Agencies WASHINGTON

Two months after losing to  Donald Trump, US Vice-President Kamala Harris will preside over the certification of her own defeat on Monday.

As president of the Senate, Harris will lead the counting of Electoral College votes, officially cementing her rival's triumph two weeks before he returns to the White House.

It is not the first time that a losing candidate will lead the joint session of Congress to count their opponent's presidential electors – Al Gore endured the indignity in 2001 and Richard Nixon in 1961.

Harris and her team are now deliberating her second act, and weighing whether it includes another run for the White House in 2028 or pursuing a bid for the governor's mansion in her home state of California.

While Democratic candidates who lost elections – Al Gore, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton – have decided against seeking the presidency again, aides, allies and donors argue that the groundswell of support Harris captured in her unsuccessful bid and the unusual circumstances of her condensed campaign proves there's still scope for her to seek the Oval Office.

They even point to Donald Trump's own circuitous political path - the former and future President's bookend wins in 2016 and 2024, despite losing as the incumbent in 2020.

But while many Democrats do not blame Harris for Trump's win, some - stung by a bruising loss that has called the party's strategy into question - are deeply sceptical of giving her another shot at the White House. 

A host of Democratic governors who backed the Vice-President in 2024 have ambitions of their own aas fresher candidates with a much better chance of winning.

Harris herself is said to be in no rush to make any decisions, telling advisors and supporters she is open to all the possibilities that await her after Inauguration Day on January 20.