Kamala Harris: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Vice President of the United States since 2021}} |
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{{short description|United States Senator from California}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}} |
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{{Use American English|date=August 2024}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} |
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{{Infobox officeholder |
{{Infobox officeholder |
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| image = Kamala Harris Vice Presidential Portrait.jpg |
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| caption = Official portrait, 2021 |
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| office = 49th [[Vice President of the United States]] |
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| president = [[Joe Biden]] |
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| term_start = January 20, 2021 |
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|alongside = [[Dianne Feinstein]] |
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| predecessor = [[Mike Pence]] |
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|term_start = January 3, 2017 |
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| jr/sr1 = United States Senator |
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|term_end = |
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| state1 = [[California]] |
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| term_start1 = January 3, 2017 |
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|successor = |
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| term_end1 = January 18, 2021 |
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|office1 = 32nd [[Attorney General of California]] |
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| predecessor1 = [[Barbara Boxer]] |
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|governor1 = Jerry Brown |
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| successor1 = [[Alex Padilla]] |
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|term_start1 = January 3, 2011 |
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| office2 = 32nd [[Attorney General of California]] |
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|term_end1 = January 3, 2017 |
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| governor2 = [[Jerry Brown]] |
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| term_start2 = January 3, 2011 |
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|successor1 = [[Xavier Becerra]] |
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| term_end2 = January 3, 2017 |
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|office2 = 27th [[San Francisco District Attorney's Office|District Attorney of San Francisco]] |
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| predecessor2 = Jerry Brown |
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|term_start2 = January 8, 2004 |
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| successor2 = [[Xavier Becerra]] |
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|term_end2 = January 3, 2011 |
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| office3 = 27th [[San Francisco District Attorney's Office|District Attorney of San Francisco]] |
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|predecessor2 = [[Terence Hallinan]] |
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| term_start3 = January 8, 2004 |
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|successor2 = [[George Gascón]] |
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| term_end3 = January 3, 2011 |
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|birth_name = Kamala Devi Harris |
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| predecessor3 = [[Terence Hallinan]] |
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|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|10|20}} |
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| successor3 = [[George Gascón]] |
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|birth_place = [[Oakland, California]], U.S. |
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| birth_name = Kamala Devi Harris{{efn|name=fn1}} |
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|death_date = |
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|10|20}} |
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|death_place = |
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| birth_place = [[Oakland, California]], U.S. |
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| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] |
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|spouse = {{marriage|Douglas Emhoff|2014}} |
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| spouse = {{marriage|[[Doug Emhoff]]|August 22, 2014}} |
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|relatives = [[Maya Harris]] (sister) |
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| relatives = [[Family of Kamala Harris|Harris family]] |
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|education = [[Howard University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of California, Hastings]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]]) |
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| residence = [[Number One Observatory Circle]] |
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|website = {{url|harris.senate.gov|Senate website}} |
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| education = {{plainlist| |
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* [[Howard University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]) |
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* [[University of California College of the Law, San Francisco|University of California, Hastings College of the Law]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])}} |
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| signature = Kamala Harris Signature.svg |
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| signature_alt = Cursive signature in ink |
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| module = {{listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Kamala Harris speaks on the Americans with Disabilities Act.ogg|title=Harris' voice|type=speech|description=Harris speaks on the [[Americans with Disabilities Act]].<br />Recorded July 26, 2021}} |
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| website = {{URL|kamalaharris.com|Campaign website}} |
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| children = 2 stepchildren, including [[Ella Emhoff|Ella]] |
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| alt = Harris, formally dressed up and made up, smiles for her portrait. |
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| parents = {{ubl|[[Donald J. Harris]]|[[Shyamala Gopalan]]}} |
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| height = |
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}} |
}} |
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{{Kamala Harris series}} |
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'''Kamala Devi Harris''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɑː|m|ə|l|ə}} {{respell|KAH|mə|lə}}; born October 20, 1964) is an [[United States|American]] [[lawyer|attorney]] and [[politician]] serving as the [[Seniority in the United States Senate|junior]] [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] for [[California]] since 2017. A member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], she previously served as the 32nd [[Attorney General of California]] from 2011 to 2017, and as [[District attorney|District Attorney]] of [[San Francisco]] from 2004 to 2010. In January 2019, Harris published a memoir, ''The Truths We Hold: An American Journey''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Harris |first1=Kamala |title=The Truths We Hold: An American Journey |date=January 2019 |publisher=Penguin Press |isbn=9780525560715}}</ref> |
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'''Kamala Devi Harris''' ({{small|pronounced}} {{IPAc-en|audio=Kamala-Devi-Harris-pronunciation.ogg|ˈ|k|ɑː|m|ə|l|ə|_|ˈ|d|eɪ|v|i}};<ref name="Kamala">{{Cite tweet |number=735197253153914881 |user=KamalaHarris |title=People pronounce my name many different ways. Let #KidsForKamala show you how it's done. |author=Kamala Harris |author-link=Kamala Harris}}</ref> born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who has been the 49th and current [[vice president of the United States]] since 2021, serving under President [[Joe Biden]]. Harris is the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]'s nominee for president in the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 election]]. She is the first female vice president of the United States, making her the highest ranking female official in U.S. history. She is also the first [[African American]], and the first [[Asian American]] vice president. From 2017 to 2021, she represented [[California]] in the [[United States Senate]]. Before that, she was the [[Attorney General of California|attorney general of California]]. |
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Born in [[Oakland, California]], Harris |
Born in [[Oakland, California]], Harris graduated from [[Howard University]] and the [[University of California College of the Law, San Francisco|University of California, Hastings College of the Law]]. She began her law career in the office of the [[district attorney]] of [[Alameda County]]. She was recruited to the [[San Francisco District Attorney's Office]] and later to the office of the [[city attorney of San Francisco]]. She was [[2003 San Francisco District Attorney election|elected district attorney of San Francisco]] in 2003 and [[2010 California Attorney General election|attorney general of California in 2010]], and [[2014 California Attorney General election|reelected as attorney general in 2014]]. As the San Francisco district attorney and the attorney general of California, Harris was the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold each office. |
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Harris was the junior U.S. senator from California from 2017 to 2021. She won the [[2016 United States Senate election in California|2016 Senate election]], becoming the second Black woman and first [[South Asian Americans|South Asian American]] U.S. senator. As a senator, [[Political positions of Kamala Harris|Harris advocated]] for stricter [[Gun control in the United States|gun control]] laws, the [[DREAM Act]], [[Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States|federal legalization of cannabis]], and reforms to healthcare and [[Progressive tax|taxation]]. She gained a national profile for her pointed questioning of [[Trump administration]] officials during Senate hearings, including Trump's second [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] nominee, [[Brett Kavanaugh]]. |
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Harris was [[California Attorney General election, 2010|narrowly elected as California's Attorney General in 2010]] and [[California Attorney General election, 2014|reelected in 2014 by a wide margin]]. On November 8, 2016, she defeated [[Loretta Sanchez]] in the [[United States Senate election in California, 2016|2016 Senate election]] to succeed outgoing Senator [[Barbara Boxer]], becoming California's third [[Women in the United States Senate|female U.S. Senator]] and the first of either [[Indian Americans|Indian]] or [[Jamaican Americans|Jamaican]] descent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-election-day-2016-california-s-u-s-senate-race-kamala-1478538739-htmlstory.html |title=Kamala Harris is elected California's new U.S. senator |website=LA Times |date= November 9, 2016| first = Phil | last = Willon |accessdate=November 9, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=KABC |url=http://abc7.com/politics/congresswoman-loretta-sanchez-finally-concedes-senate-race/1598708/ |title=Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez finally concedes Senate race to Kamala Harris |publisher=abc7.com |date= |accessdate=2017-02-27}}</ref> |
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Harris [[Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign|sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination]] in 2019, but withdrew from the race before [[2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries|the primaries]]. Biden [[2020 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection|selected her as his running mate]], and their ticket defeated the incumbent president and vice president, [[Donald Trump]] and [[Mike Pence]], in the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 election]]. Presiding over an evenly split Senate upon entering office, Harris played a crucial role as president of the Senate. She cast [[List of tie-breaking votes cast by the vice president of the United States#List of tie-breaking votes|more tie-breaking votes than any other vice president]], which helped pass bills such as the [[American Rescue Plan Act of 2021]] stimulus package and the [[Inflation Reduction Act]] of 2022. After [[withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 United States presidential election|Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential election]], Harris launched [[Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign|her campaign]] with Biden's endorsement and soon became the presumptive nominee. On August 6, 2024, she chose [[Tim Walz]], the [[governor of Minnesota]], as [[2024 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection|her running mate]]. |
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==Early life and education== |
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[[File:Kamala Harris at SF City Hall, February 2014.png|thumb|left|Harris (right) with her sister [[Maya Harris|Maya]] at [[San Francisco City Hall]], in February 2014.]] |
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Kamala Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in [[Oakland, California]], to a [[Tamils|Tamil]] Indian mother and a [[Jamaicans|Jamaican]] father. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, was a [[breast cancer]] [[scientist]] who immigrated to the US from [[Madras]] (now [[Chennai]]) in 1960.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.desiclub.com/community/culture/culture_article.cfm?id=467 |title=: The New Face of Politics… An Interview with Kamala Harris |publisher=DesiClub |date= |accessdate=February 2, 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211152014/http://www.desiclub.com/community/culture/culture_article.cfm?id=467 |archivedate=December 11, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=autogenerated4>{{cite news|title=Obituary: Dr. Shyamala G. Harris|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sfgate/obituary.aspx?pid=125330757|accessdate=June 11, 2017|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=March 22, 2009}}</ref> Her father, Donald Harris, is a [[Stanford University]] [[economics]] professor who emigrated from Jamaica in 1961 for graduate study in economics at [[University of California, Berkeley]].<ref>''See'': |
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* {{cite news|title=PM Golding congratulates Kamala Harris-daughter of Jamaican – on appointment as California's First Woman Attorney General |publisher=Jamaican Information Service |date=December 2, 2010 |url=http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/opm-news/26176-office Pm-pm-golding-congratulates-kamala-harris-daughter-of-Jamaican-on-appoint |accessdate=February 2, 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115023007/http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/opm-news/26176-officePM-pm-golding-congratulates-kamala-harris-daughter-of-jamaican-on-appoint |archivedate=January 15, 2012 |df= }} |
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* {{cite news|title=California Attorney General Kamala Harris marries Douglas Emhoff|url=https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2014/09/02/california-attorney-general-kamal-harris-marries-douglas-emhoffmost-eligible-indian-american-bachelorette-marries-fellow-lawyer/|work=The American Bazaar|date=September 2, 2014}} |
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* {{cite web|last1=Staff writer|title=Why Kamala Harris is probably not thrilled with compliment|url=http://calwatchdog.com/2013/04/07/why-kamala-harris-is-probably-not-thrilled-with-compliment/|website=CalWatchdog.com|date=April 7, 2013}}</ref><ref name="J_Heritage">{{cite web|title = Kamala Harris’ Jamaican Heritage|url=https://www.jamaicaglobalonline.com/kamala-harris-jamaican-heritage/ |website=jamaicaglobalonline.com |date=October 1, 2018 |accessdate=November 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name=NYTmag>{{cite news | last = Bazelon | first = Emily | title = Kamala Harris, a ‘Top Cop’ in the era of Black Lives Matter | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/magazine/kamala-harris-a-top-cop-in-the-era-of-black-lives-matter.html?_r=0 | work = The New York Times Magazine | date = May 25, 2016}}</ref> |
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== Early life and career == |
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Her name, [[Kamala]], comes from the [[Sanskrit]] word for the [[Nelumbo nucifera|lotus flower]]. Her family lived in [[Berkeley, California]], where both of her parents attended graduate school.<ref name=":2">{{cite news | last = Martinez | first = Michael | title = A 'female Obama' seeks California attorney general post|url= http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/22/california.kamala.harris.profile/|work = CNN|date=October 23, 2010 |accessdate=January 22, 2014}}</ref> She was extremely close to her maternal grandfather, P. V. Gopalan, an Indian [[diplomat]].<ref name=autogenerated4 /><ref>{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris mixing idealism, political savvy|last=Egelko|first=Bob|url=http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Kamala-Harris-mixing-idealism-political-savvy-3518933.php|work=[[SFGate]]|date=November 7, 2012|access-date=November 28, 2017}}</ref> As a child, she frequently visited her extended family in the [[Besant Nagar]] neighborhood of [[Chennai|Chennai, Tamil Nadu]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sreevatsan|first1=Ajai|title=California's next A-G, city's pride|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Californias-next-A-G-citys-pride/article15719053.ece|accessdate=11 June 2017|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=November 28, 2010|language=en}}</ref> Harris grew up going to both a [[black people|black]] [[Baptists|Baptist]] [[church (congregation)|church]] and a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] [[Hindu temple|temple]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Finnegan |first1=Michael |title=How race helped shape the politics of Senate candidate Kamala Harris |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-ca-harris-senate-20150930-story.html |accessdate=December 1, 2018 |work=Los Angeles times |date=September 30, 2015}}</ref> She has one younger sister, [[Maya Harris]].<ref name=":4">{{cite news |url=https://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-02-27/politics/35442407_1_civil-division-civil-rights-associate-attorney |title=Justice Dept. lawyer Tony West to take over as acting associate attorney general |work=The Washington Post |date=February 27, 2012 |accessdate=January 11, 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110085154/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-02-27/politics/35442407_1_civil-division-civil-rights-associate-attorney |archivedate=November 10, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite news |last=Shaban |first=Hamza |title= Uber hires PepsiCo's Tony West as general counsel|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171028013337/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/10/27/uber-hires-pepsicos-tony-west-as-general-counsel/?utm_term=.9845f3ca0001 |archive-date= October 28, 2017 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/10/27/uber-hires-pepsicos-tony-west-as-general-counsel/ |work= The Washington Post |date= October 27, 2017}}</ref> They both sang in a Baptist [[choir]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bazelon |first1=Emily |title=Kamala Harris, a ‘Top Cop’ in the Era of Black Lives Matter |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/magazine/kamala-harris-a-top-cop-in-the-era-of-black-lives-matter.html |accessdate=December 1, 2018 |work=The New York Times Magazine |date=May 25, 2016}}</ref> |
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{{Main|Early life and career of Kamala Harris}}<!-- Please keep this section in [[WP:SUMMARY]] format. New details should go in the subarticle [[Early life and career of Kamala Harris]], not here! --> |
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=== Early life and education === |
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Harris's parents divorced when she was 7, and her mother was granted custody of the children by court-ordered settlement.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="J_Heritage" /> After the divorce, her mother moved with the children to [[Montreal]], Québec, Canada, where Shyamala accepted a position doing [[scientific research|research]] at [[Jewish General Hospital]] and teaching at [[McGill University]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Sam Whiting |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Kamala-Harris-grew-up-idolizing-lawyers-3232851.php#ixzz2PivLjB4p |title=Kamala Harris grew up idolizing lawyers |work=SFGate |date=May 14, 2009 |accessdate=January 11, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Brilliant Careers|publisher=''Super Lawyers''|date=August 1, 2010|url=http://www.superlawyers.com/california-northern/article/Brilliant-Careers/e8902c40-542b-40e4-89a5-58a2e181b36f.html|accessdate=February 2, 2011}}</ref> |
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[[File:Kamala Harris - Berkeley childhood home.jpg|thumb|Harris's childhood home on Bancroft Way in [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]]|left]] |
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Kamala Devi Harris{{efn|name=fn1|Harris was originally named Kamala Iyer Harris by her parents, who two weeks later filed an [[affidavit]] by which her middle name was changed to Devi.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/18/heres-kamala-harris-birth-certificate-end-of-debate/|first=David|last=Debolt|date=August 18, 2020|title=Here's Kamala Harris' birth certificate. Scholars say there's no VP eligibility debate|newspaper=[[The Mercury News]]|access-date=November 27, 2021|archive-date=February 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217084253/https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/18/heres-kamala-harris-birth-certificate-end-of-debate/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} was born in [[Oakland, California]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kim|first1=Catherin|last2=Stanton|first2=Zack|date=August 11, 2020|title=55 Things You Need to Know About Kamala Harris|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/08/11/kamala-harris-vp-background-bio-biden-running-mate-2020-393885|access-date=August 23, 2020|website=Politico|archive-date=August 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822230300/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/08/11/kamala-harris-vp-background-bio-biden-running-mate-2020-393885|url-status=live}}</ref> on October 20, 1964.<ref name=":0">{{congbio| id=H001075|accessdate=May 20, 2020|inline=YES}}</ref> Her mother, [[Shyamala Gopalan]], was a biologist who arrived in the United States from India in 1958 to enroll in graduate school in [[endocrinology]] at the [[University of California, Berkeley]]. A research career of over 40 years followed, during which her work on the [[progesterone receptor]] gene led to advances in breast cancer research.<ref name="bcaction">{{cite web|date=June 21, 2009|title=In Memoriam: Dr. Shyamala G. Harris|url=https://bcaction.org/2009/06/21/in-memoriam-dr-shyamala-g-harris/|access-date=January 23, 2019|website=[[Breast Cancer Action]]|archive-date=January 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123121324/https://bcaction.org/2009/06/21/in-memoriam-dr-shyamala-g-harris/|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris's father, [[Donald J. Harris]],<ref>{{cite book |first=Kamala |last=Harris |title=The Truths We Hold: An American Journey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vUFkDwAAQBAJ |year=2019 |publisher=Penguin Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-525-56072-2 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vUFkDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA320 320], [https://books.google.com/books?id=vUFkDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA330 330] |quote=my paternal grandfather, Oscar Joseph … my paternal grandmother, Beryl |access-date=April 17, 2023 |archive-date=March 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303000912/https://books.google.com/books?id=vUFkDwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> is an [[Afro-Jamaicans|Afro-Jamaican]] who arrived in the United States in 1961, also enrolling in UC Berkeley and specializing in [[development economics]]. The first Black scholar to be granted tenure at [[Stanford University]]'s economics department, he now has [[:wikt:emeritus|emeritus]] status there.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barry |first=Ellen |date=November 7, 2020 |title=Kamala Harris's Father, a Footnote in Her Speeches, Is a Prominent Economist |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/kamala-harris-dad-don-harris.html |access-date=July 22, 2024 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722141019/https://www.nytimes.com/article/kamala-harris-dad-don-harris.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Kamala Harris's parents met in 1962 and married in 1963.<ref name="NYT S1320">{{Cite news |last=Barry |first=Ellen |date=September 13, 2020 |title=How Kamala Harris's Immigrant Parents Found a Home, and Each Other, in a Black Study Group |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/13/us/kamala-harris-parents.html |access-date=August 31, 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827000000/https://web.archive.org/web/20240827041642/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/13/us/kamala-harris-parents.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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After graduating from Montreal's [[Westmount High School]] in Quebec, Harris attended [[Howard University]] in Washington, D.C., where she majored in [[political science]] and [[economics]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-election-day/meet-kamala-harris-second-black-woman-elected-u-s-senate-n680726|title=Meet Kamala Harris, the second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate|last=Owens|first=Donna|date=November 8, 2016|newspaper=NBC News|access-date=February 18, 2017|work=|language=en|via=}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Howard Alumna Becomes First Woman Elected as California Attorney General |publisher=''Howard University News'' |date=December 17, 2010 |url=http://www.howard.edu/newsroom/releases/2010/20101215HowardAlumnaTrailblazerBecomesFirstWomanElectedasCaliforniaAttorneyGeneral.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110112015549/http://www.howard.edu/newsroom/releases/2010/20101215HowardAlumnaTrailblazerBecomesFirstWomanElectedasCaliforniaAttorneyGeneral.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=January 12, 2011 |accessdate=November 14, 2014 |df= }}</ref> At Howard, Harris was elected to the liberal arts student council as freshman class representative, was a member of the debate team, and joined the Alpha Chapter of [[Alpha Kappa Alpha]] sorority.<ref name=":3" /> |
