Joe Biden announced that he has chosen California Senator Kamala Harris to be his running mate heading into November’s presidential election. As the only Black woman serving in the Senate, this means that Harris is also the first Black woman (and first woman of Asian descent) to be selected as a major party’s vice presidential candidate in U.S. history. And if Biden defeats President Trump, she would be the first woman to hold office.
I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020
What you need to know about Kamala Harris
Harris graduated from Howard University, where she was in the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and earned a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.
She started working in Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, where she focused on prosecuting child sexual assault cases, and from there she became the first Black woman elected as San Francisco’s District Attorney. In 2010, Harris was elected California Attorney General, overseeing the country’s second largest Justice Department. She was later elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016.
Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I’m proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020
Following the murder of George Floyd and ensuing protests, Harris has cited her experience in law enforcement as evidence that she knows how to tackle problems of racism and social justice.
Why Biden chose Harris as VP
In a press release, the Biden campaign stated that the former Vice President “is confident that Kamala Harris will be the best partner for him to finally get the country back on track,” and that she “will be ready to tackle the work that is needed to heal our country on Day One of the Biden-Harris Administration.”
Her platform aligns closely with Biden’s own policies on health care, the economy, criminal justice, education, and environmental protections. Harris also served as California’s Attorney General at the same time as Biden’s son, Beau, was serving as Attorney General for Delaware. The two grew close, and through her friendship with Beau, she got to know Biden further.
.@JoeBiden can unify the American people because he’s spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he’ll build an America that lives up to our ideals.
I’m honored to join him as our party’s nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 11, 2020
Despite being former rivals, they are now teammates united in taking on Trump. The two will make their first appearance on Wednesday to deliver remarks in Wilmington, Delaware on their plans for working together.