California Republicans love to bash Kamala Harris — and they’d love it even more if she ran for governor.

While a GOP victory in a statewide race remains a long shot in deep-blue California, the mere prospect of Harris entering the race is already proving useful. Her high-profile presence gives Republican candidates a convenient target to rally their base, energize donors, and sharpen their campaign messaging against a nationally polarizing figure, Politico reported.

The former vice president has given herself until late summer to make a decision about running, leaving the Democratic field effectively frozen. But Republicans aren’t waiting around. In interviews, fundraising appeals, and speeches to voters, they’re already campaigning as if Kamala Harris is in the race.

Conservative commentator Steve Hilton and hard-charging Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco have both launched campaigns centered on what they describe as the collapse of Democratic leadership in California—frequent talking points during their Fox News appearances—with Harris as their go-to example, the outlet continued.

In a recent fundraising email, Hilton warned donors that Harris was gearing up for a run, calling a Democratic “coronation” a disaster in the making. In an interview, he didn’t hold back, saying Harris “embodies the failures of the past.”

“I sense that this is the best shot for someone to be elected statewide in California who’s not a Democrat for at least 20 years, and I think the evident reason for that is the failure of one-party rule,” Hilton said. “The candidate who’s going to win in 2026, regardless of party label, is the change candidate. Kamala Harris is the one who least represents change.”

The growing GOP strategy to zero in on Kamala Harris echoes the playbook used by longshot congressional candidates who built campaigns around attacking figures like Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

But the governor’s race offers a much bigger stage—giving relatively unknown Republicans a chance to ride the same anti-Harris wave that President Donald Trump has tapped into. It’s a formula designed to fire up donors, attract Fox News airtime, and maybe even catch Trump’s attention, noted Politico.

“I think it could attract some donors from around the country who might be interested in taking another pound of flesh,” said Republican political consultant Dave Gilliard, who is not working for any gubernatorial candidates. “Money is the biggest obstacle other than the registration because the donor world doesn’t think a Republican can be elected governor anymore.”

Bianco said he’d “jump for joy” at the chance to highlight what he called Kamala Harris’ disastrous record on criminal justice. While Californians have increasingly backed tougher penalties in recent years, Harris—despite her past role as the state’s attorney general—stayed silent on a widely supported tough-on-crime ballot measure, said the outlet.