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The Harris family lived in [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]] until they moved in 1966, around Kamala's second birthday. They lived for a few years in [[college town]]s in the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] where her parents held teaching or research positions:<ref name="BerkeleysideHouse" /> [[Urbana, Illinois]] (where her sister [[Maya Harris|Maya]] was born in 1966); [[Evanston, Illinois]]; and [[Madison, Wisconsin]].{{efn|The schools were [[University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign]]; [[Northwestern University]], Evanston; and [[University of Wisconsin, Madison]].}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Kacich |first=Tom |title=Tom's #Mailbag, Aug. 2, 2019 |url=https://www.news-gazette.com/news/toms-mailbag-aug-2-2019/article_2e901c56-67e8-54d6-a2b4-aa2f087d225f.html |work=The News-Gazette |date=August 2, 2019 |access-date=August 19, 2022 |archive-date=August 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825213212/https://www.news-gazette.com/news/toms-mailbag-aug-2-2019/article_2e901c56-67e8-54d6-a2b4-aa2f087d225f.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="BerkeleysideHouse">{{cite web |last=Dinkelspiel |first=Frances |author-link=Frances Dinkelspiel |title=Update: Change in Berkeley law not needed to landmark the childhood home of Kamala Harris |url=https://www.berkeleyside.org/2021/03/08/no-changes-needed-in-berkeley-to-landmark-the-childhood-home-of-kamala-harris |website=Berkeleyside |date=March 8, 2021 |access-date=August 19, 2022 |archive-date=August 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819233234/https://www.berkeleyside.org/2021/03/08/no-changes-needed-in-berkeley-to-landmark-the-childhood-home-of-kamala-harris |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="makes her case">{{cite magazine |title=Kamala Harris Makes Her Case |first=Dana |last=Goodyear |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/22/kamala-harris-makes-her-case |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=August 19, 2022 |date=July 15, 2019 |archive-date=November 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118140540/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/22/kamala-harris-makes-her-case |url-status=live |quote=Growing up, Harris was surrounded by African-American intellectuals and activists. One of her mother's closest friends was Mary Lewis, who helped found the field of black studies, at San Francisco State. }}</ref> By 1970, the marriage had faltered, and Shyamala moved back to California with her two daughters;<ref>{{cite news |last=Horwitz |first=Sari |date=February 27, 2012 |title=Justice Dept. lawyer Tony West to take over as acting associate attorney general |newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/justice-dept-lawyer-tony-west-to-take-over-as-acting-associate-attorney-general/2012/02/24/gIQAqyBOeR_story.html |access-date=August 23, 2020|archive-date=July 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708054021/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/justice-dept-lawyer-tony-west-to-take-over-as-acting-associate-attorney-general/2012/02/24/gIQAqyBOeR_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Martinez |first=Michael |date=October 23, 2010 |title=A 'Female Obama' seeks California attorney general post |work=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/22/california.kamala.harris.profile/|access-date=January 22, 2014|archive-date=November 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116111208/https://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/22/california.kamala.harris.profile/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BerkeleysideHouse" /> the couple divorced when Kamala was seven.<ref name="NYT S1320" /> In 1972, Donald Harris accepted a position at Stanford University; Kamala and Maya spent weekends at their father's house in [[Palo Alto, California|Palo Alto]] and lived at their mother's house in Berkeley during the week.<ref name="USATodayTimeline">{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=George Fabe |title=Where did Kamala Harris grow up? A timeline |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/23/where-did-kamala-harris-grow-up/74921659007/ |access-date=August 27, 2024 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> Shyamala was friends with African-American intellectuals and activists in Oakland and Berkeley.<ref name="makes her case"/> In 1976, she accepted a research position at the [[McGill University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences|McGill University School of Medicine]], and moved with her daughters to [[Montreal]], Quebec.<ref>{{cite news|first=Sam|last=Whiting|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Kamala-Harris-grew-up-idolizing-lawyers-3232851.php|title=Kamala Harris grew up idolizing lawyers|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=May 14, 2009|access-date=January 11, 2014|archive-date=March 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301010320/https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Kamala-Harris-grew-up-idolizing-lawyers-3232851.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="JGH News - November 2020">{{cite web | title=When your best friend from high school winds up in the White House |website=JGH News |date=November 2020 |url=https://jghnews.ciussswestcentral.ca/when-your-best-friend-from-high-school-winds-up-in-the-white-house/ |access-date=April 28, 2024 | archive-date=April 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428005842/https://jghnews.ciussswestcentral.ca/when-your-best-friend-from-high-school-winds-up-in-the-white-house/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Harris graduated from [[Westmount High School]] in Montreal in 1981.<ref name="Dale 2018">{{cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |title=U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris' classmates from her Canadian high school cheer her potential run for president |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/12/29/kamala-harriss-classmates-from-her-canadian-high-school-cheer-her-campaign-for-us-president.html |website=Toronto Star |date=December 29, 2018 |access-date=July 1, 2019 |archive-date=September 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914123459/https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/12/29/kamala-harriss-classmates-from-her-canadian-high-school-cheer-her-campaign-for-us-president.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Harris returned to California, earning her [[Juris Doctor]] (J.D.) from the [[University of California, Hastings College of the Law]], in 1989.<ref name="NYTmag" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris ’89 Wins Race for California Attorney General|publisher=''UC Hastings News Room''|date=November 24, 2010|url=http://www.uchastings.edu/media-and-news/news/2010/11/kamala-harris.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130223928/http://uchastings.edu/media-and-news/news/2010/11/kamala-harris.html|dead-url=yes|archive-date=November 30, 2010|accessdate=February 2, 2011}}</ref> She was admitted to the [[State Bar of California]] in 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/member/detail/146672|title=State Bar of CA :: Kamala Devi Harris|last=California|first=The State Bar of|date=|website=members.calbar.ca.gov|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713130234/http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/146672|archive-date=July 13, 2016|dead-url=|access-date=February 18, 2017}}</ref> |
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Harris attended [[Vanier College]] in Montreal in 1981–82,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Mike |date=January 20, 2021 |title=Kamala Harris now remembered for her Vanier roots |url=https://www.thesuburban.com/columnists/mike_cohen_cohen_chatter/kamala-harris-now-remembered-for-her-vanier-roots/article_7f344a74-971f-569b-8566-c4c68e8f1c51.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304040451/https://www.thesuburban.com/columnists/mike_cohen_cohen_chatter/kamala-harris-now-remembered-for-her-vanier-roots/article_7f344a74-971f-569b-8566-c4c68e8f1c51.html |archive-date=March 4, 2021 |access-date=July 21, 2024 |website=The Suburban Newspaper}}</ref> and then [[Howard University]], a [[historically black university]] in Washington, D.C.<ref name="Washington Post September 2019">{{cite news |last=Givhan |first=Robin |date=September 16, 2019 |title=Kamala Harris grew up in a mostly white world. She then went to a black university in a black city. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/16/kamala-harris-grew-up-mostly-white-world-then-she-went-black-university-black-city |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610045040/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/16/kamala-harris-grew-up-mostly-white-world-then-she-went-black-university-black-city/ |archive-date=June 10, 2021 |access-date=August 15, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref name="Washingtonian">{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/08/17/kamala-harris-is-no-dc-newcomer-what-has-her-life-looked-like-here-so-far/|title=Kamala Harris Is No DC Newcomer. What Has Her Life Looked Like Here So Far?|first=Mimi|last=Montgomery|date=August 17, 2020|website=[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]]|access-date=July 25, 2024|archive-date=October 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002190338/https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/08/17/kamala-harris-is-no-dc-newcomer-what-has-her-life-looked-like-here-so-far/|url-status=live}}</ref> At Howard, she became a member of [[Alpha Kappa Alpha]], one of the "Divine Nine" historically black sororities.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Weissman |first=Sara |title=Black Sororities, Fraternities 'Organizing Like Never Before' |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2024/07/30/black-sorority-fraternity-members-mobilize-harris |date=July 30, 2024 |magazine=Inside Higher Education |access-date=August 30, 2024 |language=en |archive-date=August 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827201217/https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2024/07/30/black-sorority-fraternity-members-mobilize-harris |url-status=live }}</ref> She graduated in 1986 with a degree in [[political science]] and economics.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Holmes |first1=Tamara |title=Raising Up Kamala |url=https://magazine.howard.edu/stories/raising-up-kamala |website=Howard Magazine |access-date=17 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosalsky |first1=Greg |title=Where Kamala Harris Studied Economics |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2020/10/06/920350374/where-kamala-harris-studied-economics |website=NPR |access-date=17 October 2024}}</ref> Harris then attended the [[University of California, Hastings College of the Law]] in San Francisco,<ref>{{cite news|title=LEOP: Opening Doors for Students of Promise|url=https://www.uchastings.edu/2018/08/14/uc-hastings-2018-magazine-preview-opening-doors-for-students-of-promise/|access-date=August 13, 2020|work=UC Hastings Magazine|date=August 14, 2018|archive-date=September 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925110005/https://www.uchastings.edu/2018/08/14/uc-hastings-2018-magazine-preview-opening-doors-for-students-of-promise/|url-status=live}}</ref> where she served as president of its chapter of the [[Black Law Students Association]].<ref>{{cite web|title=UC Hastings Congratulates Kamala Harris '89: California's next U.S. Senator|url=https://www.uclawsf.edu/2016/11/09/uc-hastings-congratulates-kamala-harris-89-californias-next-u-s-senator/ |website=UC Hastings Law|location=San Francisco|date=November 9, 2016|access-date=August 13, 2020|archive-date=January 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109130656/https://www.uchastings.edu/2016/11/09/uc-hastings-congratulates-kamala-harris-89-californias-next-u-s-senator/|url-status=live}}</ref> She graduated with a [[Juris Doctor]] in 1989.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris '89 Wins Race for California Attorney General|publisher=UC Hastings News Room|date=November 24, 2010|url=https://www.uchastings.edu/media-and-news/news/2010/11/kamala-harris.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130223928/https://uchastings.edu/media-and-news/news/2010/11/kamala-harris.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 30, 2010|access-date=February 2, 2011}}</ref> |
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== Early career == |
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{{Main|Electoral history of Kamala Harris}} |
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Harris served as a deputy [[district attorney]] in [[Alameda County, California]], from 1990 to 1998. Harris says she sought a career in [[law enforcement]] because she wanted to be "at the table where decisions are made."<ref name=NYTmag/> In 1993, she started dating California Speaker of the Assembly [[Willie Brown (politician)|Willie Brown]], who introduced her to many powerful individuals in the California and Sacramento political and campaign management establishment.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Richardson|first1=James|title=Willie Brown: A Biography|date=1996|publisher=University of California Press|pages=390, 394, 402, 404}}</ref> In 2000, San Francisco's elected [[City Attorney]], [[Louise Renne]], recruited Harris to join her office, where she was chief of the Community and Neighborhood Division, which oversees civil [[code enforcement]] matters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.womensradio.com/articles/This-DA-Makes-a-Difference-for-Women/559.html |title=Women's Radio: This DA Makes a Difference For Women |publisher=Womensradio.com |date= |accessdate=November 18, 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219095441/http://www.womensradio.com/articles/This-DA-Makes-a-Difference-for-Women/559.html |archivedate=December 19, 2010}}</ref> |
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=== Early career === |
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=== District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco === |
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[[File:Congresswoman Pelosi meets San Francisco's District Attorney, Kamala Harris; March 30, 2004.jpg|thumb|Congresswoman [[Nancy Pelosi|Pelosi]] meets San Francisco's new District Attorney, Kamala Harris, March 30, 2004]] |
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Harris defeated two-term incumbent [[Terence Hallinan]] in the [[San Francisco mayoral election, 2003|2003 election]] to become [[San Francisco District Attorney's Office|District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Martin|first1=Nina|title=Why Kamala Matters|url=http://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/why-kamala-matters|accessdate=12 May 2015|work=San Francisco Magazine|date=August 2007}}</ref> |
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In 1990, Harris was hired as a deputy [[district attorney]] in [[Alameda County, California]], where she was described as "an able prosecutor on the way up".<ref name="latimes-brown-harris" /> In 1994, [[Speaker of the California Assembly]] [[Willie Brown (politician)|Willie Brown]], who was then dating Harris, appointed her to the state [[California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board|Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board]] and later to the California Medical Assistance Commission.<ref name="latimes-brown-harris">{{cite news|last=Morain|first=Dan|title=2 More Brown Associates Get Well-Paid Posts : Government: The Speaker appoints his frequent companion and a longtime friend to state boards as his hold on his own powerful position wanes. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-29-mn-2787-story.html|access-date=July 4, 2020|work=Los Angeles Times|date=November 29, 1994 |ref=latimes-brown-harris|archive-date=June 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617210000/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-29-mn-2787-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 1998, [[San Francisco District Attorney's Office|San Francisco district attorney]] [[Terence Hallinan]] recruited Harris as an assistant district attorney.<ref name="Head">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29091340/sf-examiner-feb-03-1998/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422133402/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29091340/sf-examiner-feb-03-1998/ |url-status=live|title=DA Names New Head of Career Crime Unit|work=The San Francisco Examiner|date=February 3, 1998|archive-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref> There, she became the chief of the Career Criminal Division, supervising five other attorneys, where she prosecuted [[homicide]], [[burglary]], [[robbery]], and [[sexual assault]] cases—particularly [[Three-strikes law|three-strikes cases]]. In August 2000, Harris took a job at [[San Francisco City Hall]], working for [[city attorney]] [[Louise Renne]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.womensradio.com/articles/This-DA-Makes-a-Difference-for-Women/559.html|title=Women's Radio: This DA Makes a Difference For Women |first=Pat |last=Lynch |publisher=Womensradio.com|access-date=November 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219095441/https://www.womensradio.com/articles/This-DA-Makes-a-Difference-for-Women/559.html|archive-date=December 19, 2010}}</ref> Harris ran the Family and Children's Services Division, representing child abuse and [[Child neglect|neglect]] cases. Renne endorsed Harris during her D.A. campaign.<ref name="SF Weekly 09/24/2003">{{cite news |last=Byrne |first=Peter |date=September 24, 2003 |title=Kamala's Karma |url=https://www.sfweekly.com/news/kamalas-karma/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213202115/https://www.sfweekly.com/news/kamalas-karma/ |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=July 4, 2020 |newspaper=San Francisco Weekly}}</ref> |
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In April 2004, [[San Francisco Police Department]] Officer Isaac Espinoza was shot and killed in the line of duty.<ref name=NYTmag/> Three days later, Harris announced she would not seek the [[death penalty]], infuriating the [[San Francisco Police Officers Association]].<ref name=NYTmag/> During Officer Espinoza's funeral at [[Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (San Francisco, California)|St. Mary's Cathedral]], U.S. Senator and former San Francisco mayor [[Dianne Feinstein]] rose to the pulpit and called on Harris, who was sitting in the front pew, to secure the death penalty, prompting a standing ovation from the 2,000 uniformed police officers in attendance.<ref name=NYTmag/> Harris still refused.<ref name=NYTmag/> Officer Espinoza's killer was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison.<ref name=NYTmag/> Shortly thereafter, Harris demoted veteran career prosecutor Paul Cummins, the chief assistant to her predecessor from the 80-person felony prosecution unit to Harris's former position in the DA's office.<ref>{{cite news|last1=van Debenkern|first1=Jackson|title=DA Demotes Head Criminal Prosecutor: 33-year veteran assigned to job overseeing 2 people|url=http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-D-A-demotes-head-criminal-2642229.php|work=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref> |
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=== San Francisco District Attorney (2002–2011) === |
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As District Attorney, Harris started a program that gives first-time drug dealers the chance to earn a high school diploma and find employment.<ref name=NYTmag/> Over eight years, the program produced fewer than 300 graduates, but achieved a very low [[recidivism]] rate.<ref name=NYTmag/> Harris was re-elected in 2007 when she ran unopposed.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris celebrates unopposed bid for district attorney|url=http://articles.sfgate.com/2007-11-07/news/17271686_1_harris-job-training-terence-hallinan|accessdate=February 2, 2011|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=November 7, 2007|first=Heather|last=Knight}}</ref> |
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[[File:Congresswoman Pelosi meets San Francisco's District Attorney, Kamala Harris; March 30, 2004 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Harris with future [[House Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]] in 2004]] |
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In 2002, Harris ran for [[San Francisco District Attorney's Office|District Attorney of San Francisco]],<ref name="Launched">{{cite news|last=Kruse|first=Michael|date=August 9, 2019|title=How San Francisco's Wealthiest Families Launched Kamala Harris|work=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/09/kamala-harris-2020-president-profile-san-francisco-elite-227611|access-date=August 9, 2019|archive-date=November 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128184615/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/09/kamala-harris-2020-president-profile-san-francisco-elite-227611|url-status=live}}</ref> running a "forceful" campaign<ref name="Sunset">{{cite news|first=Adriel|last=Hampton|title=Harris stumps in the Sunset|work=The San Francisco Examiner|date=July 28, 2003}}</ref><ref name="Celebs">{{cite news |last1=Dineen |first1=J.K. |last2=Hampton |first2=Adriel |date=December 9, 2003 |title=Clinton Tops List of Celebrity Supporters |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner/152837956/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241007052258/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner/152837956/ |archive-date=2024-10-07 |access-date=2024-10-07 |work=The San Francisco Examiner |pages=1 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and differentiating herself from Hallinan by attacking his performance.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Demian|last1=Bulwa|url=https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Harris-puts-D-A-on-trial-Performance-not-2525471.php|title=Harris puts D.A. on trial / Performance, not philosophy, an issue|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=December 6, 2003|access-date=May 6, 2020|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128030109/https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Harris-puts-D-A-on-trial-Performance-not-2525471.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris won [[2003 San Francisco District Attorney election|the election]] with 56% of the vote, becoming the first [[person of color]] elected district attorney of San Francisco.<ref name="NYTimes-Zernike-2-2019">{{cite news|first=Kate|last=Zernike|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/11/us/kamala-harris-progressive-prosecutor.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190211111631/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/11/us/kamala-harris-progressive-prosecutor.html |archive-date=February 11, 2019 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title='Progressive Prosecutor': Can Kamala Harris Square the Circle?|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 11, 2019}}</ref> She ran unopposed for a second term in 2007.<ref>{{cite news|first=Heather|last=Knight|title=Kamala Harris celebrates unopposed bid for district attorney|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Kamala-Harris-celebrates-unopposed-bid-for-3301780.php|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=November 7, 2007|access-date=February 2, 2011|archive-date=January 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111042848/https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Kamala-Harris-celebrates-unopposed-bid-for-3301780.php|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In 2008, Harris was seen as one of a number of women who could become president of the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zernike |first1=Kate |title=She Just Might Be President Someday |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/weekinreview/18zernike.html |accessdate=November 16, 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=May 18, 2008}}</ref> |
