Kamala Harris returns to the campaign with eyes on the elections of 2028

A the first trip will be to Michigan, where he will participate in an initiative to support Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the Senate, following campaigning in Nevada and Georgia.

The choice of Michigan has particular political significance for Harris, as it was one of the seven decisive states that lost to the now President Donald Trump in the 2024 elections and now joins the group of six states that will begin the next process of choosing the Democratic candidate for the White House.

The former vice president remains one of the best-known figures of the Democratic Party, but a possible new candidacy divides leaders and militants of political formation, after failing to defeat Trump when he replaced Joe Biden in the presidential race of 2024.

“ I think her cycle is over,” said Barry Goodman, a member of the National Democratic Committee for Michigan, who raised funds for Biden and later for Harris, quoted by the United States Associated Press (AP).

Some Democratic candidates, especially in states where Trump won by wide margin, have refused to campaign alongside the former vice president.

Other leaders argue, however, that Harris should be able to assess without pressure a possible presidential candidacy.

“Kamala has no deadline to decide whether to run for office,” said Donna Brazile, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and responsible for Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000.

Brazile considered a “loss of time” to continue to discuss the 2024 campaign and argued that potential White House candidates should follow Harris’ example and support democrats in the mid-term elections.

The visit to Michigan could also expose internal differences of the Democratic Party, particularly around the war in the Gaza Strip.

During the 2024 campaign, the Arab-American communities of the state expressed strong discontent with Biden's support for Israeli military operations and Harris' decision not to depart from that position.

El-Sayed, on the contrary, is a critic of Israel and described the war in Gaza as a genocide against the Palestinians, an accusation rejected by the Israeli authorities.

The visit of the former vice president therefore represents an opportunity to “unite communities that have often been divided by recent events,” El-Sayed said.

Harris' presence will also be observed by the progressive wing of the party, with which the former vice president maintains a difficult relationship.

Harris' campaign agenda has been more limited than that of other potential presidential candidates, including Pete Buttigieg, Biden's former Transport Secretary, who recently visited South Carolina and has participated in actions to support Democratic candidates.

Harris was in South Carolina in the spring, but only for smaller local party events, and recently participated in an initiative aimed at mobilizing another million black voters.

In addition to Michigan, Harris is expected to participate in campaign actions in Nevada, in support of state government Democratic candidate Aaron Ford, and Georgia, where Senator Jon Ossoff seeks re-election.