WHO IS KAMALA HARRIS

Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris is the US Vice-President-elect. She is set to become the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first woman of Indian heritage, to become Vice-President of the United States. President-elect Joe Biden and Harris successfully took on the incumbent President Donald Trump-Mike Pence regime in the 2020 elections.

Moments after it was revealed that they had won, she called Biden, and laughing, said to him: "We did it. We did it, Joe. You're going to be the next president of the United States."

We did it, @JoeBiden. pic.twitter.com/oCgeylsjB4
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 7, 2020

Who is Kamala Harris?

Harris was always seen as a moderate when compared with other far-left democrats like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. In her presidential campaign last year, Harris presented herself as someone who could appeal to both progressives and moderates. Rather than trying to upend the economy, her policy thinking was centered around incremental, targeted results, particularly focusing on marginalised groups like women, people of colour and low-income Americans. Harris eventually dropped out of the race in December 2019 with low polling numbers, and later endorsed Biden.

Born in Oakland, California, Harris is the daughter of an Indian-born mother and a Jamaican-born father. She attended Howard University and is a member of a prominent black sorority 'Alpha Kappa Alpha'. She was the first black woman to be the San Francisco district attorney and the first Asian American and black woman attorney general of California. The 55-year-old was elected to the US Senate in 2016 with a landslide victory.

Harris often argues that her identity makes her uniquely suited to fight for people who have been traditionally ignored.

She married lawyer Doug Emhoff in 2014, with her sister Maya officiating the ceremony.

Why Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris as his running mate

Though Biden announced that he would pick a woman as his running mate, Harris was not seen as a favourite. Harris likely pipped Senator Janet Rice because of the latter’s lack of experience in domestic electoral politics. Biden settled on Harris only after an exhaustive review that forged new political alliances, deepened existing rivalries and further elevated a cohort of women as leaders in their party.

The Kamala Harris factor in US elections

In choosing Harris, the Biden campaign was betting on her experience, the record of governance and racial diversity. Harris was tasked with endearing herself to voters who usually vote Republican but do not support Trump, encouraging them to vote for her party rather than stay home on the election day. The campaign hoped that while Biden was inclined to focus more on the foreign policy, Harris could be more engaged with domestic politics.

KAMALA HARRIS NEWS

Indian-American Congressman meets Kamala Harris over Covid crisis in India
Congressman Ami Bera, the longest-serving Indian-American in the Congress, met Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House ...| May 13, 2021, Thursday
India's Covid situation nothing short of heartbreaking: Kamala Harris
In an address to the Indian diaspora in the US, Vice President Kamala Harris lamented over the deteriorating Covidd-19 situation ...| May 09, 2021, Sunday
US Vice President Kamala Harris vows more help to India fight Covid-19
Harris has said that India's welfare is critically important to the United States.| May 08, 2021, Saturday
US VP Kamala Harris to deliver message of solidarity with India on Friday
Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday will deliver a message of solidarity with the people of India, as the US partners with the ...| May 06, 2021, Thursday
Harris, Pelosi make history at US Prez Biden's first address to Congress
Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have made history as they shared the stage during President Joe ...| April 29, 2021, Thursday
Kamala Harris condemns 'inexplicable' violence at Capitol on Friday
Harris condoled the death of US Capitol Police Officer William Evans, saying that he 'made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the ...| April 03, 2021, Saturday
Biden taps Harris to lead diplomatic effort to stem US immigrant flow
Biden has entrusted his VP Harris with the task of leading the diplomatic effort and working with neighbouring Mexico and ...| March 25, 2021, Thursday
Joe Biden taps VP Harris to lead response to border challenges
President Joe Biden has tapped Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the White House effort to tackle the migration challenge at ...| March 25, 2021, Thursday
Biden, Harris meet Asian American leaders in Atlanta after deadly shootings
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday met Asian American leaders in Atlanta after the deadly ...| March 20, 2021, Saturday
Indian-American businesswoman attends round table with US VP Kamala Harris
An Indian-American businesswoman, who imports goods and supports widowed women in India, has participated in a round table with ...| March 17, 2021, Wednesday