Democrats are desperate about the prospect of Kamala Harris becoming the 2024 nominee if President Biden does not seek a second term, insiders told the Post. This month, three polls show that more than 50 percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Harris, and that will likely only increase if Republicans take back the House.
“Her main problem is not being a woman or mixed race, her problem is she has low ratings just like President Biden,” said Larry Sabato, a politics professor at the University of Virginia. “If Biden were riding sky high, she would be doing relatively well as well. She would be seen as a popular successor carrying on a popular president’s mandate.”
Political donors – each of whom requested anonymity to speak freely – are also upset. “She seems completely useless. No one involved in this administration should be in the running,” one important Democratic donor told The Post.
Democratic insiders were concerned about Harris’ own failed 2020 presidential campaign, in which she dropped out in December 2019, with an effort widely disparaged at the time as disorganized and torn by infighting.
Since her election, those problems have continued to simmer, with her vice president’s office frequently in the news for staff turnover, with at least a dozen departures. In April alone, she lost her chief of staff and deputy chief of staff. Staff members anonymously said the internal atmosphere was “dour,” “chaotic” and that they were “treated like c**p.”
“She doesn’t know how to build a staff that has a common purpose. You see a lot of her staffers are doing their own thing. There is little guidance from her and it just looks messy all the time and all she can do when asked about it publicly and privately is giggle,” complained a top Democratic staffer on capitol hill.
“I just don’t think people are seeing her as a serious contender,” he added. “If she weren’t the vice president she wouldn’t even been ON the list.”
Unseating Harris, however, will not be easy.
As a sitting vice president, most agree that Harris is an immediate favorite in any potential open Democratic primary. She would enter any contest with the highest name recognition, which would provide a critical boost in early fundraising. If Biden does not run again, 31 percent of voters said they would support her for the top job, according to a December Morning Consult poll.
Other than Harris, the list of 2024 Democratic contenders could include New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is reportedly eyeing it, and California Governor Gavin Newsom, but neither has wide national support. Senator Bernie Sanders, 80 (I-Vermont), who recently suffered a heart attack, has not ruled out a third White House bid.
The GOP primary is also in play. Polls have consistently shown that former President Trump will win if he were to seek the nomination in 2024, but there is also mounting enthusiasm around Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.