Suspense over whether former Vice President Kamala Harris will jump into California’s 2028 gubernatorial race is effectively freezing the field in her home state as Democrats weigh potential successors for term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).

Harris has shrugged off the chatter and has yet to signal her post-White House plans, but she’s nevertheless topping early polls, and her potential to take the frontrunner slot looms over other candidates.

“The race is on hold until she makes her decision,” California Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio said. “It's been very difficult for the other candidates to raise money, get endorsements … and it’s had an impact on all the other offices in the state, because they're sort of dominoes.”

Fresh off her loss in November's presidential race, Harris faces questions about her next political move.

She has deep ties to the Golden State, having served as San Francisco district attorney and then state attorney general; she is the first woman, first African American and first Asian American in both offices. She went on to represent California in the Senate until she was tapped to join the Biden administration.

“VP Harris has dedicated her career to the American people over the last several decades, and it’s clear she is not done serving,” a former Harris aide told The Hill. “No matter what path she decides moving forward, she will have an army of people ready to support her.”

Harris pushed aside questions about a gubernatorial run in early February as she visited areas impacted by the Palisades Fire, stressing she’d just gotten back from her tenure in Washington and wanted to connect with her community.

But Harris’s experience, national name recognition and major fundraising chops position her well for a statewide campaign.

“She’d be the presumptive favorite,” Maviglio said. “I don’t think there’s anybody that would........

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