Kamala Devi Harris (born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney, serving as the 49th vice president of the United States since 2021 under President Joe Biden. She made history as the first female vice president, as well as the first African-American and Asian-American to hold the position. A member of the Democratic Party, Harris became the party's nominee for the 2024 presidential election, becoming the second woman to be nominated for president by a major U.S. political party, following Hillary Clinton.
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| Assumed office January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Mike Pence |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 18, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Boxer |
| Succeeded by | Alex Padilla |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017 | |
| Governor | Jerry Brown |
| Preceded by | Jerry Brown |
| Succeeded by | Xavier Becerra |
| In office January 8, 2004 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Terence Hallinan |
| Succeeded by | George Gascón |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kamala Devi Harris
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| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Doug Emhoff (m; 2014) 20 |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Harris family |
| Residence | Number One Observatory Circle |
| Education |
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Before becoming vice president, Harris served as a U.S. senator from California from 2017 to 2021. She was also California's Attorney General from 2011 to 2017 and the District Attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. Harris's legal career began in Alameda County's District Attorney’s office before she moved to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and later to the city's attorney office. She was elected as District Attorney of San Francisco in 2003 and as Attorney General of California in 2010, making history as the first woman, African American, and Asian American to hold these positions.
As a senator, Harris advocated for stricter gun control, the DREAM Act, the federal legalization of cannabis, and healthcare and tax reforms. She gained national recognition for her sharp questioning of officials during Senate hearings, including those involving President Donald Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.
In 2019, Harris ran for the Democratic presidential nomination but withdrew before the primaries. Biden selected her as his running mate, and their ticket won the 2020 presidential election, defeating the incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. As Vice President, Harris also presides over the Senate, casting numerous tie-breaking votes to help pass key legislation like the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act.
After Biden announced he would not seek re-election in 2024, Harris launched her presidential campaign with his endorsement. She became the Democratic nominee at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. However, she lost the general election to Trump.
Early Life and Career
Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan (1938–2009), was an Indian-born biologist who came to the United States in 1958 to pursue graduate studies in endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley. She spent over 40 years in research, notably advancing breast cancer studies through her work on the progesterone receptor gene. Kamala's father, Donald J. Harris (1938–), is an Afro-Jamaican economist who immigrated to the U.S. in 1961, studying at UC Berkeley. He later became the first Black scholar to receive tenure at Stanford University's economics department.
Kamala's parents met in 1962 and married in 1963. The family lived in Berkeley until 1966, when they moved to several college towns in the Midwest, including Urbana, Illinois, Evanston, Illinois, and Madison, Wisconsin, as her parents held academic positions. In 1970, Kamala's parents separated, and her mother returned to Berkeley with her two daughters. Kamala's father later took a position at Stanford University, and Kamala spent weekends in Palo Alto with him while living with her mother in Berkeley during the week.
In 1976, Shyamala took a research position at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, and moved with her daughters there. Kamala graduated from Westmount High School in Montreal in 1981. She then attended Vanier College in Montreal before enrolling at Howard University in Washington, D.C. There, she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically Black sorority, and graduated in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics. Kamala then pursued law school at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, where she was president of the Black Law Students Association and graduated in 1989 with a Juris Doctor.
Early Career
In 1990, Harris began her career as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. She quickly gained a reputation as a skilled prosecutor. In 1994, while dating Willie Brown, the Speaker of the California Assembly, Harris was appointed to the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the California Medical Assistance Commission. In 1998, San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan recruited her as an assistant district attorney, where she led the Career Criminal Division. In this role, she supervised other attorneys and worked on serious criminal cases, particularly three-strikes cases.
In 2000, Harris transitioned to working at San Francisco City Hall as a deputy city attorney under Louise Renne, where she led the Family and Children's Services Division, handling child abuse and neglect cases. Renne later endorsed Harris in her successful run for district attorney.
San Francisco District Attorney (2002–2011)
Kamala Harris ran for the position of District Attorney of San Francisco in 2002, running a campaign that set her apart from incumbent Terence Hallinan by criticizing his performance. She won the election with 56% of the vote, making history as the first person of color to be elected District Attorney of San Francisco. Harris ran unopposed for re-election in 2007.
