Kamala Harris may be gearing up for another shot at the White House. The former vice president told supporters on April 10 that she is “thinking about” seeking the Democratic nomination in 2028, delivering her clearest indication yet that she intends to mount a second presidential campaign.
Speaking at the National Action Network convention in New York City, Harris responded to a direct question from Rev. Al Sharpton about her White House ambitions. “Listen, I might. I might. I’m thinking about it,” she told the crowd. She emphasized her readiness for the role, citing her 4 years a heartbeat from the presidency and countless hours in the West Wing and Situation Room. “I know what the job is, and I know what it requires,” she said.
The reception Harris received at the Manhattan ballroom event demonstrated her continued popularity among a key segment of the Democratic base. She earned the loudest cheers of any potential 2028 contender who appeared at the conference, with chants of “Run again!” greeting her as she took the stage.
Sharpton highlighted Harris’s historic role as the first Black and South Asian woman to receive a major party nomination in U.S. history. He also pointed out that Harris received approximately 75 million votes in 2024, more than former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton earned in their winning campaigns.
Harris has been traveling across the United States to support Democrats, particularly throughout the South. In October 2025, she told the BBC she would “possibly” run for president in the future, but April 10 comments left little doubt about her intentions.
During her appearance, Harris didn’t shy away from attacking President Trump’s foreign policy. She criticized his “America First” approach, arguing that it withdraws from international relationships and connections. Harris also called the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran a “war of choice,” blaming Trump for starting an unnecessary conflict and for alienating long-standing U.S. allies. Then she adopted what she described as a mob boss persona: “So, then he’s kind of like, ‘Oh, well, you know, you take Eastern Europe, and I’ll take the Western Hemisphere.'”
The mimicry prompted swift criticism online. “Add ‘mafia boss’ to Kamala Harris’ list of embarrassing accents,” a Republican campaign account wrote. Harris, who was born in Oakland and grew up in Berkeley, California, sometimes adopted a southern accent while campaigning in 2024, drawing mockery from conservatives.
Harris also urged Black voters to be “transactional” with their votes in 2028, telling the audience to expect something in return for their support and to make clear demands of candidates seeking their votes.
President Trump defeated Harris in the 2024 presidential election, securing 312 Electoral College votes compared to her 226, after President Joe Biden stepped aside under heavy pressure from party leaders and endorsed her.
The convention showcased the competitive landscape Harris would face if she entered the race. A parade of potential 2028 candidates appeared at the event, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, California Rep. Ro Khanna, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
The contrast between Harris and other hopefuls was stark. Buttigieg spoke shortly after Harris left the stage and received soft applause from about a half-full room. Many attendees streamed out of the packed auditorium after Harris’s speech to grab selfies with the former vice president, leaving other candidates to address diminished crowds.
Very early polling of a potential 2028 presidential race shows Harris at the top of the Democratic field nationally. A March 2026 Center Square poll of Democrats and left-leaning independents put her at 31 percent, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom second at 16 percent. However, a Berkeley IGS/LA Times poll found Harris in fourth place among California Democrats at just 9 percent, trailing Newsom (28 percent), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (14 percent), and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (11 percent) — a notable weakness given that California is her political home state. Analysts note her national lead partly reflects higher name recognition compared to other potential candidates.
Despite the enthusiasm at Sharpton’s conference, some Democratic operatives and donors privately express skepticism about another Harris campaign. Party insiders worry that her ties to the Biden administration could undermine Democrats’ need for a fresh direction after losing the White House. Harris previously dropped out of the 2020 presidential race before the start of the primary calendar and was later picked as Biden’s vice presidential nominee.
The Democrats’ next presidential primary season won’t begin in earnest until after November’s midterm elections, but the April 10 conference showcased party leaders already jockeying for position in what promises to be a crowded competition.
In the weeks since the Sharpton event, Harris has continued to raise her profile. On April 25, 2026, she delivered the keynote address at the Arkansas Democratic Party’s Fisher Shackelford Dinner in Little Rock, billed as her first keynote since the 2024 election loss. Speaking to a packed ballroom at the Statehouse Convention Center, Harris called for a “revival of the American dream” and faulted both parties for failed economic policies, telling the audience that “Democrats never bought into trickle-down [economics]. That was Ronald Reagan’s doing. But plenty of Democrats did buy into the flawed assumptions behind it.” She urged her party to plan how it would govern after President Trump leaves office, and outlined an agenda that includes student-centered education reform, a tax code prioritizing labor over wealth, and new regulations for artificial intelligence and social media. Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott presented her with a key to the city.
For now, Harris told supporters she’s weighing her decision carefully, considering who can best serve the American people. “I’ll keep you posted,” she said, leaving the door wide open for another run at the nation’s highest office.