Many of Kamala Harris' supporters and detractors alike think she'd have better odds running for California governor rather than president a third time.
There are several reasons for Harris to make a bid to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. She would immediately become the early front-runner instead of entering a presidential primary with a dozen or more serious contenders. No other candidate in California could match her resume of having served as San Francisco district attorney, state attorney general, U.S. senator and vice president.
Beyond being expected to make a decision by the end of summer, Harris said little about her future. She told a crowd in Orange County in April: "I'll see you out there. I'm not going anywhere."
Newsom has predicted that Harris would top the field in a contested primary but added, "if she runs."
To run for governor, "you have to have a burning 'Why?' " Newsom said on the "Next Up with Mark Halperin" podcast.