Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris
Official vice presidential portrait, 2021
Kamala Harris
Born	Kamala Devi Harris 20 10, 1964
Birthplace	Oakland, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, attorney
Known for	49th Vice President of the United States; first female, first African American, and first Asian American vice president
Education	University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D.)

Kamala Devi Harris (born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from January 20, 2021, to January 20, 2025, under President Joe Biden. She is the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold the vice presidency, making her the highest-ranking female and Asian American official in the history of the United States. Born in Oakland, California, to immigrant parents—a mother from India and a father from Jamaica—Harris rose through the ranks of California's legal and political establishment over the course of three decades. She served as the district attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011, the attorney general of California from 2011 to 2017, and as a United States senator from California from 2017 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Harris was the party's nominee in the 2024 presidential election, which she lost to former president Donald Trump. As of early 2026, Harris has been reported to be considering a potential third bid for the presidency in 2028.

Early Life

Kamala Devi Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, was a breast cancer researcher who had emigrated from India, and her father, Donald J. Harris, is a Jamaican-born economist who became a professor of economics at Stanford University. Her parents met as graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, where both were active in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Harris's given name, Kamala, means "lotus" in Sanskrit, and her middle name, Devi, is a reference to the Hindu goddess. She and her younger sister, Maya Harris, were raised primarily by their mother after their parents divorced when Kamala was seven years old. The family lived in Berkeley, California, in a neighborhood described as a center of the civil rights and counterculture movements; the house where Harris spent part of her childhood has been considered for landmark status by the city.

Harris's mother, Shyamala Gopalan, instilled in her daughters a strong awareness of their Indian heritage while also immersing them in the African American community and culture of the San Francisco Bay Area. Shyamala Gopalan Harris died on February 11, 2009, from colon cancer.

When Harris was twelve years old, she and her sister moved with their mother to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where Shyamala had accepted a research position at the Jewish General Hospital and a teaching position at McGill University. Harris attended Westmount High School in the Montreal suburb of Westmount, where she graduated in 1981.

Education

After completing high school in Montreal, Harris returned to the United States to attend Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington, D.C. At Howard, she was a member of the debate team and pledged the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the nation's oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college women. Harris graduated from Howard University in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics.

Harris then enrolled at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (now known as the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco), where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1989. She was admitted to the State Bar of California the following year and began her career in law enforcement and prosecution.

Career

Early Legal Career

After passing the bar, Harris began her legal career in the office of the district attorney of Alameda County, where she specialized in prosecuting cases involving child sexual assault. She was subsequently recruited to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office and later to the office of the city attorney of San Francisco, where she focused on cases involving child and family services.

District Attorney of San Francisco

In 2003, Harris ran for and won the election for district attorney of San Francisco, defeating incumbent Terence Hallinan. She took office on January 8, 2004, becoming the first African American and first woman to serve as the district attorney of San Francisco.

During her tenure as district attorney, Harris established a reputation for pursuing innovative criminal justice programs. She created the "Back on Track" initiative, a reentry program for low-level drug offenders that aimed to reduce recidivism by providing defendants with access to education, job training, and community service opportunities rather than incarceration alone. Harris served as district attorney until January 3, 2011, when she assumed the office of attorney general of California. She was succeeded by George Gascón.

Attorney General of California

Harris was elected the 32nd attorney general of California in 2010, defeating Republican Steve Cooley in a closely contested race. She was sworn into office on January 3, 2011, becoming the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to serve as attorney general of California. She served under Governor Jerry Brown, who had himself been her predecessor in the attorney general role.

Harris was reelected as attorney general in 2014. During her time in the office, she took on cases related to mortgage fraud and the foreclosure crisis, environmental law, and consumer protection. She served as attorney general until January 3, 2017, when she was succeeded in an acting capacity by Kathleen Kenealy.

United States Senate

In 2016, Harris won the election for the United States Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Barbara Boxer, making her the second Black woman and the first South Asian American to serve in the U.S. Senate. She took office on January 3, 2017, and served as the junior senator from California until January 18, 2021.

As a senator, Harris advocated for a number of progressive policy positions, including stricter gun control laws, the DREAM Act, federal legalization of cannabis, and reforms to healthcare and taxation. She gained national prominence for her incisive questioning of Trump administration officials during Senate committee hearings, including her questioning of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and President Trump's second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, during his contentious 2018 confirmation hearings.

In December 2017, Harris was among the Democratic senators who called on Senator Al Franken to resign amid sexual harassment allegations.

2020 Presidential Campaign

In January 2019, Harris announced her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Her campaign launch drew significant attention, with an estimated 20,000 people attending her kickoff rally in Oakland. During the first primary debate in June 2019, Harris had a notable exchange with former Vice President Joe Biden regarding his past opposition to federally mandated busing for school integration, a moment that temporarily boosted her standing in the polls.

However, Harris's campaign struggled to maintain momentum and faced challenges in fundraising and defining a clear policy lane within the crowded Democratic field. She withdrew from the race in December 2019, before the primary voting began.