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Within the first six months of taking office, Harris cleared 27 of 74 backlogged homicide cases.<ref>{{cite news |last=Soltau |first=Alison |date=July 21, 2004 |title=New DA claims higher success rate vs. violent felons |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-comparing-das/156116510/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006153951/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-comparing-das/156116510/ |archive-date=2024-10-06 |access-date=2024-10-06 |newspaper=[[San Francisco Examiner]] |page=4}}</ref> She also pushed for higher bail for criminal [[defendant]]s involved in gun-related crimes, arguing that historically low bail encouraged outsiders to commit crimes in San Francisco. [[San Francisco Police Department|SFPD officers]] credited Harris with tightening the [[loophole]]s defendants had used in the past.<ref>{{cite news |first= Jaxon |last= Van Derbeken |url= https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Trials-and-tribulations-of-Kamala-Harris-D-A-2521498.php |title= Trials and tribulations of Kamala Harris, D.A. / 2 years into term, prosecutor, police have their differences |newspaper= [[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date= March 20, 2006 |access-date= March 9, 2019 |archive-date= March 5, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190305182146/https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Trials-and-tribulations-of-Kamala-Harris-D-A-2521498.php |url-status= live }}</ref> During her campaign, Harris pledged never to seek the death penalty,<ref name="sfgate.com">{{cite news |last1=VanDerbeken |first1=Jaxson |date=January 9, 2004 |title=New D.A. promises to be 'smart on crime' / Harris speaks well of Hallinan, will continue some of his policies |url=https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/New-D-A-promises-to-be-smart-on-crime-Harris-2831205.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017095119/https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/New-D-A-promises-to-be-smart-on-crime-Harris-2831205.php |archive-date=October 17, 2020 |access-date=May 10, 2020 |work=SFGate}}</ref> and kept to this in the cases of a [[San Francisco Police Department]] officer, Isaac Espinoza, who was shot and killed in 2004,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Feinstein-s-surprise-call-for-death-penalty-puts-3313728.php|first1=Phillip|last1=Matier|first2=Andrew|last2=Ross|title=Feinstein's surprise call for death penalty puts D.A. on spot|website=San Francisco Chronicle|date=April 21, 2004|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-date=April 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425062908/https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Feinstein-s-surprise-call-for-death-penalty-puts-3313728.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Sen-Boxer-joins-throng-calling-for-death-in-3324378.php|first1=Phillip|last1=Matier|first2=Andrew|last2=Ross|title=Sen. Boxer joins throng calling for death in killing of cop|website=San Francisco Chronicle|date=May 5, 2004|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-date=February 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218193324/https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Sen-Boxer-joins-throng-calling-for-death-in-3324378.php|url-status=live}}</ref> and of [[Edwin Ramos]], an [[illegal immigrant]] and alleged [[MS-13]] gang member who was accused of murdering a man and his two sons in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|last=Van Derbeken|first=Jaxon|url=https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Edwin-Ramos-won-t-face-death-penalty-3218429.php|title=Edwin Ramos won't face death penalty|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=September 11, 2009|access-date=April 22, 2020|archive-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223144/https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Edwin-Ramos-won-t-face-death-penalty-3218429.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Newsom-backs-Harris-decision-3286455.php|first1=Heather|last1=Knight|first2=Marisa|last2=Lagos|title=Newsom backs Harris' decision|date=September 16, 2009|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=October 20, 2009|archive-date=November 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103205814/https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Newsom-backs-Harris-decision-3286455.php|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In 2009, Harris wrote ''Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer,''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-smart-on-crime-by1/ |title=Book Review of Smart on Crime |publisher=Blogcritics.org |date=October 10, 2009 |accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> in which she looked at criminal justice from an economic perspective and attempted to reduce temptation and access for criminals.<ref name="HPQA">{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kimberly-marteau-emerson/san-francisco-da-kamala-h_b_369505.html |title=Kimberly Marteau Emerson: Smart on Crime Q&A |publisher=Huffington Post |date= November 24, 2009|accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> The book discusses a series of "myths" surrounding the criminal justice system and presents proposals to reduce and prevent crime.<ref name="HPQA" /> Recognized by The ''[[The Daily Journal Corporation|Los Angeles Daily Journal]]'' as one of the top 100 lawyers in California, Harris served on the board of the California District Attorney's Association and was vice president of the National District Attorneys Association.<ref name="nomination">{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris wins Dem nomination for California AG|url=http://www.zeenews.com/news632777.html|accessdate=August 19, 2010|newspaper=Z News|date=June 9, 2010}}</ref> |
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[[File:Kamala Harris with Barack Obama 2009-11-25.jpg|thumb|left|Harris with President [[Barack Obama]] in 2009]] |
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She has been outspoken on the need for innovation in public safety, particularly with respect to reducing the recidivism rate in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sfdistrictattorney.org/page.asp?id=49 |title=San Francisco District Attorney – Reentry |publisher=Sfdistrictattorney.org |date= |accessdate=November 18, 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090101184336/http://www.sfdistrictattorney.org/page.asp?id=49 |archivedate=January 1, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> One such program, "Back on Track", was signed into law by Governor [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] as a model program for the state.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kamala-d-harris/finding-the-path-back-on_b_350679.html |title=Kamala Harris: Finding the Path Back on Track |publisher=Huffington Post |date=November 9, 2009 |accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/under-the-dome/DAs-pet-project-is-now-statewide-example-64311037.html|title=District Attorney program is now statewide example|date=October 14, 2009|publisher=Sfexaminer.com|author=PST|accessdate=November 18, 2010}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Initially, there were issues with removing [[illegal immigrants]] from the program, such as an incident involving Alexander Izaguirre, who was later arrested for assault.<ref name="latimes.com" /> The program was revised to address that concern, barring anyone who could not legally be employed in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-senate-harris-milestones-20160706-snap-htmlstory.html|title=8 things to know about Senate candidate Kamala Harris' career gold stars and demerits|last=Willon|first=Phil|date=July 6, 2016|work=|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|access-date=January 10, 2017|via=}}</ref> Harris also protected informants with the [[Nuestra Familia]] prison gang who were engaged in illegal activities including drug trafficking and weapon possession.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Winston|first1=Ali|title=Cover of Darkness: S.F. Police Turned a Blind Eye to Some of the City's Most Dangerous Criminals — Who Were Also Some of Their Most Trusted Sources|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/news/cover-of-darkness-s-f-police-turned-a-blind-eye-to-some-of-the-citys-most-dangerous-criminals-who-were-also-some-of-their-most-trusted-sources/|accessdate=May 8, 2013|work=San Francisco Weekly|agency=Investigative Fund of the Nation Institute}}</ref> |
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Harris created a Hate Crimes Unit, focusing on [[hate crime]]s against [[LGBT]] children and teens in schools,<ref>{{cite web |title=Marriage Equality |url=https://kamalaharris.org/MarriageEquality |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125112342/https://kamalaharris.org/MarriageEquality |archive-date=November 25, 2010 |access-date=November 18, 2010 |publisher=Kamalaharris.org}}</ref> and supported A.B. 1160, the Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act.<ref name="AB 1160">{{cite web |date=September 28, 2006 |title=Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act |url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=200520060AB1160 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623100157/https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=200520060AB1160 |archive-date=June 23, 2015 |access-date=June 23, 2015 |website=California Legislative Information}}</ref> As District Attorney, she created an environmental crimes unit in 2005.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Jason B. |date=June 1, 2005 |title=D.A. creates environmental unit: 3-staff team takes on crime mostly affecting the poor |url=https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-D-A-creates-environmental-unit-2666667.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422163016/https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-D-A-creates-environmental-unit-2666667.php |archive-date=April 22, 2020 |access-date=May 4, 2020 |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref> Harris expressed support for San Francisco's [[sanctuary city]] policy of not inquiring about immigration status in the process of a criminal investigation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McKinley |first=Jesse |date=November 12, 2006 |title=Immigrant Protection Rules Draw Fire |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/12/us/12sanctuary.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625035600/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/12/us/12sanctuary.html |archive-date=June 25, 2012 |access-date=October 28, 2010 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 2004, she created the San Francisco Reentry Division.<ref>{{cite news|access-date=August 12, 2020|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/21/kamala-harris-2020-president-election-run-meteoric-rise|work=The Guardian|date=January 21, 2019|title='Nobody works harder': insiders recall Kamala Harris's meteoric rise|first=Vivian|last=Ho|archive-date=September 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910155940/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/21/kamala-harris-2020-president-election-run-meteoric-rise|url-status=live}}</ref> Over six years, the 200 people graduated from the program had a [[recidivism]] rate of less than 10%, compared to the 53% of California's drug offenders who returned to prison within two years of release.<ref>{{cite news|first=Alison|last=Knezevich|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-mosby-new-program-20150514-story.html|title=Mosby: New program gives nonviolent offenders a second chance|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=May 14, 2015|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-date=October 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005074323/https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-mosby-new-program-20150514-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://phlcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Pre-Trial-Diversion.Philadelphia.pdf|title=Preventing Future Crime and Preserving Judicial Resources Through Non-Traditional Prosecution|date=September 2016|publisher=Philadelphia District Attorney's Office|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107233543/https://phlcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Pre-Trial-Diversion.Philadelphia.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs46.com/news/jail-to-jobs-mayor-bottoms-announces-new-reentry-program/article_6e6caccf-6479-5f52-a451-db7d59adb70c.html|title=Jail to jobs, Mayor Bottoms announces new reentry program |first=Keith |last=Whitney |date=April 11, 2018 |publisher=[[WANF|WGCL-TV]] |access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223142/https://www.cbs46.com/news/jail-to-jobs-mayor-bottoms-announces-new-reentry-program/article_6e6caccf-6479-5f52-a451-db7d59adb70c.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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==== Violent crimes, felons, incarceration, and conviction rate ==== |
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In 2006, as part of an initiative to reduce the city's homicide rate, Harris led a citywide effort to combat [[truancy]] for at-risk elementary school youth in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite news|first=Heather|last=Knight|title=City opens campaign to cut truancy by thousands of students|url=https://www.sfgate.com/education/*article/SAN-FRANCISCO-Drive-to-keep-kids-in-school-2680486.php|access-date=May 1, 2020|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=October 19, 2004|archive-date=October 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006120353/https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-Drive-to-keep-kids-in-school-2680486.php|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, declaring chronic truancy a matter of public safety and pointing out that the majority of prison inmates and homicide victims are dropouts or habitual truants,<ref name="Knight">{{cite news|first=Heather|last=Knight|title=City trying to get worst truants to school. Help for students, criminal prosecution part of crackdown|url=https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-City-trying-to-get-worst-truants-2469689.php|access-date=May 1, 2020|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=September 14, 2006|archive-date=August 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820180349/https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-City-trying-to-get-worst-truants-2469689.php|url-status=live}}</ref> she issued citations against six parents whose children missed at least 50 days of school, the first time San Francisco prosecuted adults for student truancy.<ref>{{cite news|first=Nanette|last=Asimov|title=Citations go to parents of truant kids|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/S-F-cites-parents-of-chronically-truant-kids-3209547.php|access-date=May 2, 2020|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=June 11, 2008|archive-date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812201245/https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/S-F-cites-parents-of-chronically-truant-kids-3209547.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris's office ultimately prosecuted seven parents in three years, with none jailed.<ref name="SFGate" /> By April 2009, 1,330 elementary school students were habitual or chronic truants, down 23% from 1,730 in 2008, and from 2,517 in 2007 and 2,856 in 2006.<ref name="SFGate">{{cite news|title=Fighting truancy yields big dividends|url=https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Fighting-truancy-yields-big-dividends-3295152.php|access-date=May 2, 2020|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=June 14, 2009|archive-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223146/https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Fighting-truancy-yields-big-dividends-3295152.php|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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While Harris was the San Francisco District Attorney, the overall [[felony]] conviction rate rose from 52% in 2003 to 67% in 2006, the highest in a decade; there was an 85% conviction rate for homicides, and convictions of drug dealers increased from 56% in 2003 to 74% in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kamalaharris.org/issues/34 |title=Convicting Felons – Kamala Harris |date=January 3, 2008 |publisher= |accessdate=April 19, 2017 |deadurl=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103072145/http://www.kamalaharris.org/issues/34 |archivedate=January 3, 2008 |df= }}</ref> While these statistics represent only trial convictions, Harris also closed many cases via [[plea bargain]]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/a-lack-of-conviction/Content?oid=2177022|title=A Lack of Conviction|date=May 5, 2010|work=[[SF Weekly]]|author=Peter Jamison}}</ref> When she took office, she took a special interest in clearing part of the murder caseload from the previous administration. Harris stated that the records from that administration were less than optimal, and worked to get convictions on what she could. Out of the 73 homicide cases backlogged, 32 cases took deals for lesser charges such as [[manslaughter]] or took pleas to other crimes such as assault or burglary while the murder charges were dismissed.<ref>Van Derbeken, Jaxon. [http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-03-20/news/17287759_1_conviction-handling-of-criminal-cases-homicide/4 "Trials and tribulations of Kamala Harris, D.A. / 2 years into term, prosecutor, police have their differences"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118160154/http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-03-20/news/17287759_1_conviction-handling-of-criminal-cases-homicide/4 |date=January 18, 2012 }}, ''San Francisco Chronicle'', March 20, 2006, p. 4.</ref> |
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== Attorney General of California (2011–2017) == |
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[[File:Kamala Harris IMG 0779.jpg|thumb|left|Harris holding a press conference with law enforcement agents]] |
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{{Main|Kamala Harris's tenure as Attorney General of California}} |
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[[File:Kamala_Harris_Official_Attorney_General_Photo.jpg|thumb|upright|Harris's official Attorney General portrait]] |
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<!--Please keep this section in [[WP:SUMMARY]] format. New details go in the subarticle [[Kamala Harris as Attorney General of California]], not here! --> |
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Harris was elected [[Attorney General of California|attorney general of California]] in [[2010 California Attorney General election|2010]], becoming the first woman, [[African American]], and [[South Asian American]] to hold the office in the state's history.<ref>{{citation |last=Bacerra |first=Xavier |title=Kamala D. Harris Takes Oath as California Attorney General |date=January 3, 2011 |url=https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/kamala-d-harris-takes-oath-california-attorney-general |access-date=August 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929161259/https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/kamala-d-harris-takes-oath-california-attorney-general |archive-date=September 29, 2020 |url-status=live |publisher=State of California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General |quote=Harris is the first woman, and the first African American and the first South Asian American, to hold the office of Attorney General in the history of California}}</ref> She took office on January 3, 2011, and was reelected [[2014 California Attorney General election|in 2014]].<ref name="Reilly">{{cite news |last=Reilly |first=Mollie |date=November 5, 2014 |title=Kamala Harris Re-Elected As California Attorney General |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/05/kamala-harris-election-results_n_5819890.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525071358/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/05/kamala-harris-election-results_n_5819890.html |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |work=HuffPost}}</ref> She served until resigning on January 3, 2017, to take her seat in the [[United States Senate]]. |
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The San Francisco DA's incarceration rates were among the lowest in the entire state of California. According to the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', "roughly 4 of every 100 arrests resulted in prison terms in San Francisco, compared with 12.8 out of 100 in Alameda County, 14.4 of 100 in Sacramento County, 21 of 100 in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, 26.6 of 100 in Fresno County, 38.7 of 100 in Los Angeles County and 41 of 100 in San Diego County."<ref name="Police1">{{cite web|url=http://www.policeone.com/community-policing/articles/1203289-San-Francisco-chief-calls-justice-system-too-lenient/|title=San Francisco chief calls justice system too lenient|date=January 14, 2007|publisher=Policeone.com|author=ITT Night Vision|accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> Police also noted that lenient sentencing from San Francisco judges also played a role in this.<ref name="Police1" /> |
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In 2010, Harris announced her candidacy for attorney general and was endorsed by prominent California Democrats, including U.S. Senators [[Dianne Feinstein]] and [[Barbara Boxer]] and House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]].<ref name="newsline">{{cite news |last=Rizo |first=Chris |date=April 16, 2010 |title=Villaraigosa eschews local candidates, backs Harris for Calif. attorney general |url=https://www.legalnewsline.com/news/226664-villaraigosa-eschews-local-candidates-backs-harris-for-calif.-attorney-general |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723184208/https://www.legalnewsline.com/news/226664-villaraigosa-eschews-local-candidates-backs-harris-for-calif.-attorney-general |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |access-date=August 20, 2010 |newspaper=Legal Newsline}}</ref> She won the Democratic primary and narrowly defeated Republican nominee [[Steve Cooley]] in the general election.<ref>{{cite news |last=Leonard |first=Jack |date=November 24, 2010 |title=Kamala Harris wins attorney general's race as Steve Cooley concedes |url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/steve-cooley-kamala-harris-attorney-general.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802190612/https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/steve-cooley-kamala-harris-attorney-general.html |archive-date=August 2, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Her tenure was marked by significant efforts in consumer protection, criminal justice reform, and privacy rights. |
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Officers within the SFPD credited Harris with tightening loopholes in bail and drug programs that defendants had exploited in the past. They also accused her of being too deliberate in her prosecution of murder suspects.<ref>Van Derbeken, Jaxon. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/03/20/MNG01HQVPA1.DTL#ixzz0jKyN3hF9 "Trials and tribulations of Kamala Harris, D.A. / 2 years into term, prosecutor, police have their differences"], ''San Francisco Chronicle'', March 20, 2006.</ref> Additionally, in 2009, San Francisco prosecutors won a lower percentage of their felony jury trials than their counterparts at district attorneys' offices covering the 10 largest cities in California, according to data on case outcomes compiled by officials at the San Francisco Superior Court as well as by other county courts and prosecutors. (Officials in Sacramento, the sixth-largest city in California, did not provide data.) Harris's at-trial felony conviction rate that year was 76%, down 12 points from the previous year. The then-most recent recorded statewide average was 83%, according to statistics from the California Judicial Council.<ref name="Lack of Conviction">Jamison, Peter. [http://www.sfweekly.com/2010-05-05/news/a-lack-of-conviction/ "A Lack of Conviction"], ''SF Weekly'', May 5, 2010.</ref> In a small sample, a report computed that the conviction rate for felony trials in San Francisco County in the first three months of 2010 was 53%.<ref name="Lack of Conviction" /> San Francisco has historically had one of the lowest conviction rates in the state; the county is known for a defendant-friendly jury pool.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LJX3Ql7bu2YC&pg=PA960&lpg=PA960&dq=%22San+Francisco%22+%22low+conviction+rates%22#v=onepage&q=%22San%20Francisco%22%20%22low%20conviction%20rates%22&f=false|title=Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment, Volume 1 By David Levinson|date=March 18, 2002|isbn=978-0-7619-2258-2|accessdate=November 18, 2010|last1=Levinson|first1=David}}</ref><ref name="Lack of Conviction"/> |
