a year ago because there is an urgent responsibility to meet with voters up and down the state and hear how they are impacted by the greatest challenges of our time.”
No one expects Harris to alter her decision timeline based on the grousing of other candidates. And if she does end up running, a process argument about whether she waited too long to get in is not likely to be compelling to the average voter.
Other candidates aren’t rushing to pile on the pressure. Eleni Kounalakis, California’s lieutenant governor, and state schools superintendent Tony Thurmond, both citing their personal friendships with Harris, said in respective statements they respect her timeline.
And Stephen Cloobeck, the hospitality magnate who is mounting a longshot bid, said that Harris “will do whatever she wants to do when she wants to do it” — and emphasized he’ll be staying in the race regardless.
As for the candidates calling on Harris to make a quick decision for the good of Californians, he said that altruistic motivation is “bullshit.” The real reason, he said, is because they’re itchy to know if they should stay in the race for governor or pursue a different office.
