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Kamala Harris

About Kamala Harris

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Who is 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."

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.

Latest Updates on Kamala Harris

Her challenge now is to harness the energy and excitement of a party reinvigorated by her rapid ascent.

Updated On: 05 Sep 2024 | 2:40 PM IST

Harris announced $100 million in assistance for the region and pledged that the United States would be strengthening our partnerships across the continent of Africa

Updated On: 28 Mar 2023 | 7:23 AM IST

Former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was officially sworn in as the US Ambassador to India by Vice President Kamala Harris at a ceremonial event.

Updated On: 25 Mar 2023 | 2:31 PM IST

In a separate statement, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen applauded Biden for nominating Banga for this position

Updated On: 23 Feb 2023 | 11:37 PM IST

Haley is currently running 31 points behind the second-placed candidate, whose level of support is almost equal to the number of points she lags behind the front-runner

Updated On: 19 Feb 2023 | 4:55 PM IST

Nikki Haley, who has announced that she will run for the post of President of the US in 2024, is of Indian-origin

Updated On: 15 Feb 2023 | 3:58 PM IST

Republicans argue Biden and Harris, designated the administration's point person on the root causes of migration, have relaxed restrictions that induced many people to leave their countries of origin

Updated On: 26 Dec 2022 | 6:53 AM IST

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and US Vice President Kamala Harris are among Forbes' 19th annual list of 'World's 100 Most Powerful Women' of 2022

Updated On: 07 Dec 2022 | 10:06 PM IST

Vice President Kamala Harris would underscore America's commitment to defending treaty ally the Philippines with a visit that starts Sunday and involves flying to an island province

Updated On: 20 Nov 2022 | 9:07 AM IST

Harris and Xi exchanged remarks Saturday while heading into a closed-door meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum's summit in Bangkok

Updated On: 19 Nov 2022 | 3:53 PM IST

The United States has an enduring economic commitment to the Indo-Pacific, one that is measured not in years, but in decades, and generations, she said.

Updated On: 18 Nov 2022 | 2:43 PM IST

Democrats are now poised to hold 50 seats in the 100-member Senate, allowing them to control the agenda with the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris

Updated On: 13 Nov 2022 | 11:56 PM IST

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Updated On: 03 Nov 2022 | 11:43 PM IST

Vice-President Kamala Harris said Iran is unfit to serve on the commission and its presence discredits the integrity of its work

Updated On: 03 Nov 2022 | 7:35 AM IST

With Rishi Sunak as prime minister of the UK, it is now impossible to deny what has been evident for some while: Indian talent is revolutionizing the Western world

Updated On: 28 Oct 2022 | 9:47 AM IST

United States Vice President Kamala Harris attributed her success to the dedication, determination and courage of her Indian American mother

Updated On: 25 Oct 2022 | 8:03 AM IST

Diwali is a universal concept that transcends cultures, Vice President Kamala Harris said as she opened her official residence for scores of Indian Americans to celebrate the festival of lights

Updated On: 22 Oct 2022 | 10:21 AM IST

Diwali celebrations have started in the US from Times Square in New York, with Vice President Kamala Harris and ex-president Donald Trump celebrating the festival at their residences on Friday

Updated On: 21 Oct 2022 | 10:23 AM IST

Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas says she has raised the issue of women's rights, including their right to vote, in her recent conversation with US vice president Kamala Harris

Updated On: 02 Oct 2022 | 2:06 PM IST

In a show of defiance, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday, hours after US Vice President Kamala Harris flew home from a visit to South Korea

Updated On: 29 Sep 2022 | 8:05 PM IST