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In 2014, Harris was reelected, defeating Republican nominee Ronald Gold with 58% of the vote.<ref name="Reilly"/> During her second term, she expanded her focus on consumer protection, securing major settlements against corporations like [[Quest Diagnostics]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Lifsher |first=Marc |date=May 20, 2011 |title=Quest Diagnostics settles Medi-Cal whistleblower suit |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2011-may-20-la-fi-quest-settlement-20110520-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223143/https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2011-may-20-la-fi-quest-settlement-20110520-story.html |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=May 11, 2020 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> [[JPMorgan Chase]],<ref name="Parker">{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Barbara |last2=Kaplan |first2=Rebecca |date=March 5, 2012 |title=Kamala Harris' foreclosure deal a win for state |url=https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Kamala-Harris-foreclosure-deal-a-win-for-state-3381270.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106225939/https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Kamala-Harris-foreclosure-deal-a-win-for-state-3381270.php |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |access-date=June 18, 2012 |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref> and [[Corinthian Colleges]],<ref name="auto14">{{cite web |date=October 10, 2013 |title=California lawsuit claims for-profit colleges misled students, investors |url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article2579497.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115203603/https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article2579497.html |archive-date=November 15, 2019 |access-date=April 28, 2020 |work=The Sacramento Bee}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 23, 2016 |title=Corinthian Colleges must pay nearly $1.2 billion for false advertising and lending practices |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-corinthian-colleges-judgment-false-advertising-20160323-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609164838/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-corinthian-colleges-judgment-false-advertising-20160323-story.html |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |access-date=April 28, 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> recovering billions for California consumers. She spearheaded the creation of the Homeowner Bill of Rights to combat aggressive [[foreclosure]] practices during the housing crisis, recording multiple nine-figure settlements against mortgage servicers.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 30, 2012 |title=Calif. attorney general Kamala Harris fights for struggling homeowners |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/calif-attorney-general-kamala-harris-fights-for-struggling-homeowners/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223141/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/calif-attorney-general-kamala-harris-fights-for-struggling-homeowners/ |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=June 18, 2012 |work=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=July 12, 2012 |title=Gov. Brown signs Homeowner Bill of Rights |url=https://abc7news.com/archive/8732388https:// |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223143/https://abc7news.com/archive/8732388https:// |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=May 11, 2020 |publisher=ABC 7 News}}</ref> Harris also worked on privacy rights. She collaborated with major tech companies like [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], [[Google]], and [[Facebook]] to ensure that mobile apps disclosed their data-sharing practices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Guynn |first1=Jessica |last2=Olivarez-Giles |first2=Nathan |date=February 22, 2012 |title=Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, tech giants agree on mobile app privacy |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2012-feb-22-la-fi-tn-calif-ag-kamala-harris-agreement-with-apple-amazon-google-hp-microsoft-rim-on-app-privacy-policies-20120222-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803233743/https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2012-feb-22-la-fi-tn-calif-ag-kamala-harris-agreement-with-apple-amazon-google-hp-microsoft-rim-on-app-privacy-policies-20120222-story.html |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref name="Elinor">{{cite news |last=Elinor |first=Mills |date=July 19, 2012 |title=California beefing up privacy-protection enforcement |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/california-beefing-up-privacy-protection-enforcement/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223142/https://www.cnet.com/news/california-beefing-up-privacy-protection-enforcement/ |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |work=CNet}}</ref> She created the Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit, focusing on cyber privacy and data breaches.<ref name="Elinor"/> California secured settlements with companies like [[Comcast]] and [[Houzz]] for privacy violations.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 18, 2015 |title=Comcast agrees to pay $33 million in California privacy breach |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-comcast-california-settlement-20150918-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803233822/https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-comcast-california-settlement-20150918-story.html |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Paresh |first=Dave |date=October 2, 2015 |title=Why Kamala Harris is making start-up Houzz hire a "chief privacy officer" |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-houzz-privacy-20151002-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803233837/https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-houzz-privacy-20151002-story.html |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> |
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In 2012, Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo ruled that San Francisco District Attorney Harris's office violated defendants' rights by hiding damaging information about a police crime lab technician, and was indifferent to demands that it account for its failings.<ref name="SFVanDerbeken">{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/21/BAN01DHVMU.DTL#ixzz0od05q8Qb|title=Judge rips Harris' office for hiding problems|last=Van Derbeken|first=Jaxon|date=May 21, 2010|work=SF Gate|accessdate=July 28, 2010}}</ref> |
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Harris was instrumental in advancing criminal justice reform. She launched the Division of Recidivism Reduction and Re-Entry and implemented the Back on Track LA program, which provided educational and job training opportunities for nonviolent offenders.<ref>{{cite web |last=Palta |first=Rina |date=November 20, 2013 |title=Calif. Attorney General Kamala Harris announces new division to stop ex-prisoners from committing new crimes |url=https://www.scpr.org/news/2013/11/20/40494/attorney-general-kamala-harris-announces-new-divis/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223144/https://www.scpr.org/news/2013/11/20/40494/attorney-general-kamala-harris-announces-new-divis/ |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=May 22, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Veiga |first=Alex |date=March 11, 2015 |title=Sheriff, AG Harris Unveil Program to Curb Recidivism |url=https://scvnews.com/sheriff-ag-harris-unveil-program-to-curb-recidivism/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803011814/https://scvnews.com/sheriff-ag-harris-unveil-program-to-curb-recidivism/ |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |agency=SCV News}}</ref> Despite her focus on reform, Harris faced criticism for defending the state's position in cases involving wrongful convictions<ref name="CrimJusticeRecord2">{{cite web |last=Bazelon |first=Lara |date=December 4, 2019 |title=Kamala Harris's Criminal Justice Record Killed Her Presidential Run |url=https://theappeal.org/kamala-harris-criminal-justice-record-killed-her-presidential-run/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817223213/https://theappeal.org/kamala-harris-criminal-justice-record-killed-her-presidential-run/ |archive-date=August 17, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |work=The Appeal}}</ref><ref name="CrimJusticeRecord2">{{cite web |last=Bazelon |first=Lara |date=December 4, 2019 |title=Kamala Harris's Criminal Justice Record Killed Her Presidential Run |url=https://theappeal.org/kamala-harris-criminal-justice-record-killed-her-presidential-run/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817223213/https://theappeal.org/kamala-harris-criminal-justice-record-killed-her-presidential-run/ |archive-date=August 17, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |work=The Appeal}}</ref> and for her office's stance on prison labor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tolan |first=Casey |date=August 1, 2019 |title=Democratic debate: Fact-checking the attacks on Kamala Harris' criminal justice record |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/08/01/democratic-debate-kamala-harris-tulsi-gabbard-joe-biden-fact-check/amp/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815030540/https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/08/01/democratic-debate-kamala-harris-tulsi-gabbard-joe-biden-fact-check/amp/ |archive-date=August 15, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |agency=Mercury News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Singh |first=Lakshmi |date=November 18, 2018 |title=Serving Time And Fighting California Wildfires |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/11/18/669088658/serving-time-and-fighting-california-wildfires-for-2-a-day |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818111955/https://www.npr.org/2018/11/18/669088658/serving-time-and-fighting-california-wildfires-for-2-a-day |archive-date=August 18, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |newspaper=NPR.org |publisher=[[NPR]]}}</ref> She continued to advocate for progressive reforms, including banning the [[gay panic defense]] in California courts<ref>{{cite web |date=September 5, 2014 |title=California On Track To Become First State To Ban 'Gay Panic' Defense in Courtrooms |url=https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/09/05/california-on-track-to-become-first-state-to-ban-gay-panic-defense/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007065248/https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/09/05/california-on-track-to-become-first-state-to-ban-gay-panic-defense/ |archive-date=October 7, 2020 |access-date=August 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Chokshi |first=Niraj |date=September 5, 2014 |title=California could become the first state to ban the 'gay panic' defense |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/09/05/california-could-become-the-first-state-to-ban-the-gay-panic-defense/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815002204/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/09/05/california-could-become-the-first-state-to-ban-the-gay-panic-defense/ |archive-date=August 15, 2020 |access-date=March 11, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US}}</ref> and opposing [[Proposition 8]], the state's same-sex marriage ban.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baume |first=Matt |date=December 2, 2010 |title=Kamala Harris Vows to Abandon Prop 8 |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/harris-vows-to-abandon-prop-8/1860319/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426211608/https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/harris-vows-to-abandon-prop-8/1860319/ |archive-date=April 26, 2020 |access-date=April 29, 2020 |newspaper=[[NBC Bay Area]] |publisher=NBC News |location=San Francisco, CA}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=February 27, 2013 |title=Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Files U.S. Supreme Court Brief in Support of Marriage Equality |url=https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-files-us-supreme-court-brief-support-marriage |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803072255/https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-files-us-supreme-court-brief-support-marriage |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |publisher=Office of the California Attorney General}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Almendrala |first=Anna |date=June 27, 2013 |title=Kamala Harris On Prop 8 Decision: Same-Sex Marriages In California Should Begin Immediately |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kamala-harris-prop-8_n_3505292 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803093101/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kamala-harris-prop-8_n_3505292 |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |work=HuffPost}}</ref> |
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==== Hate crimes and civil rights ==== |
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[[File:Attorney General Kamala Harris, San Francisco Pride 2013.jpg|thumb|test|Harris at the [[San Francisco Pride Parade]], 2013]] |
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As San Francisco District Attorney, Harris created a special Hate Crimes Unit, focusing on hate crimes against [[LGBT]] children and teens in schools. She convened a national conference to confront the "gay-[[transgender]] [[gay panic|panic defense]]", which has been used to justify violent hate crimes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kamalaharris.org/issues/113|title=Hate Crimes and Protecting Victims|date=|publisher=Kamalaharris.org|accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> Harris supports [[same-sex marriage]] in California and opposed both [[Proposition 22]] and [[California Proposition 8 (2008)|Proposition 8]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kamalaharris.org/MarriageEquality|title=Marriage Equality|date=|publisher=Kamalaharris.org|accessdate=November 18, 2010|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125112342/http://kamalaharris.org/MarriageEquality|archivedate=November 25, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> |
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== U.S. Senator (2017–2021) == |
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In 2004, The [[National Urban League]] honored Harris as a "Woman of Power". In 2005, she received the [[Thurgood Marshall#Thurgood Marshall Award|Thurgood Marshall Award]] from the National Black Prosecutors Association. In her campaign for California Attorney General, she received the endorsements of numerous groups including [[EMILY's List]], [[California Legislative Black Caucus]], [[Asian American Action Fund]], [[Black Women Organized for Political Action]], the [[National Women's Political Caucus]], Mexican American Bar Association, and South Asians for Opportunity.<ref name="Endorsements">{{cite web|url=http://kamalaharris.org/endorsements|title=Endorsements|date=September 24, 2010|publisher=Kamalaharris.org|accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> |
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=== Election === |
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{{Main|2016 United States Senate election in California}} |
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[[File:Kamala_Harris_takes_oath_of_office_as_United_States_Senator_by_Vice_President_Joe_Biden.jpg|thumb|Harris being sworn into the Senate by then vice president [[Joe Biden]] in 2017. At center is Harris's husband, [[Doug Emhoff]].]] |
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After more than 20 years as a U.S. senator from California, Senator [[Barbara Boxer]] announced on January 13, 2015, that she would not run for reelection in 2016.<ref name="Mehta">{{cite news|last=Mehta|first=Seema|date=January 13, 2015|title=Kamala Harris launches U.S. Senate bid, begins raising money|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-harris-launches-us-senate-bid-begins-raising-money-20150113-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113200929/https://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-harris-launches-us-senate-bid-begins-raising-money-20150113-story.html|archive-date=January 13, 2015}}</ref> Harris announced her candidacy for the Senate seat the next week.<ref name="Mehta" /> She was a top contender from the beginning of her campaign.<ref name="Kane">{{cite web|last=Kane|first=Will|date=November 7, 2016|title=Why Is the Most Groundbreaking Senate Race Ever So Uninspiring?|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/2016-california-senate-harris-sanchez-jungle-open-primary-reform-214429|access-date=November 19, 2020|website=Politico Magazine|archive-date=November 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118015357/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/2016-california-senate-harris-sanchez-jungle-open-primary-reform-214429|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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The 2016 California Senate election used California's new top-two primary format, where the top two candidates in the primary advance to the general election regardless of party.<ref name="Kane" /> On February 27, 2016, Harris won 78% of the [[California Democratic Party]] vote at the party convention, allowing her campaign to receive financial support from the party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cadelago|first=Christopher|date=February 27, 2016|title=Kamala Harris receives California Democratic Party endorsement|work=The Sacramento Bee|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article62985987.html|url-status=live|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215142830/https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article62985987.html|archive-date=February 15, 2019}}</ref> Three months later, Governor Jerry Brown endorsed her.<ref>{{cite news|last=Willon|first=Phil|date=May 23, 2016|title=California Gov. Jerry Brown backs Kamala Harris for U.S. Senate|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-jerry-brown-kamala-harris-endorsement-htmlstory.html|url-status=live|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405165645/https://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-jerry-brown-kamala-harris-endorsement-htmlstory.html|archive-date=April 5, 2019}}</ref> In the June 7 primary, Harris came in first with 40% of the vote and won with pluralities in most counties.<ref>{{cite web|date=July 2016|title=United States Senator (primary results)|url=https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2016-primary/75-us-senate-formatted.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826130419/https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2016-primary/75-us-senate-formatted.pdf|archive-date=August 26, 2019|access-date=August 19, 2020|publisher=[[California Secretary of State]]}}</ref> Harris faced representative and fellow Democrat [[Loretta Sanchez]] in the general election.<ref name="Myers">{{cite news|last=Myers|first=John|date=June 8, 2016|title=Two Democrats will face off for California's U.S. Senate seat, marking first time a Republican will not be in contention|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-senate-primary-election-20160607-snap-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304132859/https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-senate-primary-election-20160607-snap-story.html|archive-date=March 4, 2020}}</ref> |
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== Attorney General of California == |
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=== 2010 election === |
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{{main|California Attorney General election, 2010}} |
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[[File:Kamala Harris inauguration as Attorney General 04.jpg|thumb|left|Harris being sworn-in as Attorney General]] |
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On November 12, 2008, Harris announced her candidacy for [[California Attorney General]]. Both of California's United States Senators, [[Dianne Feinstein]] and [[Barbara Boxer]], as well as House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]], endorsed Harris during the Democratic Party primary.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2010/12/kamala-harris-democrats-anti-palin-046783|title=Kamala Harris: Democrats' anti-Palin|last=Smith|first=Ben|date=December 24, 2010|work=|newspaper=POLITICO|access-date=December 21, 2016|via=}}</ref> In the June 8, 2010, primary, she was nominated with 33.6% of the vote. Her closest competitors had 15.6% and 15.5% respectively.<ref name="autogenerated2">[http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2010-primary/pdf/2010-complete-sov.pdf Statement of Vote June 8, 2010, Direct Primary Election] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722063405/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2010-primary/pdf/2010-complete-sov.pdf|date=July 22, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ktvu.com/news/23840282/detail.html|title=Newsom And Harris Wins Democratic Nods For Lt Gov, State AG|date=June 8, 2010|newspaper=KTVU|accessdate=August 21, 2010}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |
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On July 19, President [[Barack Obama]] and Vice President [[Joe Biden]] endorsed Harris.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Willon|first1=Phil|date=July 19, 2016|title=Obama, Biden endorse Kamala Harris for U.S. Senate|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-obama-biden-endorse-kamala-harris-for-1468889660-htmlstory.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719145452/https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-obama-biden-endorse-kamala-harris-for-1468889660-htmlstory.html|archive-date=July 19, 2016|access-date=July 19, 2016|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> In the [[United States Senate elections, 2016|November 2016 election]], Harris defeated Sanchez with over 60% of the vote, carrying all but four counties.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Live California election results|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://graphics.latimes.com/la-na-pol-2016-election-results-california/|url-status=live|access-date=November 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109220737/https://graphics.latimes.com/la-na-pol-2016-election-results-california/|archive-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref> After her victory, she promised to protect immigrants from the policies of President-elect [[Donald Trump]] and announced her intention to remain Attorney General through the end of 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last=Willon|first=Phil|date=November 10, 2016|title=Newly elected Kamala Harris vows to defy Trump on immigration|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-senate-kamala-harris-trump-20161110-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803235607/https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-senate-kamala-harris-trump-20161110-story.html|archive-date=August 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Willon|first=Phil|date=December 1, 2016|title=Essential Politics November archives|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-kamala-harris-plans-to-keep-her-day-job-1478832067-htmlstory.html|url-status=live|access-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161217150000/https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-kamala-harris-plans-to-keep-her-day-job-1478832067-htmlstory.html|archive-date=December 17, 2016|issn=0458-3035}}</ref> Harris became the second Black woman and first South Asian American senator in history.<ref name=Ma_2021c>{{citation|last1=Ma|first1=Debbie S.|last2=Hohl|first2=Danita|last3=Kantner|first3=Justin|year=2021|title=The politics of identity: The unexpected role of political orientation on racial categorization of Kamala Harris|journal=Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy|volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=99–120 |doi=10.1111/asap.12257|quote=Harris, who has written and spoken at length about her parents' backgrounds and heritage,... On her official website, she asserts that she is 'the second African-American woman and first South Asian-American senator in history.'}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Kamala D. Harris: US Senator from California|url=https://www.harris.senate.gov/about|access-date=July 29, 2020|publisher=United States Senate|quote=In 2017, Kamala D. Harris was sworn in as a United States senator for California, the second African-American woman, and first South Asian-American senator in history.|archive-date=October 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014130548/https://www.harris.senate.gov/about|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Weinberg|first1=Tessa|last2=Palaniappan|first2=Sruthi|date=December 3, 2019|title=Kamala Harris: Everything you need to know about the 2020 presidential candidate|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/kamala-harris-latest-democrat-run-president/story?id=60521324|access-date=August 10, 2020|publisher=ABC News|quote=Harris is the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father, and is the second African-American woman and first South Asian-American senator in history.|archive-date=April 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419003209/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/kamala-harris-latest-democrat-run-president/story?id=60521324|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In her campaign for California Attorney General, Harris received the endorsements of [[United Farm Workers]] cofounder [[Dolores Huerta]], United Educators of San Francisco, and San Francisco Firefighters Local 798.<ref name="Endorsements" /> She also received the endorsement of [[Antonio Villaraigosa]], Mayor of Los Angeles.<ref name="newsline">{{cite news|url=http://www.legalnewsline.com/news/226664-villaraigosa-eschews-local-candidates-backs-harris-for-calif.-attorney-general|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723184208/http://www.legalnewsline.com/news/226664-villaraigosa-eschews-local-candidates-backs-harris-for-calif.-attorney-general|dead-url=yes|archive-date=July 23, 2011|title=Villaraigosa eschews local candidates, backs Harris for Calif. attorney general|last=Rizo|first=Chris|date=April 16, 2010|newspaper=Legal Newsline|accessdate=August 20, 2010}}</ref> In the general election, she faced [[Los Angeles County]] District Attorney [[Steve Cooley]]. On election night, November 2, 2010, Cooley prematurely declared victory, but many ballots remained uncounted. On November 24, as the count advanced, Harris was leading by more than 55,000 votes, and Cooley conceded.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/steve-cooley-kamala-harris-attorney-general.html|title=Kamala Harris wins attorney general's race as Steve Cooley concedes|work=Los Angeles Times|date=November 24, 2010}}</ref> On January 3, 2011, Harris became the first female,<ref name="nomination" /> [[Jamaican Americans|Jamaican-American]],<ref name="newsline" /><ref name="DBeast">{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-09/kamala-harris-the-female-obama-wins-primary-for-california-attorney-general/|title=Kamala Harris, the "Female Obama", Wins Primary for California Attorney General|last=Olopade|first=Dayo|date=June 9, 2010|newspaper=[[Daily Beast]]|accessdate=November 3, 2010}}</ref> and [[Indian-American]] attorney general in California.<ref name="autogenerated1">Martinez, Michael (October 22, 2010). [http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/22/california.kamala.harris.profile/index.html "A 'female Obama' seeks California attorney general post"]. CNN.</ref><ref name="sfgate1">Cabanatuan, Michael (November 3, 2010). [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/03/BAQG1G5VU9.DTL "Brown, Boxer, Newsom win; Prop. 19 goes down"]. ''San Francisco Chronicle''.</ref> |
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=== Tenure and political positions === |
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{{See also|Political positions of Kamala Harris}} |
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{{main|California Attorney General election, 2014}} |