During her tenure, Harris made significant progress in clearing the city’s backlog of cases, including 27 out of 74 unsolved homicide cases in the first six months of her time in office. She also advocated for higher bail for defendants involved in gun crimes, arguing that the city’s historically low bail system had attracted criminal activity. Throughout her campaign and time in office, Harris pledged not to pursue the death penalty, which she adhered to, even in high-profile cases, including the death of San Francisco Police Officer Isaac Espinoza and the case of Edwin Ramos, an illegal immigrant accused of triple murder.
Harris also focused on civil rights during her time as District Attorney. She established a Hate Crimes Unit to address violence against LGBTQ+ youth in schools and supported A.B. 1160, the Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act. She created a separate environmental crimes unit in 2005 and supported San Francisco's sanctuary city policy, which prohibits law enforcement from inquiring about a person’s immigration status during criminal investigations. Harris also pioneered the San Francisco Reentry Division, a program aimed at reducing recidivism, with a graduation rate of over 200 participants and a recidivism rate under 10%.
Attorney General of California (2011–2017)
Kamala Harris was elected Attorney General of California in 2010, becoming the first woman, African American, and South Asian American to hold the position in the state’s history. She assumed office on January 3, 2011, and was re-elected in 2014, serving until she resigned on January 3, 2017, to take her seat in the U.S. Senate.
During her first campaign, Harris received endorsements from prominent California Democrats, including U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She narrowly defeated Republican nominee Steve Cooley in the general election, with a focus on consumer protection, criminal justice reform, and privacy rights.
As Attorney General, Harris made consumer protection a central issue, securing large settlements from companies like Quest Diagnostics, JPMorgan Chase, and Corinthian Colleges, recovering billions of dollars for California consumers. She played a significant role in addressing the housing crisis by helping to establish the Homeowner Bill of Rights, which helped protect homeowners from aggressive foreclosure practices and led to multiple major settlements.
In terms of privacy rights, Harris worked closely with tech giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook to improve transparency regarding data-sharing practices and created the Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit to tackle issues related to cyber privacy and data breaches. This effort led to settlements with companies like Comcast and Houzz for privacy violations.
Harris was also committed to advancing criminal justice reform. She launched programs like the Division of Recidivism Reduction and Re-Entry and the Back on Track LA program, which offered job training and educational opportunities to nonviolent offenders. However, her tenure was not without controversy. She faced criticism for defending the state's position in cases involving wrongful convictions and for her office’s stance on prison labor. Despite this, Harris remained a vocal advocate for progressive reforms, including banning the gay panic defense in California courts and opposing Proposition 8, the state’s same-sex marriage ban.
U.S. Senator (2017–2021)
Election
In January 2015, after over 20 years of service, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer announced she would not seek re-election in 2016. Kamala Harris quickly entered the race, positioning herself as a top contender for the Senate seat. California used a top-two primary system, where the top two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, advanced to the general election. Harris won the California Democratic Party's endorsement in February 2016 and garnered strong financial support. She also received the endorsement of Governor Jerry Brown in May 2016.
In the June 2016 primary, Harris received 40% of the vote, leading the pack and winning pluralities in most counties. She faced fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez in the general election. With endorsements from President Obama and Vice President Biden, Harris went on to win the November election by over 60% of the vote, sweeping nearly all California counties. Harris became the second Black woman and the first South Asian American senator in U.S. history.
Tenure and Political Positions
As a U.S. Senator, Harris became known for her advocacy on various progressive issues, including stricter gun control laws, the DREAM Act, federal cannabis legalization, and reforms in healthcare and taxation. She gained national recognition for her pointed questioning of President Trump's appointees, such as Jeff Sessions and Brett Kavanaugh.
In January 2017, after President Trump's executive order barring citizens of Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S., Harris denounced the policy as a "Muslim ban" and sought to push back against it. She also opposed several Trump cabinet nominees, including Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary and Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, calling for Sessions’ resignation after revelations of his contacts with the Russian ambassador.
