Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has moved to re-establish contact with the Democratic Party's progressive wing ahead of the 2028 presidential elections.
According to Axios, Harris had a private phone call with New York Mayor Zahran Mamdani last week. The two discussed the party's future and later agreed to a longer meeting.
Candidates backed by Mamdani won three races in New York's congressional elections, strengthening the mayor's position within the party's progressive wing.
Harris's contacts are not limited to Mamdani. Axios reported that Harris has also met behind closed doors in recent months with pro-Palestinian activists and leaders of the 'Uncommitted' movement, which emerged in response to former President Joe Biden's policy on Israel's war on Gaza.
Harris met in Detroit with Abbas al-Alewi, a founder of the movement and a candidate for the Michigan Senate. Al-Alewi said he told Harris that they oppose 'American taxpayers' money being used to target civilians or destroy communities,' and that he also told her about families in his district who lost relatives in Gaza.
Harris also reached out to James Zogby, a senior member of the Democratic National Committee and a leading advocate for Palestinian rights. The discussions reportedly covered not only the Middle East but also China, artificial intelligence, and Venezuela.
These moves come after Harris experienced a chill with Arab and progressive voters during the 2024 campaign, when she refused to distance herself from Biden's support for Israel.
Meanwhile, in her 2025 book '107 Days,' Harris wrote that she 'begged' Biden to show more sympathy for Palestinian civilians, but that Biden could not muster enough empathy and his statements remained 'inadequate and contrived.'
Palestinian American political strategist Rania Batris is skeptical. Speaking to Axios, Batris said, 'Why should we trust her now? If this change is real, she has a chance to prove it. Until then, doubts are not only understandable but justified.'
Axios reported that Harris is still at or near the top of early polls among Democratic candidates, but faces challenges due to her shifting policies within the party and doubts about whether she can win a general election. However, it was emphasized that her popularity among Democrats in the southern states of the US remains strong.
