Irvine, California - Former Vice President Kamala Harris may have lost the 2024 race to Donald Trump, but could becoming governor of California be in her near future?

A recent poll from the University of California, Irvine’s (UCI) School of Social Ecology – which included data from two online surveys of 4,143 voters conducted May 27 to June 2 and May 29 to June 4 respectively – found Harris was the top potential candidate in a hypothetical gubernatorial race with 24%, followed by businessman Rick Caruso at 9%.

While she may be in good standing, holding +11 favorability among those surveyed, Harris still has a lot of work to do to win over voters, as 40% said they were still undecided.

But when pinned against a generic Republican candidate, 41% said they would support Harris, against 29% for the Republican.

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Since losing to Trump last November, Harris has been relatively quiet, popping up every so often to criticize the president's most controversial policies and rhetoric.

She has reportedly been considering a number of options regarding her future in politics, including possibly running for president again in 2028 or for governor of California, as current Gov. Gavin Newsom will reach his term limit.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Jon Gould, dean of UCI's School of Social Ecology, said Harris' "path to governor seems well-paved," noting her high favorability and name recognition.