Kamala Harris may be one of the highest-profile names left in the Democratic Party—but that doesn’t mean anyone wants her around.
According to Politico, Harris is quietly eyeing a 2026 run for governor of California. And if the reaction from donors and Democratic insiders is any indication, the excitement is… nonexistent.
Even after serving as Vice President to the man who supposedly received the most votes in U.S. history Harris is struggling to generate any enthusiasm in the most Democrat-friendly state in the country. That alone says a lot.
“In interviews, several major donors in the state told POLITICO they fear her reemergence as a candidate would re-open still-fresh wounds from her defeat in 2024,” the outlet reported.
Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign was nothing short of a disaster. She raised a staggering $1.5 billion in just 15 weeks—only to burn through it almost as fast. The money reportedly went to celebrity endorsements and paying people to attend rallies, and the end result was a crushing loss to President Donald Trump… and about $20 million in campaign debt.
Even some of Harris’s longtime donors have had enough.
“Kamala just reminds you we are in this complete shit storm,” one anonymous California mega-donor told Politico. “With Biden, we got bamboozled… I think she did the best she could in that situation, but obviously she knew about the cognitive decline too.”
That same donor added: “I’ve written so many checks because I knew the Trump administration would be horrible, but we’re living in a nightmare because of the Democrats. I’m furious at them, truly.”
The frustration isn’t limited to donors. Democratic fundraisers who have worked directly with Harris say the enthusiasm just isn’t there anymore.
“There was more enthusiasm at first,” said Mather Martin, a San Francisco-based fundraiser. “I think it waned a bit.” If Harris leads the pack in the upcoming governor’s race, Martin said bluntly: “No one is incredibly pumped.”
That’s a problem for Democrats. Harris isn’t just another politician—she’s widely seen as one of the party’s national leaders. And if Democratic voters in California—the bluest of the blue—are already exhausted by her, it’s a sign of a deeper party-wide identity crisis.
The money—or lack thereof—tells the same story.
Even some of the most committed liberal donors are now keeping their wallets closed, unwilling to invest in a party they feel has lost direction. The result: a Democratic Party teetering on financial instability.
Reports now suggest the Democratic National Committee is facing a major cash crunch, with top officials even considering loans just to keep operations running.
? JUST IN: The Democrat Party is almost OUT OF CASH, and could need to borrow money just to keep the lights on soon, per NYT
You mean Americans DON’T want to give money to a party who assauIts ICE agents and only fights for illegals?!?
Who would’ve thought?! ? pic.twitter.com/ycPn7CzMJx
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 18, 2025
It’s a remarkable turn for a party that once prided itself on its well-oiled fundraising machine. And while 2026 is still a long way off, the cracks are already showing.
Kamala Harris may have once been positioned as the future of the party. But after a failed presidential run, record campaign spending, and plummeting enthusiasm, even her own side isn’t buying it anymore.
The Democrats are learning the hard way: you can’t run a party on hype, hashtags, and Hollywood endorsements forever.
And now, after years of calling the shots, they’re watching the spotlight turn cold.