Vice Presidency (2021–2025)

In August 2020, Biden selected Harris as his running mate for the 2020 presidential election, making her the first African American and first Asian American woman to be nominated for vice president on a major party ticket. The Biden-Harris ticket defeated the incumbent president and vice president, Donald Trump and Mike Pence, in the November 2020 election.

Harris was inaugurated as the 49th vice president of the United States on January 20, 2021. Her inauguration was historic on multiple fronts: she became the first woman, first African American, and first Asian American to serve as vice president, and the highest-ranking female and Asian American official in United States history.

During her vice presidency, Harris presided over a United States Senate that was evenly divided between 50 Democrats (and Democratic-caucusing independents) and 50 Republicans. This division gave Harris an outsized role as the tie-breaking vote in the chamber. Over the course of her term, she cast 33 tie-breaking votes, more than any other vice president in American history. Among the most consequential of these were her votes to pass the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, and the Inflation Reduction Act, a major climate, healthcare, and tax law enacted in 2022.

Harris served as vice president until January 20, 2025, when she was succeeded by JD Vance.

2024 Presidential Campaign

In July 2024, President Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and immediately endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee. Harris quickly launched her presidential campaign and consolidated support within the party, becoming the nominee. She selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.

The general election pitted Harris against the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance. Harris lost the election to Trump, marking his return to the presidency.

Following the election, internal analyses within the Democratic Party examined factors that contributed to Harris's defeat. A still-unreleased Democratic National Committee autopsy report concluded that Harris's stance on the conflict in Gaza cost her significant votes among key constituencies, particularly among Arab American and Muslim American voters in battleground states.

Post–Vice Presidency and Potential 2028 Campaign

As of February 2026, Harris has been reported to be considering a third presidential campaign for the 2028 election. In a podcast interview, she signaled openness to the possibility, a development that has generated both support and criticism within the Democratic Party. Political commentators have noted that a potential 2028 race could place Harris in competition with California Governor Gavin Newsom, a longtime political ally with whom she shares deep roots in San Francisco politics. Some Democratic strategists and commentators have argued against another Harris candidacy, citing concerns about electability after her 2024 loss.

Personal Life

Harris married Douglas Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer, on August 22, 2014. Emhoff, who served as the second gentleman of the United States during Harris's vice presidency, became the first man and the first Jewish spouse of a U.S. vice president. Harris is stepmother to Emhoff's two children from a previous marriage, Cole and Ella, who call her "Momala."

Harris grew up attending both a Black Baptist church and a Hindu temple, reflecting the diverse cultural heritage of her parents. She has spoken publicly about the influence of her mother's Indian heritage and her immersion in African American culture during her upbringing in the Bay Area and at Howard University.

Harris spent part of her formative years in Montreal, Canada, where she attended Westmount High School and has maintained friendships with former classmates who have spoken publicly about her time there.

Her family connections in public life extend beyond her immediate household. Her sister, Maya Harris, is a public policy advocate and lawyer who served as a senior advisor on Harris's 2020 presidential campaign. Her brother-in-law, Tony West, is a former senior official in the United States Department of Justice during the Obama administration.

Recognition

Harris's election as vice president in 2020 was recognized as a historic milestone in American politics. She became the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold the office, breaking barriers that had stood for the entirety of the republic's existence since the office was established in 1789.

During her time in the Senate, Harris was noted for her prosecutorial questioning style during committee hearings, which drew national media attention and contributed to her public profile as a leading figure in the Democratic Party.

Her 33 tie-breaking votes as vice president set a new record, surpassing the previous record of 31 held by John Adams, the first vice president of the United States. These votes were cast on a range of legislation and nominations, reflecting the closely divided nature of the U.S. Senate during the Biden administration.

Harris's 2024 presidential campaign was itself a historic achievement, as she became only the second woman—after Hillary Clinton in 2016—to be nominated for president by a major American political party.

Legacy

Harris's career, spanning roles from local prosecutor to vice president, represents a trajectory that intersected with multiple areas of American public life: criminal justice, state-level governance, legislative politics, and the executive branch. Her tenure as vice president is defined in part by the historical significance of her identity—as a multiracial woman of Black and South Asian descent in an office previously held exclusively by white men—and in part by her functional role as a tie-breaking vote in an evenly divided Senate.

Her record as a prosecutor and attorney general in California has been the subject of ongoing public debate. Supporters have pointed to her establishment of reentry programs like "Back on Track" and her work on consumer protection and environmental issues, while critics from both the left and the right have scrutinized elements of her prosecutorial record.

The 2024 presidential election and its aftermath remain a subject of active political analysis. The reported DNC autopsy finding that her stance on the Gaza conflict contributed to her electoral losses has added to broader discussions within the Democratic Party about its approach to foreign policy and coalition-building.

As of early 2026, Harris remains a prominent figure in American politics, with speculation about her future political plans continuing to generate media coverage and party debate.