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Harris announced her intention to run for re-election in February 2014 and filed paperwork to run on February 12. According to the office of [[California Secretary of State]] [[Debra Bowen]], Harris had raised the money for her campaign during the previous year in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2014/02/14/kamala-harris-announces-bid-re-election-gop-scratching-heads-candidate-face/|title=As Kamala Harris announces bid for re-election, GOP scratching their heads for a candidate to face her|work=The American Bazaar |first=Deepak|last=Chitnis|date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> On August 13, 2014, Harris announced her endorsement of [[Betty Yee]] for [[California State Controller]], calling her one of the state's "most knowledgeable and responsible money managers," and said she was proud to endorse her. Yee, in return, sang Harris's praises and called her an "outstanding elected leader."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bettyyee.com/attorney-general-kamala-harris-endorses-betty-yee/|title=Attorney General Kamala Harris Endorses Betty Yee|date=August 13, 2014|publisher=bettyyee.com|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117045910/http://bettyyee.com/attorney-general-kamala-harris-endorses-betty-yee/|archivedate=November 17, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Harris also endorsed [[Bonnie Dumanis]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2014/03/19/dumanis-gets-endorsement-re-election-state-attorney-general-kamala-harris/|title=Dumanis Gets Endorsement for Re-Election from State Attorney General Kamala Harris|date=March 19, 2014|work=Times of San Diego|first=Christine|last=Huard}}</ref> and [[Sandra Fluke]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailybreeze.com/government-and-politics/20141006/attorney-general-kamala-harris-endorses-sandra-fluke-for-south-bay-senate-seat|title=Attorney General Kamala Harris endorses Sandra Fluke for South Bay Senate seat|date=October 6, 2014|work=Daily Breeze}}</ref> Harris herself was endorsed by ''[[The Sacramento Bee]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/election-endorsements/article2607527.html|title=Endorsement: Attorney General Kamala Harris, all but unchallenged, deserves a second term|date=August 25, 2014|work=The Sacramento Bee}}</ref> ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20141003/re-elect-kamala-harris-as-attorney-general-x2014-but-demand-more-endorsement|title=Re-elect Kamala Harris as attorney general — but demand more: Endorsement|date=October 3, 2014|work=Los Angeles Daily News}}</ref> and The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-81464117/|title=For attorney general, Kamala Harris|date=September 23, 2014|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> |
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As a senator, Harris [[Political positions of Kamala Harris|advocated]] stricter [[Gun control in the United States|gun control]] laws,<ref name=SenateStances>{{Cite magazine |last=Sanchez |first=Chelsey |date=January 20, 2021 |title=Here's Where Kamala Harris Stands on Gun Control |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a34275544/kamala-harris-gun-control/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240322165235/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a34275544/kamala-harris-gun-control/ |archive-date=March 22, 2024 |access-date=March 22, 2024 |magazine=[[Harper's Bazaar]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=deBruyn |first=Jason |date=August 12, 2020 |title=Kamala Harris Advocated For Stricter Gun Laws As A Candidate. What About As Joe Biden's VP? |url=https://www.wunc.org/law/2020-08-12/kamala-harris-advocated-for-stricter-gun-laws-as-a-candidate-what-about-as-joe-bidens-vp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240322165236/https://www.wunc.org/law/2020-08-12/kamala-harris-advocated-for-stricter-gun-laws-as-a-candidate-what-about-as-joe-bidens-vp |archive-date=March 22, 2024 |access-date=March 22, 2024 |publisher=WUNC}}</ref> the [[DREAM Act]], [[Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States|federal legalization of cannabis]], and healthcare and [[Progressive tax|taxation]] reforms.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} She became well known nationally after questioning several Trump appointees, such as [[Jeff Sessions]] and [[Brett Kavanaugh]].<ref name=Harris2019>{{cite news|last=Viser|first=Matt|date=January 21, 2019|title=Kamala Harris enters 2020 Presidential Race|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kamala-harris-enters-2020-presidential-race/2019/01/21/d68d15b2-0a20-11e9-a3f0-71c95106d96a_story.html|access-date=January 22, 2019|archive-date=February 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225040147/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kamala-harris-enters-2020-presidential-race/2019/01/21/d68d15b2-0a20-11e9-a3f0-71c95106d96a_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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On November 4, 2014, Harris was re-elected against Republican Ronald Gold.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/05/kamala-harris-election-results_n_5819890.html|title=Kamala Harris Re-Elected As California Attorney General|date=November 5, 2014|work=The Huffington Post}}</ref> |
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==== 2017 ==== |
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=== Tenure as California Attorney General === |
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[[File: |
[[File:Kamala_Harris_with_Dreamers_-_2017-12-06.jpg|thumb|Harris with [[DREAM Act|DREAMers]], 2017]] |
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On January 28, after Trump signed [[Executive Order 13769]], barring citizens from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days, she condemned the order and was one of many to call it a "Muslim ban".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/trump-plans-to-sign-executive-action-on-refugees-extreme-vetting/index.html|title=Trump signs executive order to keep out 'radical Islamic terrorists'|date=January 30, 2017|first=Dan|last=Merica|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804083608/https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/trump-plans-to-sign-executive-action-on-refugees-extreme-vetting/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> She called [[White House Chief of Staff]] [[John F. Kelly]] at home to gather information and push back against the executive order.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ting|first1=Eric|title=Kamala Harris says John Kelly got mad when she called him at home during the travel ban|url=https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Kamala-Harris-2020-John-Kelly-travel-ban-book-13518859.php|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=January 8, 2019|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802191704/https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Kamala-Harris-2020-John-Kelly-travel-ban-book-13518859.php|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In February, Harris spoke in opposition to Trump's cabinet picks [[Betsy DeVos]] for [[secretary of education]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-201702-htmlstory.html|title=Sen. Kamala Harris speaks out against Betsy DeVos as part of Democrats' 24-hour blitz on Senate floor|date=February 6, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=August 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815215602/https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-201702-htmlstory.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Jeff Sessions]] for [[United States Attorney General]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newsone.com/3661775/sen-kamala-harris-will-argue-against-confirming-sessions/|access-date=April 22, 2020|title=Sen. Kamala Harris: 'You Deserve An Attorney General Who Recognizes The Full Human Quality Of All People'|date=February 8, 2017|publisher=newsone.com|archive-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223143/https://newsone.com/3661775/sen-kamala-harris-will-argue-against-confirming-sessions/|url-status=live}}</ref> In early March, she called on Sessions to resign, after it was reported that Sessions, who had previously said he "did not have communications with the Russians", spoke twice with [[Russian Ambassador to the United States]] [[Sergey Kislyak]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article135980818.html|title=Kamala Harris calls on attorney general to resign over contacts with the Russians|date=March 2, 2017|newspaper=Sacramento Bee|first=Sean|last=Cockerham|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812003300/https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article135980818.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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====Housing==== |
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When Harris took office, California was still reeling from the effects of the [[subprime mortgage crisis]]. Harris participated in the National Mortgage Settlement against five banks: [[Ally Financial]], [[Wells Fargo]], [[Bank of America]], [[Citibank]], and [[Chase (bank)|Chase]]. She originally walked off the talks because she believed the deal was too lenient. She later rejoined the talks, securing $12 billion of debt reduction for the state's homeowners and $26 billion overall.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Kamala-Harris-foreclosure-deal-a-win-for-state-3381270.php | title=Kamala Harris' foreclosure deal a win for state | date=March 5, 2012 | work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | author1=Parker, Barbara | author2=Rebecca Kaplan | accessdate=June 18, 2012}}</ref> Other parts of the funding would go to state housing counseling services and legal help for struggling homeowners and forgiving the debt of over 23,000 homeowners who agreed to sell their homes for less than the mortgage loan.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/12/business/la-fi-0512-harris-housing-20120512 |title=Mortgage deal cash is divvied | date=May 12, 2012 | work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|author=Lazo, Alejandro |accessdate=June 18, 2012}}</ref> |
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In April, Harris voted against the confirmation of [[Neil Gorsuch]] to the [[U.S. Supreme Court]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Adam Liptak|author-link=Adam Liptak|last2=Matt Flegenheimer|title=Neil Gorsuch Confirmed by Senate as Supreme Court Justice|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court.html|access-date=April 15, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=April 8, 2017|page=A1|archive-date=April 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429054521/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that month, she took her first foreign trip to the Middle East, visiting California troops stationed in [[Iraq]] and the [[Zaatari refugee camp]] in Jordan, the largest camp for Syrian refugees.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sen. Kamala Harris visits troops, refugee camp in Middle East|url=https://abc7.com/sen-kamala-harris-syria-refugees-town-hall/1885500/|access-date=May 16, 2019|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=April 17, 2017|archive-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223142/https://abc7.com/sen-kamala-harris-syria-refugees-town-hall/1885500/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Later, she introduced the California Homeowner's Bill of Rights in the [[California State Legislature]], a package of several bills that would give homeowners more "options when fighting to keep their home". The Bill, which took effect on January 1, 2013, banned the practices of "dual-tracking" (processing a modification and foreclosure at the same time) and [[robo-signing]], and provided homeowners with a single point of contact at their lending institution. It also gave the California Attorney General more power to investigate and prosecute financial fraud and to convene special [[grand jury|grand juries]] to prosecute multi-county crimes instead of prosecuting a single crime county-by-county.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-announces-passage-bills-california-homeowner | title=Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Announces Passage of Bills in California Homeowner Bill of Rights Package | publisher=California Attorney General | accessdate=June 18, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://foreclosurehelpscc.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/how-does-the-california-homeowner-bill-of-rights-help-you/ | title=How does the California Homeowner Bill of Rights Help You? | date=June 4, 2013 | publisher=ForeclosureHelpSCC | accessdate=January 11, 2014}}</ref> ''The Sacramento Bee'' reported on one of the first cases of a homeowner using the bill to stop Bank of America from foreclosing on his home.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://deterforeclosure.com/west-sacramento-homeowner-uses-new-state-law-to-stop-foreclosure/ | title=West Sacramento homeowner uses new state law to stop foreclosure | last=Sangree | first=Hudson | website=The Sacramento Bee | date=May 23, 2013}}</ref> |
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In June, Harris garnered media attention for her questioning of [[Rod Rosenstein]], the [[United States Deputy Attorney General|deputy attorney general]], over the role he played in the [[Dismissal of James Comey|May 2017 firing]] of [[James Comey]], the [[director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Jalonick|first=Mary Clare|agency=Associated Press|date=June 7, 2017|title=Harris Reminded to Be Respectful During Intel Hearing|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-06-07/gop-senator-admonishes-democrat-for-persistent-questioning|work=U.S. News & World Report|location=Washington, D.C.|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803062412/https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-06-07/gop-senator-admonishes-democrat-for-persistent-questioning|url-status=live}}</ref> The prosecutorial nature of her questioning caused Senator [[John McCain]], an ''[[ex officio member]]'' of the Intelligence Committee, and Senator [[Richard Burr]], the committee chairman, to interrupt her and request that she be more respectful of the witness. A week later, she questioned Jeff Sessions, the [[United States Attorney General|attorney general]], on the same topic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Finnegan|first=Michael|date=June 14, 2017|title=Sen. Kamala Harris leaves Sessions 'nervous' in interrogation over his refusal to disclose conversations with Trump|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-sen-kamala-harris-and-sessions-face-1497387259-htmlstory.html|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704034800/https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-sen-kamala-harris-and-sessions-face-1497387259-htmlstory.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Sessions said her questioning "makes me nervous".<ref>{{cite news|last=[[Agence France-Presse]]|date=November 7, 2020|title=Kamala Harris: America's first woman vice president|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201107-kamala-harris-america-s-first-woman-vice-president|access-date=December 5, 2020|work=[[France 24]]|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107213023/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201107-kamala-harris-america-s-first-woman-vice-president|url-status=live}}</ref> Burr's singling out of Harris sparked suggestions in the news media that his behavior was sexist, with commentators arguing that Burr would not treat a male Senate colleague in a similar manner.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ansari|first=M. K.|date=June 8, 2017|title=The Silencing Of Kamala Harris During The Senate Hearing Was Sexist: Why do people take issue when a woman asks direct questions?|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sen-kamala-harris-shushed-women-politicians-are_us_593983bce4b094fa859f1668|work=HuffPost|location=New York|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=October 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012045541/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sen-kamala-harris-shushed-women-politicians-are_us_593983bce4b094fa859f1668|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==== Prison conditions and sentencing reform ==== |
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After the United States Supreme Court in ''[[Brown v. Plata]]'' (2011) declared California's prisons so overcrowded they inflicted [[cruel and unusual punishment]], Harris fought federal court supervision, explaining "I have a client, and I don't get to choose my client."<ref name="NYTmag" /> After California failed to fully implement the court's order to reduce crowding, and was ordered to implement new parole programs, lawyers for Harris appealed the decision on grounds that if forced to release these inmates early, prisons would lose an important labor pool. The prisoners were earning between 8 and 37 cents per hour.<ref>{{cite news|last1=St. John|first1=Paige|title=Federal judges order California to expand prison releases|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ff-federal-judges-order-state-to-release-more-prisoners-20141114-story.html|access-date=October 12, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|date=November 14, 2014}}</ref> |
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In December, Harris called for the resignation of Senator [[Al Franken]], writing on Twitter, "Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere."<ref>{{cite news |first=Casey |last=Tolan |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/06/kamala-harris-calls-on-al-franken-to-resign-amid-sexual-harassment-allegations/ |url-status=live |title=Harris, Feinstein call on Al Franken to resign after sexual harassment allegations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816134028/https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/06/kamala-harris-calls-on-al-franken-to-resign-amid-sexual-harassment-allegations/ |archive-date=August 16, 2020 |newspaper=San Jose Mercury News |date=December 6, 2017 }}</ref> |
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Harris refused to take any position on criminal sentencing-reform initiatives [[California Proposition 36, 2012|Proposition 36 (2012)]] and [[California Proposition 47 (2014)|Proposition 47 (2014)]], arguing it would be improper because her office prepares the ballot booklets.<ref name="NYTmag" /> Former California Attorney General [[John Van de Kamp]] considered her explanation "baloney."<ref name="NYTmag" /> |
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==== |
==== 2018 ==== |
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[[File:Kamala Harris in Selma - 2018.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Harris at the 2018 commemorations of [[Selma to Montgomery marches#"Bloody Sunday" events|Bloody Sunday]] in [[Selma, Alabama|Selma]], where she was invited to speak by [[John Lewis]] (right)<ref>{{cite news |date=March 7, 2018 |title=Lawmakers reflect on Selma beyond Bloody Sunday |work=WCBI |agency=CBS News |url=https://www.wcbi.com/lawmakers-reflect-on-selma-beyond-bloody-sunday/ |access-date=December 23, 2020 |archive-date=February 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218192801/https://www.wcbi.com/lawmakers-reflect-on-selma-beyond-bloody-sunday/ |url-status=live }}</ref>]] |
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On August 24, 2012, the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' published an editorial calling on Harris to release Daniel Larsen from prison.<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/24/opinion/la-ed-larsen-20120824|title=Daniel Larsen should be freed from prison, whatever it takes|date=August 24, 2012|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|accessdate=January 11, 2014}}</ref> Larsen, who was sentenced to 28 years to life under California's [[three strikes laws]] for possession of a [[concealed weapon]] in 1999, was declared "[[actually innocent]]" by a federal judge in 2009 and ordered released. Evidence in favor of Larsen included that of a former chief of police and the actual owner of the knife. Larsen's original lawyer, who failed to call a single witness, has since been disbarred.<ref name="NYDN">{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/daniel-larsen-innocent-california-prisoner-freed-13-years-behind-bars-article-1.1293456|title=Daniel Larsen, ‘innocent’ California prisoner, freed after 13 years behind bars|date=March 19, 2013|work=[[NY Daily News]]|accessdate=January 14, 2015|author=Knowles, David}}</ref> Larsen remained in prison because Harris's office objected to his release on the grounds that he missed the deadline to file his [[writ of habeas corpus]]. The [[California Innocence Project]], which had taken up Larsen's case, said this amounted to a paperwork technicality. The ''Times'' editorial stated that if Harris was not willing to release Larsen, Governor [[Jerry Brown]] should pardon him. In March 2013, Larsen was released on [[Surety bond|bond]] with the case on appeal by order of Attorney General Harris "on technical grounds".<ref name="NYDN" /> In September 2013, the [[Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals]] upheld the ruling, and on January 27, 2014, the [[Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office]] dismissed the charge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=4350|title=Daniel Larsen|date=January 27, 2014|publisher=[[National Registry of Exonerations]]|accessdate=January 14, 2015}}</ref> |
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In January, Harris was appointed to the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] after Franken resigned.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/01/09/democrats-add-harris-booker-to-senate-judiciary-committee/|title=Democrats add Harris, Booker to Senate Judiciary Committee|last=Weigel|first=David|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 12, 2020|date=January 9, 2018|archive-date=June 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611195000/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/01/09/democrats-add-harris-booker-to-senate-judiciary-committee/|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that month, she questioned Homeland Security Secretary [[Kirstjen Nielsen]] for favoring Norwegian immigrants over others and for claiming to be unaware that Norway is a predominantly white country.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://qz.com/1180864/kristen-nielsen-trumps-department-of-homeland-security-chief-on-shithole-countries/ |title=Trump's DHS chief perfectly recalls his praise for Norway{{snd}}but not 'shithole' |work=[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]] |date=January 16, 2018 |first=Ana |last=Campoy |access-date=September 22, 2020 |archive-date=November 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130043205/https://qz.com/1180864/kristen-nielsen-trumps-department-of-homeland-security-chief-on-shithole-countries/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://observer.com/2018/01/kirstjen-nielsen-trump-remark/ |title=Cory Booker and Kamala Harris Grill Kirstjen Nielsen Over Trump's Racial Remarks |first=Davis |last=Richardson |date=January 16, 2018 |work=[[The New York Observer]] |access-date=September 22, 2020 |archive-date=January 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113065516/https://observer.com/2018/01/kirstjen-nielsen-trump-remark/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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==== Michelle-Lael Norsworthy case ==== |
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Also in January, Harris and Senators [[Heidi Heitkamp]], [[Jon Tester]], and [[Claire McCaskill]] co-sponsored the Border and Port Security Act,<ref>[https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-115s2314is S. 2314 (IS) - Border and Port Security Act] [[govInfo]]</ref> legislation to mandate that [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] "hire, train and assign at least 500 officers per year until the number of needed positions the model identifies is filled" and require the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection to determine potential equipment and infrastructure improvements for ports of entry.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyinterlake.com/local_news/20180119/tester_wants_more_border_personnel |title=Tester wants more border personnel |date=January 19, 2018 |first=Patrick |last=Reilly |work=Daily Inter Lake |access-date=September 27, 2019 |archive-date=December 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222105856/https://www.dailyinterlake.com/local_news/20180119/tester_wants_more_border_personnel |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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In February 2014, Michelle-Lael Norsworthy, a transgender woman incarcerated at California's [[Mule Creek State Prison]], filed a federal lawsuit based on the state's failure to provide her with what she argued was medically necessary [[sex reassignment surgery]] (SRS).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leagle.com/decision/In%20Adv%20FDCO%20151116-000237/NORSWORTHY%20v.%20BEARD|title=Jeffrey B. Norsworthy (a/k/a Michelle-Lael B. Norsworthy), Plaintiff, v. Jeffrey Beard, et al., Defendants|date=November 18, 2014|publisher=United States District Court, N.D. California, Case No. 14-cv-00695-JST|accessdate=August 2, 2017}}</ref> In April 2015, a federal judge ordered the [[California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation]] (CDCR) to provide Norsworthy with SRS, finding that prison officials had been "deliberately indifferent to her serious medical need."<ref name="SFGateNorsworthy">{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Former-California-inmate-finally-has-10924841.php|title=Parolee has sex-reassignment surgery after years of battling state|date=February 10, 2017|work=[[SFGate]]|author=Egelko, Bob|accessdate=August 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Norswrthy v. Beard et al 14- cv-00695-|url=https://transgenderlawcenter.org/norsworthy-v-beard|website=Transgender Law Center|accessdate=12 October 2017}}</ref> California Attorney General Harris, representing CDCR, challenged the order in the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit|9th Circuit Court of Appeals]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ff-prison-board-approves-parole-for-sexreassignment-inmate-20150521-story.html|title=Inmate who won order for sex reassignment surgery recommended for parole|date=May 21, 2015|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|author=St. John, Paige|accessdate=August 2, 2017}}</ref> Harris argued that "Norsworthy has been receiving hormone therapy for her gender dysphoria since 2000, and continues to receive hormone therapy and other forms of treatment" and that "there is no evidence that Norsworthy is in serious, immediate physical or emotional danger."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Chris|title=Harris appeals order granting gender reassignment to trans inmate|url=http://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/04/10/harris-appeals-order-granting-trans-inmate-gender-reassignment/|accessdate=12 October 2017|work=Washington Blade|publisher=Washington Blade|date=April 10, 2015|ref=1}}</ref> |
