Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not throw her hat in the ring to become California’s next governor after her failed presidential bid last year.
“I love this state, its people, and its promise. It is my home,” Harris said in a statement Wednesday. “But after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for Governor in this election.”
Californians are expected to choose a replacement for term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026.
Since President Donald Trump retook the White House, Harris had been rumored to be a serious contender for her state’s governor’s mansion. She had reportedly given herself a deadline to make a decision by the end of summer.
In her statement, the former vice president said she has spent the last six months “reflecting on this moment in our nation’s history, and the best way for me to continue fighting for the American people and advancing the values and ideals I hold dear.”
“I am a devout public servant, and from the earliest days of my career, I have believed that the best way I could make a difference in people’s lives and fight for a better future was to improve the system from within,” Harris said, adding that it had been an honor to fill the roles that defined her career.
Harris became a California state prosecutor in 2004 and later, in 2011, the state’s attorney general. She won a seat in the US Senate in 2016 as a replacement for Sen. Barbara Boxer. In August 2020, former President Joe Biden picked her as his running mate after she dropped her own bid for the presidency.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.