Harris reaches out to Mamdani and progressives ahead of possible 2028 run

Kamala Harris quietly reached out to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week and has been holding closed-door meetings with other prominent progressive figures, including pro-Palestinian activists.

The outreach has sharpened interest in Harris’s next political move as allies and rivals read it as groundwork for a possible 2028 presidential campaign. It also points to a broader effort to strengthen or repair ties with left-wing Democrats after the strains of the 2024 cycle, when Gaza politics and urban issues deepened rifts inside the party.

Mamdani’s role in New York City politics has made the contact especially notable. As a prominent progressive figure, his relationship with Harris carries weight beyond one conversation, because it reflects how closely the former vice president is watching the party’s activist wing and the coalitions that helped define the last election cycle.

Harris’s meetings, described as lengthy and closed-door, suggest a deliberate attempt to reconnect with a bloc that has often felt sidelined in Democratic decision-making. The inclusion of pro-Palestinian activists is especially significant, given the intensity of internal party debate over Gaza and the political pressure that has followed it in progressive circles.

CBS News paired the Axios account with analysis from political strategists Cassie Smedile and Hyma Moore, underscoring how quickly the outreach became a test case for Harris’s standing on the left flank of the party. The episode has fed speculation that Harris is positioning herself early for another presidential race while trying to keep channels open with activists and elected progressives who could shape the contours of a 2028 bid.