You’ve heard of Kamala Harris, but beyond the news bites, and social media posts, who is Kamala Harris? The first woman Vice President of the United States has served in multiple positions and worked her way to the top. She has achieved several milestones and continues to pave the way for women of color. Apart from her work, she has a family. We delve deeper into her work and life, so keep reading to learn more about Kamala Harris.
Who is Kamala Harris?
Many people can recite the obvious about her because she’s a public figure. And because you see her on the news and hear a lot about her, you might think you know her. But do you? Here’s everything you need to know about Harris.
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Early Life
Kamala Harris, whose full name is Kamala Devi Harris, was born on 20 October 1964 in Oakland, California. Did you know that Harris’ mother chose her name? Kamala signifies her Indian roots and means lotus.
She is the older sister of Maya Harris, who was born in 1966. Both grew up with their parents. Her mother Shyamala Gopalan, who worked as a biologist, arrived in the United States from India when she was 19 and her father Donald Jasper Harris, a Jamaican-American, who specialized in development economics.
However, their marriage broke down when Kamala was seven years old. Their mother lived with them but also spent the weekends with their father. In terms of education, Harris went to Westmount High School, Vanier College and Howard University. Harris graduated with a political science and economics degree.
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Law Career
Kamala Harris began her career as a deputy district attorney in the Alameda County district attorney’s office. She then moved to be a managing attorney of the Career Criminal Unit and then Chief of the San Francisco Community and Neighborhood Division.
In 2010, Kamala Harris became the California’s Attorney General. One of her notable achievements was reaching an $18 billion settlement for homeowners facing closure. Additionally, she also got $1.1 billion in settlement for students and veterans. During her tenure, her office oversaw cases of violent crimes, fraud schemes, smuggling, and drug trafficking.
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Political Career
In 2017, Kamala Harris vied for the Senatorial seat in California after Barbara Baxter announced her decision not to re-run. She won 78% of the Democratic Party vote. The former United States President Barack Obama and Joe Biden supported her. Harris won the seat with over 60% of the votes. This made her the second black woman and Asian American to hold a senate seat in the country’s history.
Her standout moments during her tenure include the criticism of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. She received a lot of support from the left for this.
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Apart from this, Harris supported some bills and the only one that she presented became law – S. 129 (116th): Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act. This act mandates that a national monument be built for the victims of the Saint Francis Dam on 12 March 1928. Harris also sat on several committees, including:
- Committee on budget.
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Committee on the Judiciary
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The Presidential Campaign
In 2020, Kamala Harris campaigned for the presidential seat but withdrew after she fell in polls and ran out of funds. She was forced to explain some of her laws when she was the Attorney General of California. She endorsed Joe Biden for President.
The Democratic Party then endorsed a Biden-Harris campaign. She became the first African American woman and Indian American to hold the ticket. After Biden’s presidential win, Harris was the first female Vice President of the United States. She took the oath of office on January 20, 2021.
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2024 Democratic Presidential Nominee
Vice President Kamala Harris announced her presidential bid after Joe Biden announced his decision not to run for a second term. She was endorsed by Barack and Michelle Obama among other senior Democrats. She raised over $81 million in donations within 24 hours after the announcement of her candidacy. On August 22, 2024, Harris officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
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Is Kamala Harris a mother?
Kamala Harris is married to Doug Emhorff. Although they don’t have biological children together, Harris is a stepmother to Emhoff’s children Cole and Ella, from his previous marriage to Kerstin Emhoff.
In Conclusion
Kamala Harris has an extensive portfolio. From working as a lawyer to rising to the highest political positions, she will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She has been a trailblazer on several fronts, becoming the first black woman and Asian American to be a vice president and hold a presidential ticket. Before that, she served as the United States Senator and Attorney General. We hope you’ve learnt more about her from this article. What do you make of Kamala Harris’ presidential bid? Let us know in the comments below.
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