Former Vice President Kamala Harris called for expanding the Supreme Court to 13 justices at the National Urban League’s annual conference in Nashville on July 31, signaling a more aggressive stance on court reform than she took during her 2024 presidential campaign.
“We need to revisit the point of expanding the court to 13 justices like we have 13 district courts,” Harris said, according to CNN. The remark came as she outlined an “expanded playbook” of institutional reforms, also calling for a review of the Electoral College and statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, DC.
Harris’s endorsement of court expansion represents a notable shift from her 2024 campaign platform. During that race, she backed 18-year term limits for justices and an enforceable ethics code, according to the Alabama Reflector, but did not advocate for increasing the court’s size. In a 2024 interview, Harris said she was “open to that discussion” on expansion, but her Nashville remarks were markedly more forceful, according to CNN.
Democrats have increasingly embraced court expansion as a response to the court’s ideological composition. Six of the nine current justices were appointed by Republican presidents, including three selected by former President Donald Trump, according to CNN. The push reflects Democratic frustration after a series of conservative-majority rulings on voting rights, abortion, and other issues. The Supreme Court has maintained nine justices since 1869.
Harris is not alone among potential 2028 Democratic contenders in supporting expansion. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has long called for a 15-member court, according to CNN, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is a longtime proponent of adding more justices. California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed skepticism of expansion earlier but told progressive media personality Brian Tyler Cohen last month that he was warming to the idea, according to CNN.
Public opinion on court expansion remains divided. A June 2026 survey found Americans evenly split—50 percent approval and 50 percent disapproval—over proposals to add justices to the Supreme Court, according to SCOTUS Blog. Republicans have moved to block expansion; in June 2026, House Republicans advanced a constitutional amendment to permanently fix the court’s size at nine justices, according to Reuters.
Harris has not yet formally declared whether she will run in 2028. At the National Urban League event, she said she had “not made a decision yet” on a presidential bid, according to C-SPAN. Her continued prominence in Democratic circles and her willingness to stake out positions on contentious institutional reforms suggest she is keeping options open as party members prepare for the next presidential cycle.
Sources
- CNN — Harris’s court expansion statement at National Urban League, her 2024 campaign position on term limits, composition of current court, and statements by Buttigieg, Ocasio-Cortez, and Newsom
- C-SPAN — Harris’s statement that she has “not made a decision yet” on 2028 run
- Alabama Reflector — Harris’s 2024 campaign platform calling for term limits and ethics code
- Washington Examiner — Harris’s 2024 position on term limits versus court expansion
- Reuters — House Republicans’ constitutional amendment to fix court size at nine
- SCOTUS Blog — Public opinion survey on court expansion (50-50 split)
