Kamala Harris made history as the first female, first Black, and first South Asian vice president of the United States when she was inaugurated on January 20, 2021. Born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, Harris has had a long and distinguished career in public service before assuming the second-highest office in the country.
Harris began her career as a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office before being elected as the District Attorney of San Francisco in 2003. She then went on to serve as the Attorney General of California from 2011 to 2017, becoming the first woman, first African American, and first South Asian American to hold the office.
In 2016, Harris was elected to the United States Senate, representing the state of California. During her time in the Senate, Harris gained a reputation as a fierce advocate for criminal justice reform, immigration reform, and the rights of marginalized communities. She also gained national attention for her tough questioning of witnesses during Senate hearings, including during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Harris was chosen by President Joe Biden as his running mate for the 2020 presidential election, and the pair went on to win the election in November of that year. As vice president, Harris has taken on a number of key roles, including leading the administration’s efforts to address the root causes of migration from Central America, overseeing voting rights legislation, and working to pass the administration’s infrastructure and social spending plans.
Given Biden’s age, there has been speculation that Harris could be a potential successor to him in the 2024 presidential election. While it is still too early to say for certain whether Harris will run for president in the future, she has certainly made a mark as vice president and has shown herself to be a capable and effective leader.
Harris’s historic election as vice president has been celebrated as a milestone for women and people of color in the United States. As she continues to serve in the Biden administration, Harris will no doubt continue to be a trailblazer and a role model for generations to come.