Harris continued to make waves in the Senate, particularly during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, where she voted against his confirmation. She made her first foreign trip in 2017, visiting California troops in Iraq and a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. In June 2017, she raised questions about Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s involvement in the firing of FBI Director James Comey, an inquiry that sparked significant attention due to her direct questioning style.
Throughout her tenure, Harris pushed for transparency and accountability, especially on matters like immigration, sexual harassment, and judicial appointments. In December 2017, she called for Senator Al Franken’s resignation after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced.
In 2018, Harris continued her advocacy for immigration reform, including questioning Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen over the Trump administration's controversial family separation policy. She also became one of the leading critics of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, questioning his connections to the Mueller investigation and his handling of sexual assault allegations. She voted against Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
Harris was also a target of the October 2018 mail bombings, though she was unharmed. That year, she sponsored the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act, a bill aimed at making lynching a federal hate crime. Although the bill passed the Senate, it did not become law due to failure in the House of Representatives.
2020 Presidential Election
Presidential Campaign
Kamala Harris had been considered a strong contender for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president. She signaled interest in a run as early as June 2018, and in January 2019, she officially announced her candidacy. The announcement generated a lot of enthusiasm, and she raised a record amount of donations in the first 24 hours of her campaign. Harris launched her campaign with an event in Oakland, California, attended by over 20,000 people.
During the first Democratic presidential debate in June 2019, Harris gained significant attention when she challenged former Vice President Joe Biden over his past stance on school desegregation and his relations with segregationist senators. Her remarks resulted in a bump in her poll numbers. However, in the second debate, she faced criticism from Biden and Representative Tulsi Gabbard regarding her record as California's attorney general, which caused her poll numbers to fall in the months following. Despite her tough-on-crime policies as Attorney General and past defense of the death penalty, Harris struggled to maintain momentum in the polls, and by December 2019, she withdrew from the race, citing a lack of funding.
In March 2020, she endorsed Joe Biden for president.
Vice Presidential Campaign
In 2020, Harris emerged as a leading contender for vice president following Joe Biden's strong victories in the Democratic primaries. Biden's landslide win in South Carolina, with the support of Congressman Jim Clyburn, led to renewed calls for a Black woman to join the ticket as his running mate. Biden committed to selecting a woman, and Harris became a top contender due to her political experience and legal background.
Harris was seen as a strong candidate for vice president, and in June 2020, reports indicated that she was emerging as the front-runner for the role. On August 11, 2020, Biden officially announced that Harris would be his running mate. Harris made history as the first African American, first Indian American, and third woman to be nominated as vice president on a major-party ticket. She was also the first candidate from the Western United States to appear on the Democratic Party’s national ticket.
Harris and Biden won the 2020 presidential election, and Harris became the vice president-elec
Vice Presidency (2021–Present)
Kamala Harris was sworn in as the 49th vice president of the United States on January 20, 2021, at 11:40 a.m. by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Harris made history as the first woman, the first African-American, and the first Asian-American to hold the vice presidency. She is also the third person in U.S. history with non-European ancestry to become vice president.
Her first act as vice president was swearing in three new senators, including her successor, Alex Padilla, from California.
Senate Presidency
As president of the Senate, Harris frequently cast tie-breaking votes due to the 50–50 split between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate. She cast her first tie-breaking votes on February 5, 2021, to pass the American Rescue Plan Act. By July 2021, Harris had already broken a record for the most tie-breaking votes cast by any vice president in the first year of office. She cast a total of 13 tie-breaking votes during her first year, surpassing John Adams' record of 12 votes in 1790. On December 5, 2023, she surpassed John C. Calhoun’s record of 31 tie-breaking votes, casting her 32nd vote.
In November 2021, Harris became the first woman and third person in U.S. history to assume the powers of the presidency as acting president while Biden underwent a colonoscopy.
Immigration
In March 2021, President Biden tasked Harris with addressing the root causes of irregular migration from Central America. Harris’s efforts included diplomacy with Mexico, Guatemala, and other Northern Triangle nations. While she was informally referred to as the "border czar," she never officially held the title. Harris conducted her first foreign trip as vice president in June 2021, visiting Guatemala and Mexico to work on migration and its underlying causes. Harris’s diplomatic efforts led to the creation of initiatives such as task forces on corruption, human trafficking, and the Partnership for Central America.
