Kamala Harris’ Favorability Down Post-Presidential Election

Since the election, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance’s favorability ratings have hovered around where they were before the election, around net even favorability. However, Vice President Kamala Harris’ favorability has fallen significantly, and some Democrats are now questioning whether she should run for office again in the future.

In The Economist/YouGov polling, which has conducted weekly surveys since the election with around 1,500 adult respondents, Harris was seen as favorable by 48% and unfavorable by 48% in the poll conducted just before election day. Immediately after the election, her favorability fell slightly to 47%, with 51% unfavorable. In the most recent poll, conducted from Dec. 29-31, Harris’ favorability stood at 43%, with 52% unfavorable. Meanwhile, Trump’s favorability has remained steady at 49% immediately after election day and in the most recent poll.

Most of the dip in support for Harris came from those who classified themselves as “moderate,” with 57% viewing her favorably in the pre-election poll, compared to only 39% in the latest poll. There was also a smaller dip among Harris voters as well, as 94% viewed her favorably before the election, and 89% did in recent polling.

Looking ahead, while it may seem premature to consider the 2028 Democratic presidential primary before Trump is even sworn in, some pollsters have already asked which candidates Americans favor. Despite her drop in approval, Harris remains the frontrunner with 37% support in an Emerson College poll. Others, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, garnered 7% and 4% support, respectively. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also had 3% support each, meaning some might want them to throw their hats in the rings.

Such early polls should be taken with a grain of salt, as they largely reflect name recognition rather than likely voting outcomes. They also fail to account for potential candidates who may emerge later, such as Trump in 2016 or co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency Vivek Ramaswamy, who was politically unknown before his bid for the Republican presidential primary but has established himself as one of the major players in the Republican party.

Another option for Harris is to return to California and run for governor in 2026 to replace Gavin Newsom, who cannot run again due to the state’s two-term limit. Harris has previously won multiple statewide races in California, serving as attorney general from 2011 to 2017 and as U.S. senator from 2017 to 2021.

Some prominent California Democrats have pushed back against the idea of Harris running for governor of California, however. Ana Kasparian, co-host of the progressive radio and YouTube show The Young Turks, expressed great concern about the possibility. “I’m going to move. I’m going to quit my job, and I’m going to move … This state cannot survive another incompetent Democrat leading it,” she said on the show.