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In May, Harris heatedly questioned Nielsen about the [[Trump administration family separation policy]], under which children were separated from their families when their parents were taken into custody for illegally entering the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/05/16/homeland-security-chief-defends-policy-separates-families-entering-u-s/614505002/|title=Homeland Security chief defends policy that separates families entering U.S. illegally|work=[[USA Today]]|date=May 16, 2018|access-date=July 4, 2020|last=Bacon|first=John|archive-date=June 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609101702/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/05/16/homeland-security-chief-defends-policy-separates-families-entering-u-s/614505002/|url-status=live}}</ref> In June, after visiting one of the detention facilities near the border in San Diego,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sloss|first1=Jason|title='Utter despair': Sen. Harris visits migrant mothers separated from children in San Diego|url=https://fox5sandiego.com/2018/06/22/sen-kamala-harris-to-visit-migrant-mothers-separated-from-children-in-san-diego/|access-date=November 9, 2018|work=Fox 5 San Diego|date=June 22, 2018|archive-date=November 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110040529/https://fox5sandiego.com/2018/06/22/sen-kamala-harris-to-visit-migrant-mothers-separated-from-children-in-san-diego/|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris became the first senator to demand Nielsen's resignation.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Byrne|first1=Trapper|title=Kamala Harris says DHS chief should resign over immigrant family separations|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Kamala-Harris-says-DHS-chief-should-resign-over-13004563.php|access-date=May 8, 2020|work=Advocate|date=June 18, 2018|archive-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223144/https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Kamala-Harris-says-DHS-chief-should-resign-over-13004563.php|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In August 2015, while the state's appeal was pending, Norsworthy was released on parole, obviating the state's duty to provide her with inmate medical care.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sfist.com/2016/03/21/former_trans_inmate_michelle-lael_n.php|title=Former Trans Inmate Michelle-Lael Norsworthy Speaks Out About Her New Transition, To Civilian Life|date=March 21, 2016|work=[[SFist]]|author=Barmann, Jay|accessdate=August 2, 2017|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105215549/http://sfist.com/2016/03/21/former_trans_inmate_michelle-lael_n.php|archivedate=November 5, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref> AG Harris maintained that the parole review process was independent of Norsworthy's legal case against CDCR.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://story.californiasunday.com/michelle-lael-norsworthy-sex-reassignment-prison|title=Michelle's Case|date=May 17, 2016|work=[[The California Sunday Magazine]]|author=Brown, Annie|accessdate=August 2, 2017}}</ref> The appeals court, though, was unconvinced. "Before Norsworthy filed this suit", the court commented, "a panel of the parole board had on several prior occasions denied her parole. Four months after Norsworthy filed this suit in February 2014, however, the parole board decided to advance the date of her next parole hearing. … [On May 21] Norsworthy finally had a parole hearing, at which point a parole board panel approved her application." The court concluded that "these coincidences indicate that there is at least some chance that defendants influenced the parole process."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/3007043/michelle-lael-norsworthy-v-jeffrey-beard/|title=Michelle-Lael Norsworthy v. Jeffrey Beard, 15-15712 (9th Cir. 2015)|date=October 5, 2015|publisher=Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit|accessdate=August 2, 2017}}</ref> |
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In the September and October [[Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination|Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings]], Harris questioned [[Brett Kavanaugh]] about a meeting he may have had regarding the Mueller Investigation with a member of [[Kasowitz Benson Torres]], the law firm founded by [[Donald Trump]]'s personal attorney, [[Marc Kasowitz]]. Kavanaugh was unable to answer and repeatedly deflected.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Zhou|first1=Li|title=Kamala Harris's mysterious Kasowitz question during the Kavanaugh hearings, explained|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/9/6/17826498/kamala-harris-kasowitz-question-kavanaugh-hearings|access-date=May 4, 2020|work=Vox|date=September 6, 2018|archive-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608223140/https://www.vox.com/2018/9/6/17826498/kamala-harris-kasowitz-question-kavanaugh-hearings|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris also participated in questioning the FBI director's limited scope of the investigation of Kavanaugh regarding allegations of sexual assault.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ring|first1=Trudy|title=FBI Head Stonewalls as Kamala Harris Grills Him on Kavanaugh Probe|url=https://www.advocate.com/politics/2018/10/10/fbi-head-stonewalls-kamala-harris-grills-him-kavanaugh-probe|access-date=November 9, 2018|work=Advocate|date=October 10, 2018|archive-date=November 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110083434/https://www.advocate.com/politics/2018/10/10/fbi-head-stonewalls-kamala-harris-grills-him-kavanaugh-probe|url-status=live}}</ref> She voted against his confirmation. |
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====Financial crimes==== |
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[[File:Kamala Harris announces the creation of a Mortgage Fraud Strike Force to Protect Homeowners 04 cropped.jpg|thumb|Harris announcing the creation of a Mortgage Fraud Strike Force to Protect Homeowners, May 23, 2011]] |
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Harris has prosecuted numerous [[financial crime]]s, such as [[predatory lending]].<ref>{{cite news|title=S.F. attorney Kamala Harris enters attorney general race|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zfQlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=U_0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3372,1028608&dq=kamala-harris+financial+crime&hl=en|accessdate=August 20, 2010|newspaper=Lodi News-Sentinel|date=November 13, 2008}}</ref><nowiki/> In 2011, while serving as Attorney General of California, she created the Mortgage Fraud Strike Force which had a mandate to eliminate mortgage foreclosure fraud. The task force has been criticized for not filing as many foreclosure cases as in states with smaller populations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-strike-force-that-never-struck/Content?oid=3933743|title=The Strike Force That Never Struck|first=Darwin|last=BondGraham|website=East Bay Express}}</ref> |
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Harris was a target of the [[October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Stanton|first1=Sam|last2=McGough|first2=Mike|last3=Yoon-Hendricks|first3=Alex|title=Suspicious package in Sacramento addressed to Sen. Kamala Harris, sources say|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article220670830.html|access-date=May 15, 2020|work=The Sacramento Bee|date=October 26, 2018|archive-date=June 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630131952/https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article220670830.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In 2013, Harris did not prosecute [[Steve Mnuchin]]'s bank [[OneWest]] despite evidence "suggestive of widespread misconduct" according to a leaked memo from the Department of Justice.<ref name="InterceptLeakedMemo">{{cite web|url=https://theintercept.com/2017/01/03/treasury-nominee-steve-mnuchins-bank-accused-of-widespread-misconduct-in-leaked-memo/|title=Treasury Nominee Steve Mnuchin's Bank Accused of "Widespread Misconduct" in Leaked Memo|first=David DayenDavid|last=Dayen2017-01-03T20:22:56+00:00|website=The Intercept}}</ref> In 2017, Harris said that her office's decision to not prosecute Mnuchin was based on "following the facts and the evidence...like any other case."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thehill.com/policy/finance/312742-senate-democrat-defends-decision-not-to-charge-trump-treasury-pick-over|title=Dem defends decision not to charge Trump Treasury pick over foreclosures|first=Sylvan|last=Lane|date=January 4, 2017|publisher=}}</ref> In 2016, Mnuchin donated $2,000 to Harris's campaign,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=steven+mnuchin&order=desc&sort=D|title=Donor Lookup|publisher=}}</ref> making her the only 2016 Senate Democratic candidate to get cash from Mnuchin,<ref name="rollcall 2017-02-14">{{cite news|url=http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/harris-was-the-only-democrat-in-2016-to-receive-cash-from-mnuchin|title= Harris Was Only 2016 Senate Democratic Candidate to Get Cash From Mnuchin |date= February 14, 2017|work=[[Roll Call]]|author= Garcia, Eric|accessdate=August 2, 2017}}</ref> but as senator, Harris voted against the confirmation of Mnuchin as [[Secretary of the Treasury]].<ref name="rollcall 2017-02-14"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/115th-congress/26|title=PN26 - Nomination of Steven T. Mnuchin for Department of the Treasury, 115th Congress (2017-2018)|date=February 13, 2017|website=www.congress.gov}}</ref> As a result of the donation, she has faced criticism for not prosecuting Mnuchin and [[OneWest Bank]] when she was Attorney General.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kamala-harris-has-to-answer-for-not-prosecuting-steve_us_5980d18ee4b09d231a518205|title=Kamala Harris Has To Answer For Not Prosecuting Steve Mnuchin|first=Jesse|last=Mechanic|date=August 1, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=October 12, 2018}}</ref> |
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In December, the Senate passed the [[Justice for Victims of Lynching Act]] (S. 3178), sponsored by Harris.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/us/lynching-federal-hate-crime.html|title=Senate Unanimously Passes Bill Making Lynching a Federal Crime|last=Zaveri|first=Mihir|date=December 20, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 6, 2018|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=December 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220214541/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/us/lynching-federal-hate-crime.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The bill, which died in the House, would have made lynching a federal hate crime.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3178/ |title=S.3178 – Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018, 115th Congress (2017–2018) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311171539/https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3178 |archive-date=March 11, 2020 |website=Congress.gov}}</ref> |
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==== County prosecutors' misconduct ==== |
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In 2015, Harris defended convictions obtained by county prosecutors who had inserted a false confession into an interrogation transcript, committed perjury, and withheld evidence.<ref name="NYTmag" /> Federal appeals court Judge [[Alex Kozinski]] threw out the convictions, telling Harris's lawyers, "Talk to the attorney general and make sure she understands the gravity of the situation."<ref name="NYTmag" /> |
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==== 2019 ==== |
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In March 2015, a [[California superior courts]] judge ordered Harris to take over a criminal case after [[Orange County, California|Orange County]] District Attorney [[Tony Rackauckas]] was revealed to have illegally employed jailhouse informants and concealed evidence.<ref name="NYTmag" /> Harris refused, appealing the order and defending Rackauckas.<ref name="NYTmag" /> |
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[[File:Kamala Harris (48390414112) (crop1).jpg|thumb|upright|Harris at the 2019 [[San Francisco Pride]] parade]] |
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Harris supported [[Desegregation busing|busing]] for [[School integration in the United States|desegregation of public schools]], saying, "the schools of America are as segregated, if not more segregated, today than when I was in elementary school."<ref>{{cite news |title=Kamala Harris Calls for Federally Mandated Busing |first=John |last=McCormack |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/kamala-harris-calls-for-federally-mandated-busing/ |work=[[National Review]] |date=July 1, 2019 |access-date=July 3, 2019 |archive-date=November 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107233234/https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/kamala-harris-calls-for-federally-mandated-busing/ |url-status=live }}</ref> She viewed busing as an option to be considered by school districts, rather than the responsibility of the federal government.<ref>{{cite news |title=Harris says busing should be considered, not mandated |url=https://apnews.com/article/586b1e81cb684654b0cf689b9074c1cb |first1=Alexandra |last1=Jaffe |first2=Thomas |last2=Beaumont |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=July 3, 2019 |access-date=July 4, 2019 |archive-date=July 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704020114/https://apnews.com/586b1e81cb684654b0cf689b9074c1cb |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Harris appealed the dismissal of an indictment when it was discovered a [[Kern County, California|Kern County]] prosecutor perjured in submitting a falsified confession as court evidence. Harris asserted that prosecutorial perjury was not sufficient to demonstrate prosecutorial misconduct. In the case,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2781830/people-v-velasco-palacios-ca5/|title=People v. Velasco-Palacios CA5, F068833|date=February 24, 2015|website=Court Listener|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}</ref> Harris argued that only abject physical brutality would warrant a finding of prosecutorial misconduct and the dismissal of an indictment, and that perjury was not sufficient.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://observer.com/2015/03/california-prosecutor-falsifies-transcript-of-confession/|title=California Prosecutor Falsifies Transcript of Confession|date=March 4, 2015|website=The Observer|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}</ref> |
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Harris was an early co-sponsor of the [[Green New Deal]], a plan to transition the country towards generating 100 percent [[renewable electricity]] by 2030.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kamala Harris vs. climate: Where she stands on the Green New Deal, fossil fuels and pollution |url=https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/07/22/kamala-harris-vs-climate-where-she-stands-on-the-green-new-deal-fossil-fuels-and-pollution |work=[[Euronews]] |date=July 22, 2024 |access-date=July 26, 2024 |archive-date=July 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727004333/https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/07/22/kamala-harris-vs-climate-where-she-stands-on-the-green-new-deal-fossil-fuels-and-pollution |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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==== Bureau of Children's Justice ==== |
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On February 12, 2015, Harris announced that she would start a new agency called the Bureau of Children's Justice. The bureau would work on issues such as [[foster care]], the juvenile justice system, school [[truancy]], and childhood trauma. Harris appointed special assistant attorney general Jill Habig to head the agency.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/news/kamala-harris-bureau-of-childrens-justice-taking-shape/9513|title=Kamala Harris' Bureau of Children's Justice Takes Shape|last=Heimpel|first=Daniel|date=February 28, 2015|website=The Chronicle of Social Change|publisher=|location=San Francisco, California|accessdate=March 2, 2015}}</ref> |
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In March 2019, after Special Counsel [[Robert Mueller]] submitted [[Mueller Report|his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election]], Harris called for U.S. Attorney General [[William Barr]] to testify before Congress in the interests of transparency.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/2020-democrats-demand-mueller-report-be-made-public-n986511|title='Release the report. Release the report. Release the report.' 2020 Dems demand Mueller report be made public|publisher=NBC News|date=March 22, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020|last=Clark|first=Dartunorro|archive-date=May 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520161929/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/2020-democrats-demand-mueller-report-be-made-public-n986511|url-status=live}}</ref> Two days later, Barr released a [[Barr letter|four-page "summary"]] of the redacted Mueller Report, which was criticized as a deliberate mischaracterization of its conclusions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/media-beware-impeachment-hearings-will-be-the-trickiest-test-of-covering-trump/2019/11/08/1f2b0aac-0239-11ea-8501-2a7123a38c58_story.html|title=Media beware: Impeachment hearings will be the trickiest test of covering Trump|first=Margaret|last=Sullivan|date=November 10, 2019|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=November 11, 2019|archive-date=November 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110233140/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/media-beware-impeachment-hearings-will-be-the-trickiest-test-of-covering-trump/2019/11/08/1f2b0aac-0239-11ea-8501-2a7123a38c58_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that month, Harris was one of 12 Democratic senators led by [[Mazie Hirono]] to sign a letter questioning Barr's decision to offer "his own conclusion that the President's conduct did not amount to obstruction of justice", and called for an investigation into whether Barr's summary of the Mueller Report and his statements at a news conference were misleading.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/30/william-barr-investigation-mueller-1293214|title=Senate Dems call on DOJ watchdog to investigate Barr|first=Marianne|last=Levine|date=April 30, 2019|work=Politico|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802222637/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/30/william-barr-investigation-mueller-1293214|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==== Oil and gas companies ==== |
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[[File:Attorney General Kamala Harris tours oil spill clean up efforts 01.jpg|thumb|Harris touring the clean-up efforts at a beach affected by a 2015 oil spill]] |
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After an oil spill from a pipeline caused damage to the California coastline in May 2015, Harris toured the coastline and directed her office's resources and attorneys to investigate possible criminal violations.<ref>{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Randol |last2=Bell |first2=Jordan |last3=Osborn |first3=Lisa |title=State Attorney General investigates whether oil spill was result of criminal activity |url=http://www.kcbx.org/post/state-attorney-general-investigates-whether-oil-spill-was-result-criminal-activity#stream/0 |accessdate=November 9, 2018 |work=KCBXfm |date=June 4, 2015}}</ref> The investigations led to dozens of indictments.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Doug |last2=Mejia |first2=Brittny |title=Pipeline company indicted in 2015 Santa Barbara County oil spill |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-santa-barbara-county-oil-spill-20160517-snap-story.html |accessdate=November 9, 2018 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 17, 2016}}</ref> In June 2016, Harris issued subpoenas to Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Phillips 66, Valero Energy, and Tesoro relating to an investigation into possible price-fixing.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Lincoln |title=California Issues Subpoenas To Oil And Gas Companies In Price-Fixing Probe |url=https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/California-issues-subpoenas-to-oil-and-gas-companies-in-price-fixing-probe.html |accessdate=November 9, 2016 |work=OilPrice.com |date=June 1, 2016}}</ref> |
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In April 2019, Harris was one of 34 Senate Democrats and independents to write a letter urging President Trump not to cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The group wrote:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frazin |first=Rachel |date=2019-04-04 |title=More than 30 Senate Dems ask Trump to reconsider Central American aid cuts |url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/americas/437463-more-than-30-dem-sens-ask-trump-to-reconsider-cutting-foreign/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref>{{blockquote|We encourage you to listen to members of your own Administration and reverse a decision that will damage our national security and aggravate conditions inside Central America....Since taking office, you have consistently expressed a flawed understanding of U.S. foreign assistance. It is neither charity, nor is it a gift to foreign governments. Our national security funding is specifically designed to promote American interests, enhance our collective security, and protect the safety of our citizens... By obstructing the use of [Fiscal Year 2018] national security funding and seeking to terminate similar funding from [Fiscal Year 2017], you are personally undermining efforts to promote U.S. national security and economic prosperity.}} On May 1, 2019, Barr testified before the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/mueller-complained-that-barrs-letter-did-not-capture-context-of-trump-probe/2019/04/30/d3c8fdb6-6b7b-11e9-a66d-a82d3f3d96d5_story.html|title=Mueller complained that Barr's letter did not capture 'context' of Trump probe|date=April 30, 2019|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=May 16, 2020|archive-date=April 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430234349/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/mueller-complained-that-barrs-letter-did-not-capture-context-of-trump-probe/2019/04/30/d3c8fdb6-6b7b-11e9-a66d-a82d3f3d96d5_story.html |first1=Devlin |last1=Barrett |first2=Matt |last2=Zapotosky |url-status=live}}</ref> During the hearing, he remained defiant about the misrepresentations in the four-page summary he had released ahead of the full report.<ref>{{cite news|title=Barr defiant amid furor over his handling of Mueller report|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/politics/bill-barr-hearing-congress-senate/index.html|first=Laura|last=Jarrett|publisher=CNN|date=May 2, 2019|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=August 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809101319/https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/politics/bill-barr-hearing-congress-senate/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> When asked by Harris whether he had reviewed the underlying evidence before deciding not to charge Trump with obstruction of justice, Barr admitted that neither he, [[Rod Rosenstein]], nor anyone in his office had reviewed the evidence supporting the report before making the charging decision.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris Guts Barr Like a Fish, Leaves Him Flopping on the Deck|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/05/kamala-harris-william-barr|first=Bess|last=Levin|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date=May 1, 2019|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=June 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606101726/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/05/kamala-harris-william-barr|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris later called for Barr to resign, accusing him of refusing to answer her questions because he could open himself up to [[perjury]], and saying his responses disqualified him from serving as U.S. attorney general.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris accuses Barr of not answering her question to avoid exposure to perjury|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/02/politics/kamala-harris-bill-barr-hearing-cnntv/index.html|first=Veronica|last=Stracqualursi|publisher=CNN|date=May 2, 2019|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=July 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730135802/https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/02/politics/kamala-harris-bill-barr-hearing-cnntv/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/dems-grill-barr-amid-reports-mueller-s-frustration-n1000546|title=Barr defends himself amid calls for resignation, slights Mueller's 'snitty' letter|publisher=NBC News|date=May 1, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020|last=Shabad|first=Rebecca|archive-date=June 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624155406/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/dems-grill-barr-amid-reports-mueller-s-frustration-n1000546|url-status=live}}</ref> Two days later, Harris demanded again that the Department of Justice inspector general [[Michael E. Horowitz]] investigate whether Barr acceded to pressure from the White House to investigate Trump's political enemies.<ref>{{cite news|title=Harris urges DOJ watchdog to probe whether Trump asked Barr to investigate 'enemies'|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/03/kamala-harris-barr-trump-1301502|last=Levine|first=Marianne|work=[[Politico]]|date=May 3, 2019|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802213443/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/03/kamala-harris-barr-trump-1301502|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==== Mitrice Richardson case ==== |
