Should Kamala Harris run for governor of California?

That’s our Question of the Week for readers.

Plus: If she were to run, would you vote for her? If she were to run, would she win?

Simple name recognition is a big factor in electoral success in any political race. That’s why candidates put out lawn signs with just their monikers on them — Jane Jones for Congress. And Harris, the current vice president of the United States and recent Democratic Party nominee for president, without a doubt has more name recognition than anyone else in California considering a campaign to replace the termed-out Gavin Newsom as governor in two years.

Quick, name our state’s current lieutenant governor!

Well, it’s true that Eleni Kounalakis has a name with Greek heritage that may be hard for some to remember. But it’s also hard for the second-in-command in the executive branch in Sacramento to make much of a splash outside of the capital city in a state as sprawling and diverse as our own. And it’s also true that, while Gray Davis and Newsom played that role before ascending, they were two of only three lieutenant governors in the state’s history to ascend to the top job.

Tony Thurmond, Toni Atkins, Betty Yee and Antonio Villaraigosa have all declared. Rob Bonta and Katie Porter have expressed interest.

Would Kamala Harris simply bigfoot them if she were to declare? Would voters consider her recent run for the presidency — which failed in the end, but certainly was spirited — a plus or a minus when it comes to the state job?

Though most of the votes are down here, many governors have come from Northern California. Harris grew up in the Bay Area but now lives in Los Angeles. Is that a plus for her potential candidacy?

How do you think she would handle the job? She has managerial experience as a DA and an AG. Would she be a successful governor? How would she compare with Newsom? Do you think she learned some things in the hectic presidential campaign? If elected in ‘26, how would she interact with President Donald Trump?

Email your thoughts to opinion@scng.com. Please include your full name and city or community of residence. Provide a daytime phone number (it will not be published).