California Republicans love to hate Kamala Harris.
Similarly, southern California Republican and Trump acolyte Richard Grenell has repeatedly suggested he’d jump into the race if Harris runs.
California remains a staunchly Democratic state in which 59 percent of voters chose Harris over Trump in 2024.
But, she said, Harris’ presence on the ticket could activate Republican donors who would otherwise see the race as a lost cause.
Several Republican political consultants and fundraisers echoed that point, saying Harris could galvanize Republican donors in California, who tend to direct their resources to more competitive states.
Kamala Harris is loved by California Republicans. They would adore it if she ran for governor.
In the deep blue state, Republicans have a very slim chance of winning a gubernatorial election. But GOP candidates are already benefiting tactically from Harris’s potential entry, as it gives them the opportunity to run against a well-known opponent who is likely to inspire conservative grassroots activists and donors.
The Democratic field is in a suspended animation as the former vice president has given herself until late summer to make a decision about running. The Republicans don’t wait. They are behaving as though Harris is already in the ring in voter speeches, fundraising emails, and interviews.
Harris is being cited as a prime example by conservative pundit Steve Hilton and firebrand Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, who have spearheaded campaigns centered on what they refer to as failed Democratic governance. They have both emphasized this point in Fox News appearances.
In a recent email appeal, Hilton warned donors that a Democratic “coronation” would be disastrous for the state and that Harris was stepping up his campaign. Harris “embodies the failures of the past,” he claimed in an interview. “”.
“I feel that this is the best chance for someone who hasn’t been a Democrat for at least 20 years to be elected statewide in California, and I think the obvious reason for that is the failure of one-party rule,” Hilton stated. Regardless of party affiliation, the change candidate is the one certain to win in 2026. The person who least embodies change is Kamala Harris. “”.
The growing strategy to target Harris is similar to that of other unlikely congressional candidates who faced off against Kevin McCarthy, Maxine Waters, and Nancy Pelosi. However, the governor’s race is taking place on a grander scale, allowing relatively unknown Republicans to capitalize on the same criticisms made by President Donald Trump against Harris. This generates attention from Trump and Fox News, as well as energizes donors.
Political consultant Dave Gilliard, a Republican who is not working for any gubernatorial candidates, stated, “I think it could attract some donors from around the country who might be interested in taking another pound in flesh.”. The donor community no longer believes a Republican can win the governorship, so money is the largest barrier aside from registration. “”.
Additionally, a Harris campaign might persuade Elon Musk to break his self-imposed sabbatical from political contributions, which would help close the Republican fundraising gap. Musk has shown contempt for Harris, who made fun of Musk’s unsuccessful attempt to intervene in a Wisconsin judicial race last month. Musk’s Super PAC representative declined to comment.
Similarly, Richard Grenell, a Republican and Trump supporter from southern California, has stated time and time again that he would enter the race if Harris did. Grenell, who remained silent when asked for comment, might be able to take advantage of a MAGA base that is keen to undercut Harris.
The chance to draw attention to what he described as Harris’ appalling criminal justice record would make Bianco “jump for joy.”. A popular tough-on-crime ballot measure has been supported by Californians in recent years, but Harris, a former California attorney general, stayed neutral on it.
Regarding Republicans’ enthusiasm for her candidacy, a Harris representative chose not to comment.
In 2024, Harris defeated Trump with 59 percent of the vote in California, a state that is still firmly Democratic. As Trump gained ground in blue areas and flipped purple counties, Harris, however, fell short of former President Joe Biden’s 2020 results statewide. Republicans think those results demonstrate Harris’ weakness and the persuasiveness of Latino and centrist voters.
“When she was running for president, she won in California and two statewide elections,” Bianco stated. However, Kamala Harris did not receive those votes. These votes were not in Donald Trump’s favor. “.”.
Harris would still offer significant advantages, including widespread brand awareness, a sizable war fund, and the capacity to rally the political elites of California. Additionally, she might win a primary where the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance, increasing the likelihood that she will easily defeat a Republican in the general election.
Democratic candidates have poured into the 2026 race as supporters and donors await her decision. One such candidate is former Rep. Xavier Becerra, the former secretary of health and human services, Katie Porter, and Lt. Gov. Kounalakis Eleni.
Dan Newman, a Democratic political consultant who collaborated with Harris’ California-based political consultants, texted, “If she’s beatable (and if she runs), it won’t be by a Republican.”. Republicans are unable to win statewide elections, at least for the time being. “.”.
Jessica Millan Patterson, the former chair of the California Republican Party, admitted in an interview that breaking Democrats’ monopoly on statewide office would be “an uphill battle.”. However, she asserted that Harris’ inclusion on the ticket might energize Republican donors who might otherwise dismiss the race as hopeless.
“We observed that in congressional elections, the candidates who were going to challenge Speaker McCarthy, Nancy Pelosi, or Devin Nunes were so despised by their rivals that they were able to raise a significant amount of money,” Patterson said.
That sentiment was echoed by a number of Republican political consultants and fundraisers, who claimed that Harris could inspire Republican donors in California, who typically allocate their funds to states with greater competition.
In 2018, for instance, Newsom amassed $40 million, plus over $12 million in outside funding, during his first run for governor, while his Republican opponent John Cox raised only $11 million from sources other than himself. This lack of interest ensures that Democrats enjoy overwhelming financial advantages.
Harris could alter that dynamic, but she could offset a Republican boost by leveraging the extensive California funding sources that fueled her statewide campaigns for Senate and Attorney General as well as a national fundraising network.
Furthermore, even though Trump’s 2024 performance improved on his 2020 performance, California voters strongly disapprove of his second-term policies. According to a statewide poll conducted in May by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, the president’s approval rating was only 30%, which is historically low.
In a candid interview, a seasoned Republican fundraiser from California who asked to remain anonymous said that Trump has made it more difficult for Republicans to continue making progress in the blue state, especially in a nationalized race.
As much as I believe you will gain from regular people who believe that we cannot continue to vote for Democrats because the state is being run into the ground, you also have a lot of people who are simply angry at Trump or DOGE. “”.
Even if Harris runs and wins easily, Republicans contend that they will have months to attack Harris and spread their message about the Democratic Party’s failures.
Even if she prevails, she could still feel humiliated, according to Republican political consultant Kevin Spillane, who oversaw Harris’ 2010 opponent for attorney general. “It might be a hollow triumph. “”.
