What Will Kamala Harris Do Now? Next Steps After Election Defeat

Vice President Kamala Harris has been unsuccessful in her bid to become the next president, and come January 20, 2025 she will be out of political office for the first time since 2004.

Harris has served as San Francisco District Attorney, California’s Attorney General and the Golden State’s junior senator, before being elected vice president in 2020, scoring a number of historic firsts along the way: first woman, African American and Indian American in either of the former two offices and the latter. She was also the first Indian American senator.

When President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance enter the White House early next year, Harris’ 20 year run of uninterrupted public service will be broken- but that doesn’t mean she won’t return to the political scene in the future. In her concession speech on November 6, Harris said, “I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign—the fight: the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.”

With that in mind, Newsweek takes a look at the Democrat’s potential next moves.

Run for President Again

It’s a bold choice, but it worked for Trump. Names for the top of the Democratic ticket in 2028 are already being thrown around, and while Harris may appear to be damaged goods at the moment, four years is a long time to improve public opinion. And final projected results in some of 2024’s crucial swing states look very close: Trump won by 0.9 percentage points in Wisconsin, 1.4 in Michigan and two points in Pennsylvania, according to the Associated Press.

By the end of his second term, Trump will no longer be eligible to run for president, having exhausted the two-term limit in office, meaning both the Democratic and Republican nominees will be someone who hasn’t been president yet (assuming President Joe Biden doesn’t make a surprise comeback).

Rerunning for office repeatedly worked for Biden, who took two unsuccessful shots at the presidency before he was finally elected, and it has also demonstrably worked for Trump himself. If Harris is confident in her ability to lead, another attempt to win the White House could be on the cards next cycle.

Run for Governor

If four years is too long to wait, an opportunity for leadership could come up sooner a little closer to home.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is one of the names being mentioned for the Democrats’ 2028 presidential nomination, is retiring at the end of his term in 2026, as California state law has a two-term limit on the governorship.

This means that the Democratic primary for the gubernatorial election will be widely contested, and Harris’ high name recognition, fundraising power and California credentials would make her a strong contender if she wanted to enter the race to lead her home state.

As one of the bluest states in the U.S., the winner of the Democratic primary is widely expected to win the general election there.

Start a Foundation

While starting a charity or organization is usually reserved for former presidents, there’s nothing stopping Harris from forming her own foundation to tackle the issues she has campaigned on.

Foundations have been a reliable way for retired commanders-in-chief to stay relevant. Despite a lackluster presidency, former President Jimmy Carter’s foundation, which provides international aid across a wide range of policy areas, has drastically improved Carter’s public image since his single term in office.

The Carter Center, which builds sustainable housing and prevents disease spreading in developing countries, led to the former president winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Unsuccessful presidential nominees have also set up companies for specific issues, with former Vice President Al Gore, who narrowly lost to George W. Bush in 2000, establishing the Alliance for Climate Protection post-vice presidency.

Gore had campaigned heavily on green issues throughout his political career and presidential campaign, and the non-profit was an extension of that focus. Harris could be tempted to do something similar on her core issues, such as women’s rights.

Retire

A presidential campaign is an exhausting process, and Harris may decide that 20 years of public service across all three branches of government is enough.

Hillary Clinton made a similar calculation after losing the 2016 presidential election. After a long history in the Senate representing New York and a place in former President Barack Obama’s cabinet as secretary of state, Clinton has focused her efforts since her defeat to writing books, speaking tours and founding Onward Together, a political action organization aimed at advancing progressive values and supporting like-minded groups.

The outgoing vice president might decide that path is the most appealing as well.

Newsweek reached out to the Harris campaign for comment via email outside normal working hours.

What Can Kamala Harris Learn from Richard Nixon?

After losing the 1960 presidential election to John F. Kennedy, then-Vice President Richard Nixon initially returned to California and re-entered legal practice. He remained politically active, campaigning for Republican candidates and speaking at events.

In 1962, Nixon ran for governor of California but lost to incumbent Pat Brown. Following this defeat, he famously told the press, “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore,” signaling what many thought was his exit from politics. Nixon moved to New York and joined a prestigious law firm, where he built connections with influential political and business figures.

During this period, he traveled extensively, enhancing his expertise in foreign policy. By 1968, he successfully rebuilt his political base, appealing to a conservative and discontented electorate. Nixon capitalized on the turbulent social climate and divisions over the Vietnam War, positioning himself as a unifier promising “law and order.”

This strategic comeback led to his successful presidential campaign in 1968, where he defeated Vice President Hubert Humphrey to become the 37th president of the United States.

Nixon’s post-1960 years were marked by resilience and strategic maneuvering, ultimately setting the stage for his return to power.

Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about Vice President Kamala Harris or the U.S. election? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.