Kamala Harris Calls for Expanding Supreme Court to 13 Justices

Former Vice President Kamala Harris called for expanding the Supreme Court of the United States to 13 justices during the National Urban League’s annual conference in Nashville. Harris framed the proposal as a necessary step to revisit institutional norms, drawing a specific comparison between the number of justices and the 13 federal circuit courts.

These remarks represent a shift toward more forceful support for court expansion and progressive reform than Harris maintained during her 2020 and 2024 campaigns. In addition to expanding the judiciary, she advocated for the abolition of the Electoral College and the granting of statehood to Puerto Rico and Washington, DC.

The policy shift occurs as potential 2028 presidential candidates propose institutional reforms following the presidency of Donald Trump. Other Democratic figures, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pete Buttigieg, have previously supported court expansion, while Governor Gavin Newsom has recently expressed openness to the idea. While Harris has courted progressive figures like Mayor Zohran Mamdani, she stated she has not yet decided if she will seek the presidency in 2028, noting her current focus remains on the midterm elections.