Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ new home, tucked away in a celebrity-packed part of Malibu, may signal what’s to come for her political future, according to a report.
Harris, who lost the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump, bought a 4,000-square-foot home in the exclusive and secluded Point Dume neighborhood for $8.15 million this past December.
The former VP has recently said she is “thinking about” running in 2028. However, political consultants, real estate experts and Harris’s new neighbors had mixed opinions on what the new home might mean for her political future, according to a report from Politico.
“People usually come to Point Dume to try and downshift,” said Or Brodsky, the listing agent on a nearby luxury rental home. “I think she’s planning to have more days with her feet in the sand.”
Sources close to Harris told Politico that she hasn’t made up her mind on 2028, and that political professionals wouldn’t necessarily see a home purchase as a decision in either direction.
“I think there’s honesty regarding the idea that they’re still very much thinking about it,” political consultant Marc Adelman said. “She’s still in the game, actively. This idea that she bought the house, and therefore that negates the idea that she’s running — I just don’t buy that.”
People in the closed-off luxury community, which is teeming with $50 million homes, see it differently. Locals note that many of the celebrities who have lived in the area, including Bob Dylan, Julia Roberts and Barbara Streisand, likely did so to escape the limelight.
“This is probably where people move out to when they are done with the height of their career,” Seth Findley, a Point Dume visitor and supporter of Harris in 2024, told the outlet. “I was thinking of actors or musicians. I guess politics too.”
Despite her loss in the 2024 presidential election, Harris has been polling near or at the top of Democratic presidential primary surveys. While she remains a popular potential candidate, political consultants warned the publication that her new multi-million dollar home could make her seem out of touch with the average voter.
“I’m not sure how much less in touch with average Americans you could be from an $8 million compound surrounded by $50 million compounds…in Malibu,” said Reed Galen, the co-founder of the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump super PAC.
A representative for Harris declined to comment to Politico.
Numerous presidents have owned large retreats, including George W. Bush’s ranch in Texas and Trump with his Mar-a-Lago estate. Several other potential 2028 candidates also own multiple homes. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker owns a vacation home in the Bahamas and another on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also owns a $9.1 million home and another residence in the Sacramento area, according to the report.
To some experts, Harris owning a secluded getaway — even one in a luxury neighborhood — shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing, even if she runs for president.
“Whether she runs for president or not, it actually makes sense to have a secluded house somewhere,” said Littman.
Littman added: “I think that this is actually a good idea, because you don’t have to rely on the generosity of your donors to provide you with a vacation home…That’s the kind of thing that people should not be doing.”
