Vice President Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris
Lawrence Jackson · Public domain · source
Name	Kamala Harris
Caption	Official portrait, 2021
Office	49th Vice President of the United States
President	Joe Biden
Term start	January 20, 2021
Predecessor	Mike Pence
Birth name	Kamala Devi Harris
Birth date	October 20, 1964
Birth place	Oakland, California
Party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Douglas Emhoff
Children	2 stepchildren
Alma mater	Howard University; UC Hastings College of the Law

Vice President Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris (born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 49th Vice President of the United States under Joe Biden. She previously served as a United States Senator from California, and as the Attorney General of California and District Attorney of San Francisco. Harris is the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to serve as Vice President.

Early life and education

Harris was born in Oakland, California to Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher from Madras, India, and Donald Harris, an economist from Jamaica. She grew up in Berkeley, California and attended Westmount High School in Montreal, Quebec for part of her youth. Harris earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha. She graduated from UC Hastings College of the Law and became a member of the California State Bar, beginning a legal career that led to roles in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office and the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.

Legal and political career

Harris served as District Attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011, succeeding Terence Hallinan and preceding George Gascón. In 2010 she was elected Attorney General of California, where she succeeded Ted Lieu's predecessor and served two terms, overseeing the California Department of Justice and litigating cases involving Oracle, Walmart, and Chevron. As Attorney General she pursued actions against mortgage servicers in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and joined multistate litigation concerning consumer protection and environmental regulation. Her tenure included initiatives on criminal justice reform and civil rights enforcement, interacting with state officials such as Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom.

U.S. Senate

In 2016 Harris was elected to the United States Senate representing California, succeeding Barbara Boxer. In the Senate she served on committees including the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and the Senate Intelligence Committee. Harris gained national attention through high-profile hearings, questioning witnesses such as Jeff Sessions, executives from Google, Facebook, and Apple Inc., and testifying officials from DOJ components. She authored legislation on topics including immigration reform, criminal justice reform, and consumer protection.

2020 presidential campaign and selection as running mate

Harris launched a campaign for the 2020 United States presidential election and participated in Democratic primary debates alongside candidates including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and Joe Biden. Her campaign emphasized issues such as healthcare reform, criminal justice reform, and income inequality. After suspending her campaign, Harris was vetted and selected in August 2020 by Joe Biden as his vice-presidential running mate, becoming the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent on a major party presidential ticket, joining a ticket that opposed the incumbent Donald Trump and running mate Mike Pence.

Vice presidency

Harris was inaugurated as Vice President on January 20, 2021, taking the oath in the presence of Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by colleagues including First Lady Jill Biden and former presidents such as Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. As Vice President she presides over the United States Senate and casts tie-breaking votes, playing roles in confirmations involving nominees from Supreme Court to executive agencies like the DHS and DOJ. The Harris vice presidency has included assignments on issues such as U.S.–Mexico border policy, vaccination initiatives linked to the CDC, and international diplomacy with leaders from Canada, Mexico, Japan, and European Union officials.

Political positions and policies

Harris's policy positions draw from progressive and moderate strands within the Democratic Party. She has advocated for expanded Affordable Care Act protections, criminal justice reforms like ending mandatory minimums, and measures addressing climate change consistent with accords such as the Paris Agreement. On immigration she has supported comprehensive reform including pathways to citizenship and changes to DACA; on trade and antitrust she has pressed technology platforms including Facebook and Google in hearings. Harris has supported voting rights protections related to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and has engaged on foreign policy issues involving China, Russia, Iran, and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations.

Personal life and public image

Harris is married to attorney Douglas Emhoff, with two stepchildren from Emhoff's previous marriage. Her familial background includes ties to India through her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, and to Jamaica through her father, Donald J. Harris. Public image assessments have focused on her historic milestones, televised performances in Senate hearings and debates, and her role as a prominent figure in the Democratic Party; she has been the subject of commentary in outlets covering politics such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. Honors and recognitions include listings and profiles by organizations like Time and appearances at forums such as the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Category:Vice presidents of the United States Category:United States senators from California Category:Attorneys General of California Category:Living people Category:1964 births