POLL: California insiders say ‘meh’ to a potential Kamala Harris for governor run

Political influencers in California are greeting Kamala Harris’ potential bid for governor with a shrug, while registered voters in the state react more passionately — in good and bad ways — to her possible candidacy, according to a in a first-of-its-kind poll from POLITICO and UC Berkeley’s Citrin Center.

Insiders reported feeling “indifferent” more than any other emotion to a hypothetical Harris run, while registered voters were more likely to characterize their reaction as “joyful,” “outraged” or “hopeless.”

The survey question, while focused only on attitudes about Harris, offers a broader snapshot into the mindset of California voters as the state prepares for its first open contest for the governor’s mansion in eight years — and hints at both upsides and vulnerabilities for the former vice president.