Foreign Policy
Harris has played a key diplomatic role in the Biden administration. She met with various world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, to strengthen international ties. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Harris visited Germany and Poland to rally support for Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Russia.
In April 2023, Harris worked with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to strengthen the U.S.-South Korea space alliance. Harris also pledged U.S. support for Israel during the Israel-Hamas conflict, despite criticizing certain Israeli actions in 2024.
2024 Presidential Election
In April 2023, President Joe Biden announced his reelection campaign, with Kamala Harris continuing as his vice-presidential running mate. However, after concerns about Biden's
age and health, which were intensified by his performance in the first presidential debate in June 2024, Biden suspended his campaign on July 21, 2024, and endorsed Harris for president. This marked the beginning of Harris's candidacy for the 2024 election.
Presidential Campaign
Harris's campaign raised a record-breaking $81 million in small-dollar donations within the first 24 hours of her candidacy—setting a new record for any presidential candidate in history. Her campaign was also supported by high-profile endorsements, including from former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, as well as the Congressional Black Caucus.
Harris officially secured the Democratic nomination after the primaries, becoming the first nominee to bypass the primaries since Hubert Humphrey in 1968. She ran against Donald Trump, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate.
The 2024 election cycle saw a short and intense general election campaign, lasting just 107 days. Harris participated in a widely praised debate with Trump on September 10, 2024, and delivered a key closing argument speech in Washington, D.C., on October 30. Despite her efforts, she lost the election to Trump, conceding on November 4, 2024. The defeat was attributed to key losses in the “blue wall” states—Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—and the shift in swing states like Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina. Harris’s loss was part of a broader global backlash against incumbent parties, which was particularly exacerbated by inflation during 2021-2023.
On January 6, 2025, Harris oversaw the certification of Trump’s victory.
Political Positions
Domestic Issues
- Abortion: Harris has been a strong advocate for reproductive rights, with abortion access being central to her presidential platform. She has been recognized as the Biden administration's primary voice on reproductive health. Harris has a perfect score from Planned Parenthood Action Fund and a 0% rating from the National Right to Life Committee.
- LGBTQ+ Rights: Harris has a long history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights, including her refusal to defend California's Proposition 8 as Attorney General and her advocacy for the Equality Act. She has also led efforts to eliminate the "gay and trans panic defense" through legislation.
- Gun Control: Harris supports stricter gun control measures, including expanding background checks and implementing a national ban on assault weapons.
- Climate Change: Harris advocates for limited climate change legislation but has supported policies to transition toward renewable energy and reduce emissions.
Foreign Policy
Harris has supported continued military aid to both Ukraine and Israel in their respective conflicts, but has called for ceasefires and negotiations to resolve the ongoing crises. She opposes an arms embargo on Israel, despite advocating for a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Immigration:
Harris supports an earned pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, with a focus on addressing the root causes of migration from Central America through the RCS program. She has called for increased border security alongside immigration reform.
Economic Policy:
Harris has diverged from Biden on some economic issues, proposing a "populist" agenda focused on strengthening labor rights, raising wages, and addressing inequality.
Harris's loss in the 2024 presidential election marks a significant chapter in her political career, but her platform and policy stances continue to shape the national conversation on key issues.
Criminal Justice
Kamala Harris has taken various positions and actions on criminal justice throughout her career, with a record that has been both praised and criticized.
First Step Act (2018): Harris voted for this bipartisan legislation, which aimed to reduce recidivism and reformed certain sentencing practices, including expanding job training programs for federal prisoners and offering modifications to mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.
COVID-19 and Prisons (2020): In March 2020, she joined 14 other senators in urging the Federal Bureau of Prisons and private prison companies to have a clear plan for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic within correctional facilities, advocating for better prevention and treatment strategies.
Support for Police Budget Cuts (2020): Following George Floyd's death and the subsequent protests, Harris supported Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s decision to cut $150 million from the LAPD budget, in alignment with community-driven calls to defund the police.
