Kamala Harris grapples with her future in a wounded Democratic Party

Vice President Kamala Harris and her allies are grappling with what her political future holds and debating whether the unofficial rule still applies.

Hillary Clinton and Hillary Clinton both suffered devastating losses to Donald Trump in 2016 and lost in 2020 .

Some Democrats may be wary of nominating a woman again after losing to Trump .

She has not ruled out a run for the governor’s mansion, but has effectively frozen the already crowded field of Democrats .

The jockeying for the 2028 presidential run had already begun as Democratic Governors converged at their winter meeting in Beverly Hills in early December .

She is likely to start an independent political group, which would allow her to maintain control of her massive email list.

Many aides and allies say that if Harris sought the presidency again, her candidacy would resemble 2024 far more than 2019 .

The more centrist, confident Harris voters saw during the general election is more in line with her true self, they say.

But some advisers to potential rivals say a granular examination of the 2024 results reveal the limits of her appeal.