Vice President Kamala Harris continues to be wary of her home state’s Governor politiocal ambitions ….
She should be…
Newsom seemed to be warming up for a run against Biden a while ago….
But now seems to be lending Biden a hand….
Harris. as VP, is having problems projecting in the media 2 1/2 years into the Biden term as President….
Harris and Newsom have known each other for decades. They came up together in San Francisco politics, a rough and tumble environment where they both not only succeeded but thrived. They are around the same age – Newsom is 55, Harris is 58. And as young, up-and-coming leaders, they were often mentioned in the same local society pages and the same sentences, with operatives and donors gaming out their careers years before they found their current roles.
There was even reporting in the early 2000s that some tension between the two rising pols stemmed from Kimberly Guilfoyle – then Newsom’s wife and currently Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancee – and a call where Harris reportedly looked to deny the future television personality a job in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. The former Harris adviser said some of the tension stemmed from the awkwardness of that exchange.
Newsom “inherited beef,” one former Harris aide said. …
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Multiple other Democrats close to Harris acknowledged a growing unease from the vice president’s world about the governor’s growing profile.
That unease does not extend to the Biden campaign, however, where operatives are pleased with the governor’s work and have been routinely made aware of his media appearances on behalf of the campaign – including his plan to debate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Part of the problem is that while Newsom has found success, Harris has largely failed to find her footing as vice president. But few believe the frustration is coming from Harris directly….
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There was some speculation that both would run for president in 2020. But Newsom never entered the race and Harris’ campaign was short-lived.
Newsom has also repeatedly said he will not run for president in 2024, even if Biden decides not to seek re-election.
“If Joe Biden keels over tomorrow, God forbid, is Gavin Newsom all of the sudden going to be anointed by the DNC? No,” said a former Harris adviser. “It’s going to be hers.”
There is also a sense among Democratic operatives, including those with ties to both Harris and Newsom, that any angling for 2028 is premature given just how much can and will change between now and a future run for president – all of which may stop Newsom and Harris from ever running against each other….