Kamala Harris Clings to History as Democrats Move On

Paul Riverbank, 12/10/2025Kamala Harris refuses to fade, fighting for influence and unity amid fierce Democratic party rivalries.

In an interview with the New York Times, Harris didn’t shy away from grand language. “There will be a marble bust of me in Congress,” she declared, referencing a longstanding tradition in the U.S. Senate where vice presidents are immortalized in stone, regardless of how their tenure ended. Most of Harris’s predecessors have waited for time and reflection before venturing such pronouncements. She, by contrast, brings it up now, making it an open part of her story—or, perhaps, her strategy.

On her ongoing book tour, Harris has found another stage for her themes of resilience and relevance. “Thousands of people are coming to hear my voice," she said while promoting her memoir, *107 Days*. The events—often energetic, sometimes raucous—have skirted the line between a literary tour and a campaign in waiting. Every stop, she insists, is sold out. It’s a refrain meant to counter any idea that public interest in her has faded, and for her supporters, it’s a spark of hope that suggests she’s far from finished with public life.

Behind the visible hustle, moves are being made that hint at ambitions less about retrospection and more about what comes next. There’s a new political action committee—Fight for the People—that her team has put together. She’s also negotiated access to a major Democratic National Committee email list, the sort of digital infrastructure campaigns covet. A push to expand her breadth of influence is clearly underway, and though Harris brushes off talk of 2028, she’s quietly marshaling the tools anyone would need for a future run. “It’s three years from now,” she told the Times when pressed about what’s next, voicing half-exasperation and half-calculated distance.

Still, she hasn't hesitated to revisit the chaos of her last campaign. In her book, Harris dwells on the relentless pace—a campaign “rushed,” as she called it—and muses that “more days” could have tipped the scales. Yet, Democratic data analyst David Shor has publicly pulled the curtain back on that logic, arguing that, statistically, greater turnout in 2024 might have benefited Donald Trump, not Harris, putting to rest any notion that time alone would have changed the outcome.

Public sentiment remains unmoved by Harris's efforts—at least, if polls are a reliable guide. Younger Democrats are already looking elsewhere: A Yale Youth Poll puts Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez well ahead of Harris among voters under 35. Across the larger party base, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom is currently outpacing her by seven points in potential primary matchups. These numbers, stark though they are, haven’t slowed her drive, but they do paint a picture of steep intra-party competition.

Then there’s the book itself, which pulls no punches. Harris openly criticizes Biden and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, venting frustrations over being saddled with politically hazardous assignments like the southern border. Shapiro’s response was swift and blunt: “I can tell you that her accounts are just blatant lies.” Such public dustups, while not new to politics, do little to smooth anxieties over Democratic unity—a fraught subject as the party eyes a pivotal crossroads.

For now, Harris seems determined to keep herself at the center of the story, not so much as a relic destined for a Senate hallway but as a living political force. The marble bust, she knows, is inevitable. What she wants—what she’s fighting for—is a legacy that means more than an inscription on stone, one grounded instead in contemporary relevance and future influence.

In the run-up to 2028, Democrats are anything but unified, uncertain whether to move left, rally around a centrist, or chart an altogether different course. One thing’s certain: Harris is not preparing to fade into political obscurity. Her insistence on narrative control—and her unwillingness to relinquish the spotlight—almost guarantees she’ll remain a central figure, for better or for worse. And for Republicans, who watched her struggle with key voter groups in 2024 and now see her dominating headlines once again, her persistence may prove to be an unexpected boon, giving them a familiar target even as the landscape shifts around her.

There are few figures in recent American politics who radiate self-certainty quite like Kamala Harris. Months after a bruising defeat in the 2024 election—both in the popular vote and the Electoral College, and with not a single major swing state in her column—Harris has chosen not to slip quietly from the scene. In fact, her response has bordered on defiant, drawing fresh attention to her place in political history.In an interview with the New York Times, Harris didn’t shy away from grand language. “There will be a marble bust of me in Congress,” she declared, referencing a longstanding tradition in the U.S. Senate where vice presidents are immortalized in stone, regardless of how their tenure ended. Most of Harris’s predecessors have waited for time and reflection before venturing such pronouncements. She, by contrast, brings it up now, making it an open part of her story—or, perhaps, her strategy.On her ongoing book tour, Harris has found another stage for her themes of resilience and relevance. “Thousands of people are coming to hear my voice," she said while promoting her memoir, *107 Days*. The events—often energetic, sometimes raucous—have skirted the line between a literary tour and a campaign in waiting. Every stop, she insists, is sold out. It’s a refrain meant to counter any idea that public interest in her has faded, and for her supporters, it’s a spark of hope that suggests she’s far from finished with public life.Behind the visible hustle, moves are being made that hint at ambitions less about retrospection and more about what comes next. There’s a new political action committee—Fight for the People—that her team has put together. She’s also negotiated access to a major Democratic National Committee email list, the sort of digital infrastructure campaigns covet. A push to expand her breadth of influence is clearly underway, and though Harris brushes off talk of 2028, she’s quietly marshaling the tools anyone would need for a future run. “It’s three years from now,” she told the Times when pressed about what’s next, voicing half-exasperation and half-calculated distance.Still, she hasn't hesitated to revisit the chaos of her last campaign. In her book, Harris dwells on the relentless pace—a campaign “rushed,” as she called it—and muses that “more days” could have tipped the scales. Yet, Democratic data analyst David Shor has publicly pulled the curtain back on that logic, arguing that, statistically, greater turnout in 2024 might have benefited Donald Trump, not Harris, putting to rest any notion that time alone would have changed the outcome.Public sentiment remains unmoved by Harris's efforts—at least, if polls are a reliable guide. Younger Democrats are already looking elsewhere: A Yale Youth Poll puts Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez well ahead of Harris among voters under 35. Across the larger party base, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom is currently outpacing her by seven points in potential primary matchups. These numbers, stark though they are, haven’t slowed her drive, but they do paint a picture of steep intra-party competition.Then there’s the book itself, which pulls no punches. Harris openly criticizes Biden and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, venting frustrations over being saddled with politically hazardous assignments like the southern border. Shapiro’s response was swift and blunt: “I can tell you that her accounts are just blatant lies.” Such public dustups, while not new to politics, do little to smooth anxieties over Democratic unity—a fraught subject as the party eyes a pivotal crossroads.For now, Harris seems determined to keep herself at the center of the story, not so much as a relic destined for a Senate hallway but as a living political force. The marble bust, she knows, is inevitable. What she wants—what she’s fighting for—is a legacy that means more than an inscription on stone, one grounded instead in contemporary relevance and future influence.In the run-up to 2028, Democrats are anything but unified, uncertain whether to move left, rally around a centrist, or chart an altogether different course. One thing’s certain: Harris is not preparing to fade into political obscurity. Her insistence on narrative control—and her unwillingness to relinquish the spotlight—almost guarantees she’ll remain a central figure, for better or for worse. And for Republicans, who watched her struggle with key voter groups in 2024 and now see her dominating headlines once again, her persistence may prove to be an unexpected boon, giving them a familiar target even as the landscape shifts around her.