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In February 2016, it was revealed that the Attorney General would open a criminal investigation into the [[Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department]]'s handling of the [[Mitrice Richardson]] case. The decision by Harris came about after her initial refusal to look into the case<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20160212/california-attorney-general-opens-criminal-investigation-into-sheriffs-department-over-mitrice-richardson-case|title=California attorney general opens criminal investigation into Sheriff's Department over Mitrice Richardson case|access-date=2016-12-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.laweekly.com/news/she-went-missing-from-a-sheriffs-station-now-the-state-wants-answers-6606452|title=She Went Missing From a Sheriff's Station. Now the State Wants Answers|last=Romero|first=Dennis|date=2016-02-16|newspaper=L.A. Weekly|access-date=2016-12-13}}</ref> resulted in public outcry and the Richardson's family and supporters submitting over 500 pages of evidence.<ref name=":1" /> Mitrice Richardson was a 24-year-old African American woman who was released from the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department in the middle of the night without any means of fending for herself. Her body was later found in an isolated canyon, leaving the family with many unanswered questions.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/the-california-attorney-generals-office-finally-agrees-to-look-into-the-mitrice-richardson-case/|title=The California Attorney General's Office Finally Agrees to Look Into the Mitrice Richardson Case – Los Angeles Magazine|date=2016-02-19|newspaper=Los Angeles Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2016-12-13}}</ref> On December 30, 2016, results of the criminal investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department handling of the Richardson case concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support criminal prosecution of anyone involved in the handling of the case.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20170131/mitrice-richardsons-family-speaks-out-as-state-says-deputies-shouldnt-be-prosecuted-in-her-death/|title=Mitrice Richardson's family speaks out as state says deputies shouldn’t be prosecuted in her death – The Daily News|date=2017-01-31|newspaper=The Daily News|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-31}}</ref> |
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[[File:Congressional Black Caucus women 2019.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Harris with [[Congressional Black Caucus]] women in 2019]] |
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==== Backpage cases ==== |
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On May 5, 2019, Harris said "voter suppression" prevented Democrats [[Stacey Abrams]] and [[Andrew Gillum]] from winning the 2018 gubernatorial elections in [[2018 Georgia gubernatorial election|Georgia]] and [[2018 Florida gubernatorial election|Florida]]; Abrams lost by 55,000 votes and Gillum by 32,000. According to election law expert [[Richard L. Hasen]], "I have seen no good evidence that the suppressive effects of strict voting and registration laws affected the outcome of the governor's races in Georgia and Florida."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sherman |first1=Amy |title=Kamala Harris says voter suppression kept Stacey Abrams, Andrew Gillum out of office. Really? |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2019/may/10/fact-checking-kamala-harris-claim-stacey-abrams-an/ |website=[[PolitiFact]] |access-date=September 20, 2021 |date=May 1, 2019 |archive-date=September 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921010122/https://www.politifact.com/article/2019/may/10/fact-checking-kamala-harris-claim-stacey-abrams-an/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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On October 6, 2016, Harris announced the arrest of [[Backpage]] CEO Carl Ferrer on felony charges of [[pimping]] a [[Minor (law)|minor]], pimping, and conspiracy to commit pimping. The arrest warrant alleged that 99% of Backpage's revenue was directly attributable to prostitution-related ads, many of which involved victims of sex trafficking, including children under the age of 18.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-announces-criminal-charges-against-senior|title=Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Announces Criminal Charges Against Senior Corporate Officers of Backpage.com for Profiting from Prostitution and Arrest of Carl Ferrer, CEO|date=2016-10-06|newspaper=State of California – Department of Justice – Kamala D. Harris Attorney General|access-date=2016-11-21}}</ref> |
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In July, Harris teamed with [[Kirsten Gillibrand]] to urge the [[Trump administration]] to investigate the [[persecution of Uyghurs in China]] by the [[Chinese Communist Party]]; in this question she was joined by Senator [[Marco Rubio]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 30, 2020|title=Calls for UN probe of China forced birth control on Uighurs|url=https://apnews.com/article/98f18c964e66a8682a8e257e97714fd9 |access-date=July 1, 2020|work=[[Associated Press]]|archive-date=December 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210173041/https://apnews.com/98f18c964e66a8682a8e257e97714fd9|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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On December 9, 2016, a superior court judge dismissed all charges in the complaint.<ref>{{cite court|litigants=California vs Ferrar, et al|court=Cal. Super|date=December 9, 2016|url=http://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3235130/16FE019224-Ferrer.pdf|quote=Congress has precluded liability for online publishers for the action of publishing third party speech and thus provided for both a foreclosure from prosecution and an affirmative defense at trial. Congress has spoken on this matter and it is for Congress, not this Court, to revisit.}}</ref> On December 23, 2016, Harris filed new charges against Ferrer and former Backpage owners Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin for pimping and money laundering.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://images.phoenixnewtimes.com/media/pdf/backpage_redacted.pdf| title = California v. Ferrer| date = 2016-12-23}}</ref> In January 2017, Backpage announced that it was removing its adult section from all of its sites in the United States due what it claimed were many years of harassment and extralegal tactics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/01/10/backpage-com-shuts-down-adult-services-ads-after-relentless-pressure-from-authorities/|title=Backpage.com shuts down adult services ads after relentless pressure from authorities| newspaper = [[Washington Post]] | access-date=2017-01-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170109/17502636445/backpage-kills-adult-ads-same-day-supreme-court-backed-legal-protections-due-to-grandstanding-senators.shtml|title=Backpage Kills Adult Ads On The Same Day Supreme Court Backed Its Legal Protections, Due To Grandstanding Senators|newspaper=Techdirt.|access-date=2017-01-11}}</ref> The investigations continued after Harris became a senator, and on April 6, 2018, Backpage and affiliated sites were seized in an enforcement action by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, [[United States Department of Justice]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://uk.businessinsider.com/ap-backpagecom-ceo-pleads-guilty-to-california-money-charges-2018-4|title=Backpage.com CEO pleads guilty to California money charges|work=Business Insider|access-date=2018-04-13}}</ref> and [[Internal Revenue Service]]. Ferrer subsequently pleaded guilty to charges of facilitating prostitution and money laundering.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Montgomery Advertiser]]|page=3B|title=Backpage CEO pleads guilty, could spend 5 years in prison|first1=Megan|last1=Cassidy|first2=Ricgard|last2=Ruelas|date=14 April 2018}}</ref> |
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In November, Harris called for an investigation into the death of Roxsana Hernández, a transgender woman and immigrant who died in [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|ICE]] custody.<ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-and-blumenthal-demand-special-counsel-to-investigate-failure-to-preserve-evidence-within-dhs-and-ice |date=November 1, 2019 |title=Harris and Blumenthal Demand Special Counsel to Investigate Failure to Preserve Evidence Within DHS and ICE |publisher=U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California |access-date=August 21, 2020 |archive-date=December 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218045811/https://www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-and-blumenthal-demand-special-counsel-to-investigate-failure-to-preserve-evidence-within-dhs-and-ice |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.glaad.org/blog/joe-biden-announces-kamala-harris-his-running-mate-here-where-she-stands-lgbtq-issues|title=Joe Biden announces Kamala Harris as his running mate. Here is where she stands on LGBTQ issues|last=Davis|first=Georgia|date=August 11, 2020|website=GLAAD|access-date=August 21, 2020|archive-date=January 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115120439/https://www.glaad.org/blog/joe-biden-announces-kamala-harris-his-running-mate-here-where-she-stands-lgbtq-issues|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==== Mobile-app user privacy ==== |
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In 2012, she sent a letter to 100 mobile-app developers, asking them to comply with California law with respect to [[privacy]] issues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-notifies-mobile-app-developers-non-compliance |title=Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Notifies Mobile App Developers of Non-Compliance with California Privacy Law |accessdate=October 31, 2012}}</ref> If any developer of an application that could be used by a Californian does not display a privacy policy statement when the application is installed, California law is broken, with a possible fine $2500 for every download. The law affects any developer anywhere in the world if the app is used by a Californian.<ref>{{cite news|author=Iain Thomson |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/10/31/california_privacy_crackdown_mobile/|title=California begins crackdown on mobile app developers|work=The Register |date=October 31, 2012}}</ref> |
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In December, Harris led a group of Democratic senators and civil rights organizations in demanding the removal of White House senior adviser [[Stephen Miller (political advisor)|Stephen Miller]] after emails published by the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] revealed frequent promotion of [[white nationalist]] literature to [[Breitbart News|Breitbart]] website editors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris Leads Senators in Demanding 'Immediate Removal' Of Stephen Miller|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/stephen-miller-kamala-harris-senators-letter-white-nationalist_n_5ded8571e4b00563b8534265|first=Christopher|last=Mathias|work=[[HuffPost]]|date=December 9, 2019|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802214720/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/stephen-miller-kamala-harris-senators-letter-white-nationalist_n_5ded8571e4b00563b8534265|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==== Supreme Court speculation ==== |
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At the [[2012 Democratic National Convention]] Harris gave a prime-time speech attacking [[Mitt Romney]].<ref name=NYTmag/> During the second Obama administration, Harris was mentioned as a possible nominee for a seat on the [[United States Supreme Court]] if a seat on that court became vacant.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/11/11/164916287/odds-in-favor-of-a-new-supreme-court-justice-in-obamas-second-term |title=What Happens To Supreme Court In Obama's Second Term?: The Two-Way |publisher=NPR |date=November 11, 2012 |accessdate=January 11, 2014}}</ref> In February 2016, ''[[The New York Times]]'' identified her as a potential US Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice [[Antonin Scalia]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/02/14/us/politics/potential-supreme-court-nominees.html Potential Supreme Court Nominees], ''The New York Times'', February 14, 2016.</ref> |
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==== |
==== 2020 ==== |
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[[File:Kamala Harris.jpg|thumb|right|Harris speaking at a U.S. Department of Justice event]] |
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In September 2014, when [[U.S. Attorney General]] [[Eric Holder]] announced his intention to step down, it was speculated that Harris might be a potential candidate as the next U.S. Attorney General.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/09/25/eric-holder-attorney-general-replacements/16203345/ | title=After Eric Holder: Potential attorney general choices | website=[[USA Today]] | date=September 25, 2014 | accessdate=September 25, 2014 | author=Camia, Catalina}}</ref> Days after Holder's resignation, Harris addressed the speculation in a statement declining any intent to take the office and asserting that she was staying in her position as [[Attorney General of California]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article2611980.html|title=California AG Kamala Harris says she's staying put|work=The Sacramento Bee|date=September 25, 2014|first=Christopher|last=Cadelago|accessdate= November 16, 2014}}</ref> Two months later, in November 2014, President [[Barack Obama]] nominated [[Loretta Lynch]] to succeed Holder.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/08/us/politics/loretta-lynch-eric-holder-attorney-general.html | title = Loretta Lynch, Federal Prosecutor, Will Be Nominated for Attorney General | work =The New York Times | date = November 7, 2014 | accessdate = November 16, 2014}}</ref> On November 10, Harris issued a statement regarding the nomination that approved of Obama's decision, praised Lynch, and reaffirmed her choice to remain working with the California Department of Justice.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.highlandnews.net/news/top_stories/article_feedbebc-68ee-11e4-a193-831caeadfb97.html|title=Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Issues Statement on President Obama's U.S. Attorney General Nomination|work=Highland Community News|date=November 10, 2014}}</ref> |
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[[File:Kamala_Harris_speaks_about_the_impeachment_of_Donald_Trump_2020-01-14.ogv|thumb|Harris speaks at [[First impeachment trial of Donald Trump|Donald Trump's first impeachment trial]] in 2020|upright=.85]] |
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== U.S. Senate == |
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[[File:Kamala Harris for Senate.svg|thumb|right|Harris's campaign logo during the United States Senate election in California, 2016]] |
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Before the opening of the [[First impeachment trial of Donald Trump|impeachment trial of Donald Trump]] on January 16, 2020, Harris delivered remarks on the floor of the Senate, stating her views on the integrity of the American justice system and the principle that nobody, including an incumbent president, is above the law. She later asked Senate Judiciary chairman [[Lindsey Graham]] to halt all judicial nominations during the impeachment trial, to which Graham acquiesced.<ref>{{cite news|title=Senate Judiciary Pauses Nominations for Impeachment Trial (1)|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/senate-judiciary-pauses-nominations-for-impeachment-trial|first=Madison|last=Adler|work=[[Bloomberg Law]]|date=January 15, 2020|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803014009/https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/senate-judiciary-pauses-nominations-for-impeachment-trial|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/kamala-harris-calls-for-halt-to-advancement-of-judicial-nominees-during-impeachment-proceedings|title=Sen. Kamala Harris calls for halt to advancement of judicial nominees; is it happening?|work=[[ABA Journal]]|date=January 16, 2020|access-date=July 4, 2020|last=Weiss|first=Debra Cassens|archive-date=July 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705080641/https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/kamala-harris-calls-for-halt-to-advancement-of-judicial-nominees-during-impeachment-proceedings|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris voted to convict Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.<ref>{{cite news|title=How senators voted on Trump's impeachment|url=https://www.politico.com/interactives/2019/trump-impeachment-vote-count-senate-results/|work=[[Politico]]|date=February 5, 2020|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=February 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205215232/https://www.politico.com/interactives/2019/trump-impeachment-vote-count-senate-results/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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=== 2016 election === |
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{{Main|United States Senate election in California, 2016}} |
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Harris worked on bipartisan bills with Republican co-sponsors, including a bail reform bill with [[Rand Paul]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rand-paul-kamala-harris-team-reform-bail-practices-n794031|title=Rand Paul and Kamala Harris Team Up to Reform Bail Practices|last=Hamilton|first=Dawchelle|date=September 10, 2017 |publisher=NBC News|access-date=April 27, 2019|archive-date=March 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323081855/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rand-paul-kamala-harris-team-reform-bail-practices-n794031|url-status=live}}</ref> an election security bill with [[James Lankford]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/22/election-security-bill-congress-437472|title=Lawmakers gather behind election security bill – at last|last=Matishak|first=Martin|website=Politico|date=March 22, 2018|access-date=April 27, 2019|archive-date=March 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326054720/https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/22/election-security-bill-congress-437472|url-status=live}}</ref> and a workplace harassment bill with [[Lisa Murkowski]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mollyhensleyclancy/kamala-harris-lisa-murkowski-sexual-harassment-nda-bill|title=Two Women Senators Will Introduce A New Bill About Workplace Harassment|last=Hensley-Clancy|first=Molly|website=BuzzFeedNews|date=June 5, 2018|access-date=April 27, 2019|archive-date=April 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421154604/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mollyhensleyclancy/kamala-harris-lisa-murkowski-sexual-harassment-nda-bill|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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After Democratic United States Senator [[Barbara Boxer]] announced her intention to retire from the [[United States Senate]] at the end of her term in 2016, after which she would have been California's [[Seniority in the United States Senate|junior senator]] for 24 years, Harris was the first candidate to declare her intention to run for Boxer's Senate seat. Media outlets reported that Harris would run for Senate on the same day that [[Gavin Newsom]], California's [[lieutenant governor of California|Lieutenant Governor]] and a close political ally of Harris, announced he would not seek to succeed Boxer.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/12/politics/kamala-harris-california-senate/|agency=CNN|title=Kamala Harris to announce U.S. Senate bid Tuesday|date=January 12, 2015|accessdate=January 12, 2015}}</ref> Harris officially announced the launch of her campaign on January 13, 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-harris-launches-us-senate-bid-begins-raising-money-20150113-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Kamala Harris launches U.S. Senate bid, begins raising money|first=Seema|last=Mehta|date=January 13, 2015|accessdate=January 13, 2015}}</ref> |
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==== 2021 ==== |
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After holding a flurry of fundraisers in both California and Washington, D.C., Harris was reported to have raised $2.5 million for her campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article17548019.html|title=Kamala Harris raises $2.5 million for U.S. Senate run|date=April 6, 2015|work=The Sacramento Bee|first=Christopher|last=Cadelago}}</ref> In December, the ''[[National Journal]]'' released a story describing Harris's use of funds on hotels, the laying off of campaign staff and the inordinate totals, which had contributed to her money on hand being closer to that of another candidate, [[Loretta Sanchez]], who had $1.6 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/harris-696063-sanchez-travel.html|title=California Attorney General Kamala Harris scrutinized for luxury travel, expenses|date=December 14, 2015|work=[[The Orange County Register]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/s/125536/posh-hotels-pricey-airfare-meet-senate-candidate-driving-some-democrats-crazy|title=Posh Hotels And Pricey Airfare: Meet the Senate Candidate Driving Democrats Crazy|date=December 6, 2015|work=National Journal}}</ref> |
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Following her election as Vice President of the United States, Harris resigned from her seat on January 18, 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title=Thank you, California. |url=https://medium.com/@SenKamalaHarris/thank-you-california-d89ff421a0a4 |last=Harris |first=Kamala |work=Medium.com |date=January 18, 2021 |access-date=December 22, 2020 |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118153454/https://medium.com/@SenKamalaHarris/thank-you-california-d89ff421a0a4 |url-status=live }}</ref> before taking office on January 20, and was replaced by [[California Secretary of State]] [[Alex Padilla]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Newsom taps California election chief Padilla for US Senate |url=https://apnews.com/article/senate-elections-elections-california-alex-padilla-gavin-newsom-862028e7aef12cb995db549b7707cf7b |last=Ronayne |first=Kathleen |work=Associated Press |date=December 22, 2020 |access-date=December 22, 2020 |archive-date=December 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222181046/https://apnews.com/article/senate-elections-elections-california-alex-padilla-gavin-newsom-862028e7aef12cb995db549b7707cf7b |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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=== Committee assignments === |
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Harris was a frontrunner from the beginning of her campaign. In January 2015, weeks after Harris announced her campaign, a survey by [[Public Policy Polling]] showed Harris leading by 41% to former Los Angeles Mayor [[Antonio Villaraigosa]]'s 16%, who was seen as a potential candidate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/poll-kamala-harris-barbara-boxer-seat-114533|title=Internal poll puts Harris well ahead in California Senate race|date=January 23, 2015|work=[[POLITICO]]}}</ref> In May, a Field Poll was released, showing that although 58% of likely voters did not have a favored candidate, Harris was most preferred out of the field, with 19%.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_28152997/field-poll-kamala-harris-leads-senate-contenders-except|title=Poll: Kamala Harris leads California Senate contenders, except for 'undecided'|first=Josh|last=Richman|work=San Jose Mercury News}}</ref> October saw the release of a Field Poll with Harris at 30%, fellow Democratic candidate Loretta Sanchez in second place at 17%, the former having increased her support by 11% since the Field Poll in May despite being noted by ''The Sacramento Bee'' as not being active in campaigning since appearing at the [[California Democratic Party]]'s convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article38246127.html|title=Kamala Harris leads U.S. Senate race, followed by Sanchez, poll shows|date=October 8, 2015|work=[[The Sacramento Bee]]}}</ref> |
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While in the Senate, Harris was a member of the following committees:<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-201612-htmlstory.html|first=John|last=Myers|date=December 19, 2016|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 22, 2020|title=Kamala Harris nabs national security, environment assignments in the U.S. Senate|archive-date=May 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514012749/https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-201612-htmlstory.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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* [[United States Senate Committee on the Budget|Committee on the Budget]] |
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* [[United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs|Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs]] |
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** [[United States Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management|Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management]] |
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** [[United States Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management|Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management]] |
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* [[United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence|Select Committee on Intelligence]] |
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* [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Committee on the Judiciary]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-announces-updated-senate-democratic-committee-memberships-for-the-115th-congress-2nd-session|title=Schumer Announces Updated Senate Democratic Committee Memberships for the 115th Congress, 2nd Session|website=democrats.senate.gov|date=January 9, 2018 |access-date=January 10, 2018|archive-date=January 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174605/https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-announces-updated-senate-democratic-committee-memberships-for-the-115th-congress-2nd-session|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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** [[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution|Subcommittee on the Constitution]] |
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** [[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts|Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts]] |
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** [[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law|Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law]] |
