Eleanor Finch
Kamala Harris, the first African-American and Asian-American Vice President of the United States, has had a formidable political career. From her early days at Howard University, where she discovered her passion for politics, to her tenure as the District Attorney of San Francisco, and later as California's Attorney General, Harris has consistently broken barriers and championed the cause of the vulnerable. In 2020, she made history again by becoming the first Black and Asian-American woman to be selected as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, running alongside presidential nominee Joe Biden. Although they lost the 2024 election, Harris' political career and the milestones she has achieved along the way are an inspiration to many.
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What You'll Learn
Kamala Harris's career in law and politics
Kamala Harris, the current Vice President of the United States, has had a distinguished career in law and politics. Born and raised in Oakland, California, Harris developed a strong commitment to justice and public service from a young age. This led her to pursue a legal education at Howard University, a historically black university, and subsequently at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where she obtained her Juris Doctor in 1989.
Harris' legal career began in 1990 when she was hired as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. She specialised in prosecuting child sexual assault, homicide, and robbery cases. In 1998, she was recruited by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, where she became the chief of the Career Criminal Division. During her time in this role, she supervised five other attorneys and prosecuted three-strikes cases and serial felony offenders.
Harris' first foray into politics came in 2003 when she was elected as the District Attorney of San Francisco, becoming the first person of colour to hold this position. She then set her sights on higher office, announcing her candidacy for California Attorney General in 2008. She made history once again by becoming the first woman, the first African American, and the first South Asian American to be elected as California's Attorney General in 2011.
In 2015, Harris shifted her focus to national politics by declaring her candidacy for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Senator Barbara Boxer. She successfully won the Democratic Party's endorsement and went on to defeat her Republican opponent in the 2016 election, capturing over sixty per cent of the vote. As a senator, Harris gained a reputation for her fierce advocacy for abortion rights and women's rights.
In 2020, Harris made history yet again when Joe Biden selected her as his running mate in the presidential election. This marked the first time an African American, Indian American, and third woman had been chosen as the vice-presidential nominee for a major party ticket. On November 7, 2020, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were elected as the next leaders of the United States.
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Harris's presidential campaign
On July 21, 2024, Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, announced her presidential campaign for the upcoming election. Her campaign focused on several key issues, including national abortion protections, LGBTQ+ rights, stricter gun control, and addressing the climate crisis. She also advocated for reforms to the immigration system, believing it to be "broken" and in need of stricter asylum rules. Harris's economic agenda could be described as "populist", marking a departure from President Biden's platform.
Harris's campaign utilised social media platforms like X and Instagram, with the handle @KamalaHQ, to appeal to younger voters. The campaign posted memes and used music to create a "cool girl" image for Harris. However, it also spread deceptively edited videos of her opponents, Donald Trump and JD Vance, leading to an entire account dedicated to fact-checking its content. Harris received endorsements from several celebrities, including Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Luis Fonsi, Ricky Martin, and Don Omar, as well as LeBron James. International support came from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who expressed his preference for Harris.
Harris's running mate was Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was introduced with the walk-on music "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen and later "Small Town" by John Mellencamp. The campaign also released ads targeting specific voter demographics, such as "Determination" in English and Spanish for Latino voters and "Tougher," which highlighted her experience as a border-state prosecutor. Harris became the Democratic Party's nominee on August 5, 2024, following a virtual roll call vote. Her campaign faced opposition from some Arab Americans due to her stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
Kamala Harris's presidential campaign emphasised her progressive stances on social and cultural issues while also presenting a distinct economic agenda. Through strategic use of social media and celebrity endorsements, her campaign aimed to engage younger voters and present a fresh, relatable image. Despite facing opposition from certain groups, Harris secured the Democratic nomination and positioned herself as a strong contender in the 2024 presidential race.
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Harris's historic vice-presidential nomination
Kamala Harris, the former US senator from California, made history in 2020 when she became the first female vice president of the United States. She was selected as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's running mate, and the pair went on to defeat the incumbent president, Donald Trump, and vice president, Mike Pence, in the 2020 election. Harris's vice presidency began with her presiding over an evenly split US Senate, and she went on to cast 33 tie-breaking votes—more than any other vice president—to pass significant legislation such as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Harris had previously sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but withdrew from the race before the primaries. She then endorsed Biden, and he later chose her as his running mate. Harris made history again in 2024 when she became the first sitting vice president to visit an abortion clinic, and she publicly stated her support for federal cannabis legalisation and the removal of cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act.
In July 2024, Biden suspended his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris for president, making her the Democratic Party's nominee for the 2024 presidential election. Harris's historic vice-presidential nomination and successful election campaign positioned her as a strong contender for the presidency. She selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, and her domestic platform included support for national abortion protections, LGBT+ rights, stricter gun control, and legislation to address climate change.
Harris's 2024 presidential campaign faced challenges, including criticism over her record as Attorney General of California and stagnant polling and fundraising struggles. Ultimately, she lost the election to the Republican nominees, former President Trump, and Ohio Senator JD Vance. Despite this setback, Harris remains a prominent figure in US politics, with early polls for the next Democratic Party presidential nomination race indicating that she holds a significant lead over other potential contenders.
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Harris's personal life and family
Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025, has a diverse family background with roots in both India and Jamaica. Harris's parents, Shyamala and Donald Harris, met in 1962 and married in 1963. The family lived in various college towns in the Midwest, including Urbana, Illinois, Evanston, Illinois, and Madison, Wisconsin, as her parents held teaching and research positions. Harris's mother, Shyamala, was friends with many African-American intellectuals and activists in Oakland and Berkeley. Harris's maternal ancestry can be traced to Tamil Nadu, India, while her paternal ancestry is from Saint Ann, Jamaica.
Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964, and has a sister named Maya. When Harris was around two years old, the family moved to Berkeley, and later, by 1970, her parents divorced, with her mother moving back to Berkeley with Harris and her sister. Harris spent weekends at her father's house in Palo Alto while living with her mother during the week.
Harris's boisterous laughter, a trait she attributes to her mother, has become one of her most defining and dissected personal traits. She has written several books, including a children's book titled "Superheroes Are Everywhere."
On the personal front, Harris is married to Douglas Emhoff, an American entertainment attorney, and law professor. Emhoff was previously married to film producer Kerstin Emhoff (née Mackin), with whom he has two children. Harris is also the proud stepmother of Cole Mackin Emhoff, who was born on September 15, 1994, and named after jazz musician John Coltrane.
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Harris's time at Howard University
Kamala Harris, the current Vice President of the United States, has described her time at Howard University as her "formative years", where she discovered her passion for politics. Founded in 1867, Howard University is a historically Black university in Washington, D.C., and is the most renowned of the 100 or so Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States.
Harris, who earned an undergraduate degree from Howard, has frequently returned to her alma mater since becoming Vice President. In January 2019, she formally announced her presidential run at Howard University, and in August 2020, she was announced as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, becoming the first Black woman and the first Asian-American to run for vice president on a major party ticket in the United States.
The experience of attending a historically Black university empowered Harris, as she felt that she could succeed because of her Blackness, rather than despite it. This culture and community at Howard University bred a sense of recognition, appreciation, and affirmation for Harris, fostering her leadership qualities and contributing to her success in politics.
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