Harris Reaches Toward Democratic Socialists and Anti-Israel Left Ahead of 2028

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has privately reached out to democratic socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and pro-Palestinian activists as she weighs a possible 2028 presidential run, according to Axios.

The outreach comes as democratic socialists and anti-Israel progressives gain influence inside Democratic primaries. For Harris, who remains near the top of early 2028 polling, the moves suggest an effort to bring the party’s left wing closer instead of running against it.

According to Axios, Harris called Mamdani last Thursday to discuss the future of the Democratic Party and plan a longer conversation. The call came two days after candidates backed by Mamdani swept three congressional races in New York City, defeating two incumbents.

“The vice president reached out to have a conversation, and we’ve had a brief conversation,” Mamdani told SiriusXM’s “The Clay Cane Show” on Wednesday. “We’ve been in touch over the last few months, and I really do appreciate her outreach.”

Mamdani is one of the most prominent democratic socialist figures in the party and a sharp critic of Israel. His recent primary success has strengthened the argument among Democrats that the party’s left wing cannot be ignored heading into 2028.

Harris and her team have also been reaching out to pro-Palestinian activists over the past year. Axios reported that she met last week in Detroit with Abbas Alawieh, a co-founder of the Uncommitted Movement, which grew out of opposition to former President Joe Biden’s policy on the war in Gaza.

Alawieh, who is now running as a Democrat for a Michigan state Senate seat, said Harris requested the meeting after months of private conversations she initiated. He said he told her that “American tax dollars must never be used to target civilians and destroy entire communities.”

Harris also recently spoke with James Zogby, a longtime Democratic National Committee member and advocate for Palestinian rights, according to Axios. Zogby and spokespeople for Harris and Mamdani declined to comment.

The outreach follows tensions from the 2024 campaign, when many pro-Palestinian activists said Harris did not distance herself enough from Biden’s support for Israel during the Gaza war. Uncommitted delegates also said the Harris campaign denied their request for a Palestinian American to speak at the Democratic National Convention.

At the same time, Harris tried to reassure pro-Israel Democrats. In her 2024 convention speech, she said she would “stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself.”

Some pro-Palestinian activists remain skeptical of Harris. “Why should we trust her now?” progressive strategist and Palestinian American Rania Batrice told Axios. “If this change is real, she has an opportunity to prove it. Until then, skepticism isn’t just understandable, it’s warranted.”

Harris' allies say she had concerns during the Biden administration about how the White House spoke about Palestinians. Patrick Gaspard, a longtime Democratic strategist, told Axios that “the vice president had concerns about a lack of empathy for Palestinians in the way the Biden White House presented their policies.”

“She tried then as she continues now to hear opinions beyond Foggy Bottom and Pennsylvania Ave.,” he said.

The political reason for the outreach is clear. If Harris runs in 2028, she will need support from Democratic primary voters, organizers and activists on the party’s left. Harris currently leads the RealClearPolitics average of early 2028 Democratic primary polling with 27.3% support. California Gov. Gavin Newsom follows with 17%, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has 12.6%, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has 11%.

A recent Pew Research survey also found that 32% of Democrats say they like politicians who identify as democratic socialists, while 56% have no strong opinion and 11% dislike them. Among liberal Democrats, support rises to 52%. Those numbers help explain why Harris may be trying to engage democratic socialists and anti-Israel progressives rather than leave that wing of the party to a rival.

Harris has not announced whether she will run in 2028. Asked by Rev. Al Sharpton in April, she said, “I might. I’m thinking about it. I’ll keep you posted.”

For now, her outreach is taking place as democratic socialists and pro-Palestinian activists gain new leverage inside the Democratic Party.