Minnesota Freedom Fund: Harris tweeted her support for donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which assisted protesters arrested during the George Floyd demonstrations, though she did not personally contribute to the fund.
Mixed Criminal Justice Record: While some of her past positions, such as opposing certain prisoner releases and her tough stance on truancy, have led critics to describe her as "tough on crime," Harris has also presented herself as a "progressive prosecutor" who has worked toward criminal justice reform.
Personal Life
Early Relationships: In the 1990s, Harris had relationships with influential figures such as Willie Brown, the Speaker of the California Assembly, and briefly dated talk show host Montel Williams in 2001.
Marriage to Doug Emhoff: Harris married attorney Doug Emhoff on August 22, 2014, after being set up on a blind date in 2013. Emhoff, from a Jewish family, had a successful career as an entertainment lawyer. Harris became a stepmother to Emhoff's two children, Cole and Ella, from his previous marriage. As of August 2024, the couple's estimated net worth was $8 million.
Religious and Social Involvement: Harris is a member of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco, a congregation of the American Baptist Churches USA. She is also part of The Links, an exclusive social and service organization for Black women in the U.S.
Gun Ownership: Harris is a gun owner, which is notable given her advocacy for stricter gun control laws.
Public Image
Harris's public image has fluctuated throughout her political career, with several key moments defining her profile:
Approval Ratings: Harris initially struggled with low approval ratings during her vice presidency, especially in her first years. A record-low 34.8% of Americans had a favorable view of her in August 2022. However, her approval improved significantly after becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in 2024, especially among Democrats.
Staff Turnover: Harris’s vice-presidential tenure saw significant turnover in her staff, including high-profile departures such as her chief of staff and press secretary. This was attributed to exhaustion from the transition and the pressures of the role.
Viral Moments: In 2024, a 2023 clip of Harris speaking at a White House event went viral, where she humorously remarked, "You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?" This, along with other moments from her speeches, led to a wave of memes and media coverage, contributing to her public image.
Defining Traits: One of Harris's most recognizable personal traits is her distinct and often boisterous laughter, which she credits to her mother. Her laughter has become a defining feature in both her public persona and media coverage.
Kamala Harris has authored two nonfiction books and one children's book:
Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer (2009)
- Co-authored with Joan O'C. Hamilton. The book outlines Harris’s approach to criminal justice reform, offering her perspective as a career prosecutor. It includes her plans for making communities safer through innovative justice policies.
- ISBN: 978-0-8118-6528-9
The Truths We Hold: An American Journey (2019)
- This memoir reflects on Harris’s personal and political journey, detailing her experiences as the first woman, first Black woman, and first person of South Asian descent to serve as California's attorney general. The book explores her values and vision for the country.
- ISBN: 978-1-9848-8622-4
Superheroes Are Everywhere (2019)
- A children's book inspired by Harris’s life and experiences. It encourages children to find the superhero within themselves, emphasizing qualities like kindness, bravery, and perseverance.
References
- BBC (no date) BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c34k011x7rrt (Accessed: 14 January 2025).
- Breaking barriers: Madame vice president Kamala Harris (no date) Stanford Report. Available at: https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2020/12/breaking-barriers-madame-vice-president-kamala-harris (Accessed: 14 January 2025).
- Jacobs, J. (2025) Harris declines to invite Vance for courtesy visit to vice president’s residence before inauguration, CBS News. Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harris-jd-vance-vice-presidents-residence/ (Accessed: 14 January 2025).
- Kamala Harris (2025) Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kamala-Harris (Accessed: 14 January 2025).
- Kamala Harris certifies her loss to Donald Trump (2025) NBCNews.com. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/kamala-harris/kamala-harris-certifies-loss-donald-trump-rcna186013 (Accessed: 14 January 2025).
- Gringlas, S. and Wabe (2024) Obama, Springsteen help Kamala Harris begin to deliver election’s closing message at Metro Atlanta rally, WABE. Available at: https://www.wabe.org/obama-springsteen-help-kamala-harris-begin-to-deliver-elections-closing-message-at-metro-atlanta-rally/ (Accessed: 14 January 2025).
