Kamala Devi Harris is a notable figure in American politics and her career has been marked by several milestones. She serves as the 49th Vice President of the United States, working alongside President Joe Biden. Harris holds the distinction of being the first woman to occupy this role, and she is also the highest-ranking female official in the history of the United States. Her vice presidency is additionally significant as she is the first African-American and first Asian-American to hold this position.
Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a cancer researcher from India, and her father, Donald J. Harris, is an economist from Jamaica. Harris pursued higher education at Howard University, where she obtained a degree in political science and economics. She furthered her education by earning a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
In the early stages of her career, Harris worked in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, then moved to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, and later worked in the City Attorney of San Francisco’s office. In 2003, she was elected as the District Attorney of San Francisco. Her political career continued to progress as she was elected the Attorney General of California in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. From 2017 to 2021, Harris served as the junior U.S. senator from California. During her tenure as a senator, she was known for her advocacy on several key issues including healthcare reform, federal de-scheduling of cannabis, pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, the DREAM Act, bans on assault weapons, and progressive tax reforms. She also gained national attention for her incisive questioning of Trump administration officials during Senate hearings, including the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Harris ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but withdrew before the primaries. She was then chosen by Joe Biden as his running mate for the 2020 election. The Biden-Harris ticket ultimately won, defeating incumbent President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Apart from her political career, Harris is married to Doug Emhoff, a lawyer, and they have two children together. She is also an author, having written two books: “Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor’s Plan to Make Us Safer” and “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey”.