By Ana Martinez-Ortiz
Sen. Kamala Harris
After months of speculation and anticipation, former Vice President Joe Biden announced his running mate. Earlier this week, Biden selected Sen. Kamala Harris as his vice president for the upcoming election.
“I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris – a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants – as my running mate,” Biden wrote in a tweet on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Biden continued, “Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I’m proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign.”
Harris was originally in the presidential race before dropping out in December of 2019 due to a lack of financial resources. Now, Harris’ name is back on the ticket under the title of vice president.
If Harris is elected, she will be the first woman, first Black and first Asian American to hold the position of vice president. In a tweet, Harris said she is honored to join Biden and will do whatever it takes to make him commander- in-chief.
“We are in a battle for the soul of this nation. But together, it’s a battle we can win,” Harris tweeted on Wednesday, Aug. 12. “@JoeBiden – I’m ready to get to work.”
As a lawyer, Harris began working in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office before being elected as San Francisco’s District Attorney. In 2010, she became California’s Attorney General before being elected to the senate in 2016.
As the attorney general, Harris won a $20 billion settlement for California homeowners against big banks that were actively working to foreclose on homes, according to Harris’ bio on Biden’s campaign site. She fought to protect California from human trafficking, gun smuggling and drug rings.
Harris currently serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. As a senator she co-sponsored legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 and has defended the legal rights of refuges and immigrants, her bio stated.
Tom Perez, the chairman for the Democratic National Convention, released a statement of support following Biden’s announcement.
“Kamala Harris is an extraordinary leader. And she’s going to make an extraordinary vice president. Throughout her career, Senator Harris has championed working families and helped us build a better nation for all – no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, or how you pray,” Perez said.
He continued, “Together, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are Donald Trump and Mike Pence’s worst nightmare. They are going to win this election, end this pandemic, and build a brighter future for all Americans.”