Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has begun rebuilding ties with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, in what Axios describes as a potential early move towards a 2028 presidential campaign.
According to the report, Harris held a private phone call last week with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, during which they discussed the future of the Democratic Party and agreed to meet for a longer discussion at a later date. The conversation came just two days after candidates backed by Mamdani secured victories in three congressional races in New York, further strengthening his influence within the party’s progressive movement.
Reaching Out to Progressive and Pro Palestine Figures
Harris’s outreach extends beyond Mamdani. Axios reports that in recent months she has held a series of private meetings with progressive figures, including pro Palestine activists and several leaders of the Uncommitted Movement, which emerged in protest against former President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Outreach Following Political Criticism
As part of these efforts, Harris met in Detroit with Abbas Alawieh, a co founder of the Uncommitted Movement and a current candidate for the Michigan State Senate.
Alawieh said he reiterated his opposition to using “American taxpayer dollars to target civilians or destroy entire communities.” He also told Harris that families in his electoral district had lost relatives in Gaza as a result of Israeli air strikes backed by the United States.
Harris has also spoken with James Zogby, a longtime member of the Democratic National Committee and one of the party’s most prominent advocates for Palestinian rights. In addition, she has met with former officials and Democratic policy experts to discuss a broader range of issues, including China, artificial intelligence and Venezuela.
According to Axios, these efforts follow criticism Harris faced during the 2024 election campaign, when she declined to distance herself from Biden’s support for Israel. That stance weakened her relationship with many Arab American voters and progressive constituencies.
Continued Scepticism Among Pro Palestine Voices
Palestinian American political strategist Rania Batrice questioned Harris’s recent outreach, saying:
“Why should we trust her now? If this change is genuine, she has an opportunity to prove it. Until then, scepticism is not only understandable, it is justified.”
In her 2025 book 107 Days, Harris revealed that she had “pleaded” with Biden to show greater compassion towards Palestinian civilians. She wrote that he was unable to do so, adding that his public remarks regarding Palestinian casualties felt “insufficient and forced”.
Despite these disclosures, many pro Palestine voices remain unconvinced. Batrice repeated that any shift in Harris’s position must be demonstrated through concrete action rather than political messaging.
Looking Ahead to 2028
Axios concludes that Harris continues to lead, or remain among the leading contenders, in early Democratic Party polling for the 2028 presidential election.
However, she also faces significant challenges within her own party due to perceptions of inconsistent political positions, as well as broader doubts about her ability to win a general election, despite maintaining strong support among Democratic voters across the southern United States.
