Kamala Harris 'Needs' to 'Sit Out' of 2028 Presidential Election And Let Someone Else 'Save Our Democracy,' Biden Surrogate Warns: 'People Just Want to Move On'

Fletcher Smith, a former South Carolina state legislator and 2020 surrogate for Joe Biden, stated that former Vice President Kamala Harris should "sit out" the 2028 presidential election.

Speaking to The Washington Post, Smith said that many voters and party figures want to move on from her 2024 presidential campaign defeat.

“People just want to move on. We’ve got a number of younger generation people who are capable of leading — we’ve got governors, we’ve got congresspeople, we have senators. I think what she needs to do is sit out 2028 and let some other people have a shot at saving our democracy,” Smith told the WaPo.

According to the WaPo, “It is that her candidacy could pull Democrats back toward a painful political era before they have fully reckoned with what happened and how to move beyond it.”

Although Harris has not stated an intent to run, she hasn’t ruled it out either, saying last spring that she was “thinking about it.”

Some strategists and party insiders argue that Harris carries too much political baggage from her 2024 loss to Donald Trump.

Critics also point to her past inability to distance herself from Biden-era inflation and immigration issues.

Strategists have cautioned that if she runs, she must meet past criticisms head-on, embrace a more moderate platform and show humility about previous campaign mistakes.

Conversely, prominent Democratic figures — including former DNC Chair Donna Brazile and a network of influential Black women leaders — argue that Harris has earned the time and space to weigh her options without being rushed.

Ashley Etienne, Harris’ former communications director, agrees.

“It’s almost like, why not her? She has proven, unlike anyone else in the race, that she’s got these advantages that will matter in a national election,” Etienne expressed.

Highlighting her enduring institutional support, California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently confirmed he would not seek the 2028 nomination if Harris decides to run.

“I think she is a great candidate, but I don’t want to see Harris run,” David Wilson retired educator from St. Louis, told WaPo. “She already lost, and I don’t think there is a practical purpose when you have a lot of good candidates to put up a loser a second time around. I want new ideas.”