Former Vice President Kamala Harris used one of her most significant speeches since losing the 2024 presidential election to argue that Democrats should stop playing defense and instead pursue major changes to the nation’s political institutions, saying the party must become “ruthless” in competing with Republicans.
Speaking Friday at the National Urban League Conference in Nashville, Harris proposed reconsidering the Electoral College, expanding the U.S. Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices and granting statehood to Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. She said Democrats should be willing to revisit long-standing institutions as they prepare for the 2026 midterm elections and beyond.
“It means being ruthless,” Harris said. “They are ruthless. We need to be ruthless, too.”
Harris quickly clarified what she meant.
“By that, I do not mean cruel. That is not our nature,” she said. “By that, I do not mean breaking the law. That is not what we do. But I do mean we must be uncompromising.”
Among her proposals, Harris said the country should “revisit the Electoral College,” acknowledging the suggestion would likely be controversial. The Electoral College has long been debated because it can elect a president who did not win the national popular vote, as happened in 2000 and again in 2016 when Donald Trump won the presidency despite receiving nearly 3 million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton. Trump, however, won both the Electoral College and the popular vote in 2024.
Harris also called for expanding the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices, saying the number should match the nation’s 13 federal judicial circuits. The Constitution does not specify how many justices serve on the Court, and Congress has changed its size several times before settling on nine in 1869.
She also renewed support for statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Supporters say residents should have the same congressional representation as other Americans, while critics argue the move would shift the nation’s political balance because both are expected to elect Democratic members of Congress.
The proposals would not all follow the same path.
Congress could expand the Supreme Court or admit Puerto Rico as a state through legislation signed by the president. Eliminating the Electoral College, however, would require amending the U.S. Constitution, including approval by two-thirds of both the House and Senate and ratification by three-fourths of the states. Washington, D.C., statehood is more legally complex and would likely face constitutional challenges.
Harris argued Democrats can no longer rely on traditional political strategies, saying Republicans have been willing to reshape political institutions to their advantage while Democrats have been reluctant to pursue similar changes. She also criticized congressional redistricting in states such as Tennessee and suggested restoring protections under the Voting Rights Act is unlikely under the current makeup of Congress.
The speech also offered Harris’ clearest comments yet about her own political future.
Asked whether she plans to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, Harris said she has “not made a decision” and remains focused on helping Democrats win the 2026 midterm elections.
Even so, speculation about another White House campaign continues. Harris has emerged as an early front-runner in some Democratic primary polling, including a recent survey of likely Democratic voters in Michigan, one of the nation’s most important presidential battleground states.
Despite Harris’ high political profile and the sweeping nature of her proposals, the speech received relatively little attention from many mainstream national news organizations over the weekend. Coverage that did emerge largely centered on her call to expand the Supreme Court, while giving less attention to her broader argument about how Democrats should compete politically.
Whether Harris ultimately enters the 2028 race or not, her address offered one of the clearest indications yet of the direction she believes Democrats should take as they attempt to rebuild following the party’s 2024 defeat.
Harris argued the changes are necessary because she believes Republicans have gained political advantages that Democrats can no longer ignore. She also criticized congressional redistricting in states such as Tennessee and suggested restoring protections under the Voting Rights Act is unlikely under the current makeup of Congress.
The speech also offered Harris’ clearest comments yet about her own political future.
Asked whether she plans to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, Harris said she has “not made a decision” and remains focused on helping Democrats win the 2026 midterm elections.
Even so, speculation about another White House campaign continues. Harris has emerged as an early front-runner in some Democratic primary polling, including a recent survey of likely Democratic voters in Michigan, one of the nation’s most important presidential battleground states.
Despite Harris’ high political profile and the sweeping nature of her proposals, the speech received relatively little attention from many mainstream national news organizations over the weekend. Coverage that did emerge largely centered on her call to expand the Supreme Court, while giving less attention to her broader argument that Democrats should fundamentally rethink how they compete politically.
Whether Harris ultimately enters the 2028 race or not, her address offered one of the clearest indications yet of the direction she believes Democrats should take as they attempt to rebuild following the party’s 2024 defeat.
