‘Red Flashing Warning’: Chris Cillizza Explains Why ‘Kamala Harris Absolutely Should Not’ Launch 2028 Bid

NewsNation political contributor Chris Cillizza said Thursday that former Vice President Kamala Harris definitely should avoid making a 2028 presidential run based on current polling.

Multiple close Harris allies told The New York Times in an April 10 article that the former vice president was more interested in pursuing the California governorship in 2026 than the presidency again in 2028. Cillizza, on his YouTube channel, said Harris should run for governor rather than president, citing two new Democratic presidential polls in which she leads the field, but not in a commanding fashion. (RELATED: ‘Bunch Of Losers’: Dems’ Emerging 2028 Field May Not Bode Well For Liberals)

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“Kamala Harris absolutely should not — should not — run for president in 2028 … Any poll that’s done right now … is going to show Kamala Harris in first place,” Cillizza said. “Okay? And the reason for that is not because lots and lots and lots of people want Kamala Harris to be president again — Democrats, that is — but because they know her name more than they know the names of anybody else.”

“But there’s been two polls out in the last four  days that I think should be a bright siren, a red flashing warning for Kamala Harris as she looks at what she wants to run for next — and the presidency,” he continued.

Cillizza first referenced a Wednesday Zeteo/Data for Progress poll that found Harris leading with 18% support in a hypothetical Democratic presidential primary among likely Democratic primary voters. Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg had 14% support while Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker each had 12%.

He then referenced the Spring 2025 Yale Youth Poll, which found Harris leading the field with 27.5% support among Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters. Ocasio-Cortez had 21.3% support, while Buttigieg had 14% and other Democrats failed to obtain over 5% support.

“Alright, what conclusion should you draw from that? You should draw the conclusion that despite the fact that Kamala Harris is totally known by Democrats in this country, somewhere between 1/5 and less than a third of Democrats say, ‘Yes, I would vote for her.’ So 28% in the Yale polling, 18% in the Zeteo/Data for Progress polling,” Cillizza said. “That is not a good sign. Right?”

The NewsNation political contributor asserted that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was polling at around 60% in 2013 and completely dominating the field of potential Democratic presidential candidates.

“Kamala Harris is at 28% and 18%. Now, I’ve seen her as high as sort of the mid-30s in some of this very early 2028 polling,” he said. “But if I’m her campaign or people advising her, I look at that and I say: ‘You’re totally known. Right? So you’re much better known than any of these other people. You’re better known than Pete Buttigieg, you’re better known than AOC, you’re better known than Cory Booker, and yet you’re basically running even or close to even with these people.’ That does not bode well.”

Cillizza argued that since Harris is already well-known, she is unlikely to persuade voters to support her. He said other candidates who are less known will have the opportunity to sway more voters.

“So if I’m Harris’ campaign, I look at this early, early polling and I say, ‘This is not telling me I can’t win, but it is suggesting that at least right now, there is not a clamor within the Democratic Party for me,’” he said.

Therefore, Cillizza said Harris should seek the California governorship in 2026, arguing she would be much more likely to win that race.

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