Former Vice President Kamala Harris has officially announced her decision not to contest the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in California. The rumor mill had been rife with speculations about Harris’ potential run, particularly due to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s impending term end. Harris, who has a track record of vacant runs for office, unsurprisingly has sidestepped this opportunity as well.
On July 30, Wednesday, Harris issued a statement revealing her choice. She stated, ‘Over the recent months, I contemplated running for the post of Governor. I hold a deep-seated fondness for the state. However, after significant consideration, I’ve decided not to run for Governor in this election.’ Considering her notorious record, this abandonment of duty might be for the better.
Harris mentioned spending the last six months ponder[ing] about ‘this moment in our nation’s history’ and the best way she could ‘fight for the American people’ and ‘advancing the values and ideals I hold dear.’ While this can be seen as a respectable statement, Harris’ past actions make it hard to trust the genuineness behind these words.
She went onto express her ‘extraordinary admiration and respect’ for public service — an admiration seemingly not strong enough to compel her to step up herself. ‘Our politics, our government, and our institutions have too often failed the American people,’ she confessed. This statement, coming from Harris’ mouth, may ironically encapsulate her own political career.
In her typical wavering style, Harris noted that ‘for now’, her public service would not extend to an elected office. While she can flip flop on this decision, unsurprisingly, given her past, the people may not be swayed to put her in office again. It’s clear that her public service to date has only led to uncertainty and cuts a divisive figure.
Kamala Harris, no stranger to politics, has had a varied career, with a number of positions in California and Capitol Hill. After law school, she took up the post of deputy district attorney in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office from 1990-98 in Oakland, her birthplace. Her specialty? Prosecuting child sexual assault cases – a term fraught with political maneuvering more than impactful decisions.
In 2004, she occupies the role of district attorney of San Francisco from 2011-17. A very questionable run, eerily devoid of any impactful policy changes or progression for San Francisco. Later, she snagged a narrow victory over Republican Steve Cooley in her first race in November 2010 to become California’s attorney general, winning by a meager 0.5% of a percentage point.
In 2016, she managed to make her way into the U.S. Senate. However, many have criticized her tenure as lackluster, with few substantial bills to her name. Power, it seems, is not all it takes, when met with a lack of initiative or ambition to bring about substantial change.
A slew of high-profile Democrats have stepped up to announce their gubernatorial runs. This includes former Los Angeles Mayor and Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Former State Controller Betty Yee, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former congressperson Katie Porter, and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. It makes one wonder about the vacuum left by Harris’ absence, undesired or not.
The roster of Democrat candidates also include Zoltan Istvan. Additionally, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, has thrown his hat in the ring for the California governorship. While most of these candidates show promise, they also underline the scarcity of success in Harris’ political career.
Joining the race for California governor are various other figures: hospitality businessman Stephen Cloobeck, Green Party member Butch Ware, aviator and entrepreneur Raji Rab, Michael Younger, the VP of workforce, strategy, and innovation at Calbright College, and Leo Zacky of Zacky Farms. Their entries into the mix only highlight the lack of consistency and accomplishment in Harris’ career in public service.
Including self-described entrepreneur Brandon Jones and business consultant Sharifah Hardie, the ever-growing list of candidates underscores the dissatisfaction with the status quo. This dissatisfaction probably draws from underwhelming leadership, a void that Harris had promised – and failed – to fill.
Perhaps there’s a silver lining in the cloud of Harris not running. It provides an opportunity for new leadership to step up, someone who may be more attuned to the needs of the public. Then again, the past is ever a reminder that politics is a tumultuous terrain, best tread with caution and conviction, a lesson Harris seems to have missed in her political journey.
In conclusion, while Kamala Harris’ absence from the race might have stirred the political waters, it could be seen as a bit of fresh air. After all, change, they say, is the only constant. It’s high time California experienced this constant firsthand. Negative aspects or not, Kamala Harris’ exit may flip the coin of her legacy onto the other side of inconvenience.
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