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Former Vice President Kamala Harris is seriously considering running for governor of California - and has set a deadline for making her decision.

At a party prior to last weekend's Oscars ceremony, Harris was asked by another guest when she would decide about running for governor of California. She gave a telling response, according to sources familiar with the conversation: by the end of summer.

In calls to supporters, allies, and trusted aides over the past few weeks, Harris has clearly expressed her intention to make a decision in a few months.

This schedule, reported for the first Time, clearly indicates that she may run for governor of California, which is open from Gavin Newsom in the Golden State. And, according to allies, a victory would almost certainly eliminate her chances for a presidential bid in 2028, which Harris is still contemplating.

Harris's aides note that she has long been interested in the idea of becoming the chief executive of the fifth-largest economy in the world and the first Black woman governor in America.

Her public appearances since leaving office suggest that she sees herself as a future leader of the Democratic Party - on one coast or the other.

In recent weeks, she appeared at the NAACP Image Awards ceremony to receive the chair's award. This weekend, she is heading to Las Vegas, which is one of the early primaries, to host a moderated discussion on artificial intelligence and talk with advisers about other ways to keep her name in the national conversation.

Harris also maintains her most senior and trusted aides in her newly formed organization, Pioneer49, including chief of staff Sheila Nix and senior advisers Kirsten Allen and Ike Irby. Senior advisers Brian Nelson and Minyon Moore, as well as White House Chief of Staff Lorraine Voles, remain key parts of her informal kitchen cabinet. Other senior aides in California are waiting for a signal from Harris to get involved. After her election defeat, Harris tells all her aides and allies to keep all possible avenues open.

'I am fighting in this fight,' she has repeated to allies in phone conversations and private meetings.

Harris has not yet gathered any formal conversations about running for governor.

Currently, the mere possibility of her leading the state has already prompted a search for alternative options for several Democratic candidates in California for the 2026 race. State Attorney General Rob Bonta plans to run again, telling POLITICO that he will not run for governor partly because of the likelihood of Harris clearing the field if she runs.

'I hope she does. I've already raised my hand to support her if she does,' Bonta said, 'but it's only Kamala Harris who has the answer.'

Former Democratic candidate Katie Porter, who is closely watching the race, has already stated she will not call out Harris in the state's primaries, where the two leading candidates, regardless of party, are heading to the November showdown.

Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, a close ally of Harris in California, who shares several leading consultants, will also step aside and is likely to run in a different state race if Harris runs. Others, such as former California state Senate leaders Toni Atkins, former Controller Betty Yee, and State Schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond have long supported Harris. Only former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has expressed satisfaction with remaining in the race, though even his closest associates have voiced doubts about those plans.

'Her popularity, her likability, her ability to run a successful campaign will have an impact on the field from the Democratic side,' Bonta said. 'If someone wants to stay, I would tell them: 'Do you have to go because she is clearing the field?' Of course not. They can run. I think they will lose, and I will support her.'