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=== Caucus memberships === |
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In late February 2016, the California Democratic Party voted at its state convention to endorse Harris, who received 78% of the vote, 18% more than the 60% needed to secure the endorsement.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article62985987.html|title=Kamala Harris receives California Democratic Party endorsement|date=February 27, 2016|work=The Sacramento Bee}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{cite news|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_29572143/kamala-harris-wins-state-democratic-partys-endorsement|title=Kamala Harris wins state Democratic Party's endorsement|first=Matthew|last=Artz|work=[[The Mercury News]]|date=February 27, 2016}}</ref> The party endorsement did not secure any candidate a place in the general election, as all candidates would participate in one primary election in June, after which the top 2 candidates from any party would advance to the general election.<ref name=":5" /> Harris participated in debates with the other major candidates for the seat, her front-runner status causing her to be at the center of discussion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/In-senate-debate-Kamala-Harris-on-the-hot-seat-7459059.php|title=In Senate debate, Kamala Harris on the hot seat|date=May 11, 2016|first=John|last=Wildermuth|work=SF Gate}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-san-diego-senate-debate-20160510-snap-story.html|title=Kamala Harris is focus of California's final U.S. Senate debate before primary|date=May 10, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Governor Jerry Brown endorsed Harris on May 23.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-jerry-brown-kamala-harris-endorsement-htmlstory.html|title=California Gov. Jerry Brown backs Kamala Harris for U.S. Senate|date=May 23, 2016|first=Phil|last=Willon}}</ref> Harris came in first place on primary day, June 7, with 40% of the votes, entering a runoff with fellow Democratic candidate Loretta Sanchez.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-senate-primary-election-20160607-snap-story.html|title=Kamala Harris wins U.S. Senate primary|date=June 7, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> On July 19, President Barack Obama and Vice President [[Joe Biden]] endorsed Harris.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Willon|first1=Phil|title=Obama, Biden endorse Kamala Harris for U.S. Senate|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-obama-biden-endorse-kamala-harris-for-1468889660-htmlstory.html|website=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=July 19, 2016|date=July 19, 2016}}</ref> |
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* [[Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://capac-chu.house.gov/members|publisher=Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus|access-date=May 17, 2018|archive-date=May 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514183102/https://capac-chu.house.gov/members|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In the June 2016 primary election, with results detailed at the county level, Harris won 48 of 58 counties. Harris won seven counties with more than 50% of the vote: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma. The highest percentage was San Francisco, with 70.4% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2016-primary/75-us-senate-formatted.pdf|title=United States Senator (primary results)|publisher=[[California Secretary of State]]|date=July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/prior-elections/statewide-election-results/presidential-primary-election-june-7-2016/statement-vote/|author=[[Alex Padilla]]|publisher=California Secretary of State|title=Presidential Primary Election - Statement of Vote, June 7, 2016|date=July 2016}}</ref> She faced Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, also a Democrat, in the general election. This assured that the seat would stay in Democratic hands; it was the first time a Republican did not appear in a general election for the Senate since California began directly electing senators in 1914.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-senate-primary-election-20160607-snap-story.html|title=Two Democrats will face off for California's U.S. Senate seat, marking first time a Republican will not be in contention|last=Myers|first=John|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=2016-06-08}}</ref> |
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* [[Congressional Black Caucus]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Membership|url=https://cbc.house.gov/membership/|publisher=Congressional Black Caucus|access-date=March 7, 2018|archive-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427095736/https://cbc.house.gov/membership/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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* [[Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues]] |
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== 2020 presidential election == |
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In the [[United States Senate elections, 2016|November 2016 election]], Harris defeated Sanchez with 62 percent of the vote, carrying all but four counties.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://graphics.latimes.com/la-na-pol-2016-election-results-california/|title=Live California election results|newspaper=graphics.latimes.com|access-date=2016-11-09}}</ref> Following her victory, Harris promised to protect immigrants from the policies of President-elect [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-senate-kamala-harris-trump-20161110-story.html|title=Newly elected Kamala Harris vows to defy Trump on immigration|date=November 10, 2016|first=Phil|last=Willon|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> |
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=== Presidential campaign === |
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{{Main|Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign}} |
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[[File:Kamala Harris announcing her candidacy for presidency.png|thumb|left|Harris announces her run for the [[2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2020 Democratic nomination for president]]]] |
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Harris had been considered a top contender and potential front-runner for the [[2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2020 Democratic nomination for president]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Beckett|first=Lois|title=Kamala Harris: young, black, female – and the Democrats' best bet for 2020?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/22/kamala-harris-democratic-candidate-for-2020|website=The Guardian|access-date=July 10, 2018|date=July 22, 2017|archive-date=September 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921011145/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/22/kamala-harris-democratic-candidate-for-2020|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2018, she said she was "not ruling it out".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/sen-kamala-harris-not-ruling-out-2020-white-house-run-n886166|title=Sen. Kamala Harris not ruling out 2020 White House run|publisher=NBC News|date=June 24, 2018|access-date=July 4, 2020|last=Hunt|first=Kasie|archive-date=August 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200831171024/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/sen-kamala-harris-not-ruling-out-2020-white-house-run-n886166|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2018, it was announced that she would publish a memoir, a sign of a possible run.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/17/politics/kamala-harris-book-deal/index.html|title=Kamala Harris signs book deal amid 2020 speculation|first=Eric|last=Bradner|date=July 17, 2018 |access-date=October 12, 2018|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008150735/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/17/politics/kamala-harris-book-deal/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On January 21, 2019, Harris officially announced her [[Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign|candidacy]] for president of the United States in the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/21/politics/kamala-harris-president-2020/index.html|title=Kamala Harris to run for president in 2020|last=Reston|first=Maeve|date=January 21, 2019|publisher=CNN|access-date=January 21, 2019|archive-date=January 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121145202/https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/21/politics/kamala-harris-president-2020/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the first 24{{nbsp}}hours after her announcement, she tied a record set by [[Bernie Sanders]] in 2016 for the most donations raised in the day after an announcement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kamala Harris raises $1.5 million in first 24 hours |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/22/kamala-harris-15-million-first-day-1119125 |access-date=May 3, 2022 |website=Politico |date=January 22, 2019 |archive-date=February 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219221514/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/22/kamala-harris-15-million-first-day-1119125 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=David Wright |title=Kamala Harris touts $1.5 million haul in 24 hours after 2020 announcement |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/22/politics/kamala-harris-fundraising-announcement/index.html |access-date=May 3, 2022 |website=CNN |date=January 22, 2019 |archive-date=January 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123090522/https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/22/politics/kamala-harris-fundraising-announcement/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> More than 20,000 people attended her campaign launch event in her hometown of Oakland, California, on January 27, according to a police estimate.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris kicks off 2020 campaign with hometown Oakland rally|work=[[The Guardian]]|last=Beckett|first=Lois|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/27/kamala-harris-2020-campaign-oakland-rally-democrats|date=January 27, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2019|archive-date=October 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005092739/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/27/kamala-harris-2020-campaign-oakland-rally-democrats|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Following her election to the United States Senate, Harris announced her intention to remain California's Attorney General through the end of 2016 and resign shortly before being sworn in as Senator on January 3, 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-kamala-harris-plans-to-keep-her-day-job-1478832067-htmlstory.html|title=Essential Politics November archives|last=Willon|first=Phil|date=December 1, 2016|work=|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|access-date=December 20, 2016|via=}}</ref> Governor Jerry Brown announced his intention to nominate Congressman [[Xavier Becerra]] as her successor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://abc7.com/politics/brown-taps-becerra-as-next-state-attorney-general/1634370/|title=Brown taps Becerra as next state attorney general|last=|first=|date=December 1, 2016|work=|newspaper=[[ABC7 Los Angeles]]|language=en-US|access-date=December 20, 2016|via=}}</ref> |
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During the first Democratic [[2020 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums|presidential debate]] in June 2019, Harris scolded former vice president Joe Biden for "hurtful" remarks he made, speaking fondly of senators who opposed integration efforts in the 1970s and working with them to oppose mandatory school bussing.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Flegenheimer|first1=Matt|last2=Burns|first2=Alexander|title=Kamala Harris Makes the Case That Joe Biden Should Pass That Torch to Her|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/us/politics/kamala-harris-busing-joe-biden.html|website=The New York Times|date=June 27, 2019|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008112030/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/us/politics/kamala-harris-busing-joe-biden.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris's support rose by between six and nine points in polls after that debate.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/2020-democratic-candidates-poll/index.html|title=CNN Poll: Harris and Warren rise and Biden slides after first Democratic debates|date=July 1, 2019|publisher=CNN|last=Agiesta|first=Jennifer|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=October 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010211931/https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/2020-democratic-candidates-poll/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the second debate in August, Biden and Representative [[Tulsi Gabbard]] confronted Harris over her record as attorney general.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tulsi-gabbard-kamala-harris-criminal-justice-record_n_5d424340e4b0aca3411841fb|title=Tulsi Gabbard Takes Kamala Harris To Task On Marijuana Prosecution Record|first=Alanna|last=Vagianos|date=July 31, 2019|website=HuffPost|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008025402/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tulsi-gabbard-kamala-harris-criminal-justice-record_n_5d424340e4b0aca3411841fb|url-status=live}}</ref> The ''[[San Jose Mercury News]]'' assessed that some of Gabbard's and Biden's accusations were on point, such as blocking the DNA testing of a death row inmate, while others did not withstand scrutiny. In the immediate aftermath of the debate, Harris fell in the polls.<ref>{{cite web|first=Casey|last=Tolan|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/08/01/democratic-debate-kamala-harris-tulsi-gabbard-joe-biden-fact-check/|title=Democratic debate: Fact-checking the attacks on Kamala Harris' criminal justice record|date=August 1, 2019|website=[[San Jose Mercury News]]|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=October 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005162846/https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/08/01/democratic-debate-kamala-harris-tulsi-gabbard-joe-biden-fact-check/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/polls-since-the-second-debate-show-kamala-harris-slipping/|title=Polls Since The Second Debate Show Kamala Harris Slipping|last=Silver|first=Nate|date=August 7, 2019|website=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|access-date=August 25, 2019|archive-date=October 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010055757/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/polls-since-the-second-debate-show-kamala-harris-slipping/|url-status=live}}</ref> Over the next few months her poll numbers fell to the low single digits.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Jonathan |last2=Herndon |first2=Alstead W. |last3=Burns |first3=Alexander |date=November 19, 2019 |title=How Kamala Harris's Campaign Unraveled |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/29/us/politics/kamala-harris-2020.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |work=The New York Times |location=Washington, DC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627192502/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/29/us/politics/kamala-harris-2020.html |archive-date=June 27, 2022 |access-date=June 27, 2022 |quote= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-happened-to-the-kamala-harris-campaign/|title=What Happened to the Kamala Harris Campaign?|last=Bacon Jr.|first=Perry|date=October 8, 2019|work=FiveThirtyEight|access-date=December 3, 2019|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008221659/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-happened-to-the-kamala-harris-campaign/|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris faced criticism from reformers for tough-on-crime policies she pursued while she was California's attorney general.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Luc |date=July 24, 2024 |title=As a prosecutor, Harris mixed criminal justice reform with tough-on-crime approach |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/prosecutor-harris-mixed-criminal-justice-reform-with-tough-on-crime-approach-2024-07-23/ |website=[[Reuters]] |access-date=August 21, 2024 }}</ref> In 2014, she defended California's death penalty in court.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dolan|first1=Maura|title=California AG Kamala Harris to appeal ruling against death penalty|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-death-penalty-appeal-20140821-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|date=August 21, 2014|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=October 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014113322/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-death-penalty-appeal-20140821-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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=== Tenure === |
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On January 21, 2017, a day after President Trump was sworn into office, Harris called the message of Trump's inaugural address "dark" when speaking during the [[Women's March on Washington]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-pol-womens-march-live-kamala-harris-the-women-s-march-is-1485027028-htmlstory.html|title=Kamala Harris: The women's march is 'absolutely personal to me'|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 21, 2017}}<br>{{cite news|url=http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article127961844.html|title=With Dems thinking 2020, Kamala Harris takes DC spotlight|first=Sean|last=Cockerham|date=January 21, 2017|publisher=The Sacramento Bee}}</ref> On January 28, following Trump signing the [[Executive Order 13769|Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States]] [[executive order]], which saw citizens from several countries with Muslim majorities barred from entering the US for 90 days, Harris was one of many to describe it as a "Muslim ban".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/316644-kamala-harris-make-no-mistake-this-is-a-muslim-ban|title=Kamala Harris: 'Make no mistake — this is a Muslim ban'|date=January 27, 2017|first=Brooke|last=Seipel}}</ref><ref name="Muslim ban">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41382585 US expands travel ban to include N Korea], [[BBC]].</ref> Harris called the [[White House Chief of Staff]] at the time, [[John F. Kelly|John Kelly]], to gather information and push back against the contentious executive order.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ting |first1=Eric |title=Kamala Harris says John Kelly got mad when she called him at home during the travel ban |url=https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Kamala-Harris-2020-John-Kelly-travel-ban-book-13518859.php |work=SFGate |date=January 8, 2019}}</ref> |
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Before and during her presidential campaign, an online informal organization using the hashtag #[[KHive]] formed to support Harris's candidacy and defend her from racist and sexist attacks.<ref>{{cite news|last=Zakrzewski|first=Cat|date=August 13, 2020|title=Kamala Harris is already facing online attacks in her bid for the vice presidency|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/13/technology-202-kamala-harris-is-already-facing-online-attacks-bid-vice-presidency/|access-date=August 15, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=October 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005223031/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/13/technology-202-kamala-harris-is-already-facing-online-attacks-bid-vice-presidency/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Zhou|first=Li|date=July 25, 2019|title=The #KHive, Kamala Harris's most devoted online supporters, explained|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/7/25/20697783/khive-twitter-kamala-harris-2020-candidate-doug-hive|access-date=August 15, 2020|website=Vox|archive-date=October 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014030747/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/7/25/20697783/khive-twitter-kamala-harris-2020-candidate-doug-hive|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bixby|first=Scott|date=August 12, 2020|title=Kamala Harris Built a 'Digital Army' – Now She Gets to Use It|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamala-harris-built-a-digital-army-now-she-gets-to-use-it|access-date=August 15, 2020|website=The Daily Beast|archive-date=October 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009152431/https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamala-harris-built-a-digital-army-now-she-gets-to-use-it|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the ''[[The Daily Dot|Daily Dot]]'', [[Joy Reid]] first used the term in an August 2017 tweet saying "@Dr[[Jason Johnson (professor)|JasonJohnson]] @[[Zerlina Maxwell|ZerlinaMaxwell]] and I had a meeting and decided it's called the K-Hive."<ref>{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Alex|date=August 12, 2020|title=What Is the K-Hive, Kamala Harris' Online Twitter Support?|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/k-hive-kamala-harris-twitter-2020/|access-date=August 16, 2020|website=The Daily Dot|archive-date=October 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005113927/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/k-hive-kamala-harris-twitter-2020/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In early February, Harris spoke in opposition to Trump's cabinet picks [[Betsy DeVos]], for [[Secretary of Education]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-kamala-harris-spoke-against-education-1486431621-htmlstory.html|title=Sen. Kamala Harris speaks out against Betsy DeVos as part of Democrats' 24-hour blitz on Senate floor|date=February 6, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> and [[Jeff Sessions]], for [[United States Attorney General]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newsone.com/3661775/sen-kamala-harris-will-argue-against-confirming-sessions/|title=Sen. Kamala Harris: ‘You Deserve An Attorney General Who Recognizes The Full Human Quality Of All People’|date=February 8, 2017|publisher=newsone.com}}</ref> Later that month, in her first speech on the senate floor, Harris spent 12 minutes critiquing Trump's immigration policies.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Taking-on-Trump-puts-Kamala-Harris-in-spotlight-10942291.php|title=Taking on Trump puts Kamala Harris in spotlight|date=February 19, 2017|work=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref> In early March, Harris called on Attorney General Sessions to resign, after it was reported that Sessions spoke twice with [[Russian Ambassador to the United States]] [[Sergey Kislyak]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article135980818.html|title=Kamala Harris calls on attorney general to resign over contacts with the Russians|date=March 2, 2017|publisher=Sacramento Bee|first=Sean|last=Cockerham}}</ref> On March 14, Harris claimed repealing the [[Affordable Care Act]] would send the message of health care's being a "privilege" rather than a "civil right".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/14/sen-kamala-harris-aca-repeal-involves-moral-values/99186170/|title=Sen. Kamala Harris: ACA repeal involves 'moral values'|first=Bartholomew D.|last=Sullivan|work=USA Today|date=March 14, 2017}}</ref> |
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On December 3, 2019, Harris withdrew from the 2020 presidential election, citing a shortage of funds.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Harris|first1=Kamala|title=I am suspending my campaign today|url=https://medium.com/@KamalaHarris/i-am-suspending-my-campaign-today-6dca8cefb252|website=Medium|date=December 3, 2019 |access-date=December 4, 2019|archive-date=October 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010184446/https://medium.com/@KamalaHarris/i-am-suspending-my-campaign-today-6dca8cefb252|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2020, she endorsed [[Joe Biden]] for president.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wootson|first1=Cleve R. Jr. |date=March 8, 2020 |title=Sen. Kamala D. Harris endorses Joe Biden for president|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/08/2182dfca-6137-11ea-b3fc-7841686c5c57_story.html|access-date=March 9, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008143020/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/08/2182dfca-6137-11ea-b3fc-7841686c5c57_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In a May 2017 interview, Harris criticized Republican representative [[Raul Labrador]] for saying that no one dies due to lack of access to health care.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kamala-harris-health-care-bill_us_59112f30e4b0d5d9049f6705|title=Sen. Kamala Harris Slams GOP Rep's Health Care Claim: 'What The F**k Is That?'|first=Ed|last=Mazza|date=May 9, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=October 12, 2018|via=Huff Post}}</ref> |
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=== Vice presidential campaign === |
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On June 7, 2017, Harris garnered media attention for her questioning of [[Rod Rosenstein]], the [[United States Deputy Attorney General|Deputy Attorney General]], over the role he played in the [[Dismissal of James Comey|May 2017 firing]] of [[James Comey]], the [[Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Jalonick |first=Mary Clare |agency=Associated Press |date=June 7, 2017 |title=Harris Reminded to Be Respectful During Intel Hearing |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-06-07/gop-senator-admonishes-democrat-for-persistent-questioning |work=U.S. News & World Report |location=Washington, D.C. |ref={{sfnRef|Harris Reminded to Be Respectful During Intel Hearing}}}}</ref> The prosecutorial nature of her questioning caused Senator [[John McCain]], an ''[[ex officio]]'' member of the Intelligence Committee, and Senator [[Richard Burr]], the committee chairman, to interrupt Harris and request that she be more respectful of the witness;{{sfn|Harris Reminded to Be Respectful During Intel Hearing}} other Democrats on the committee pointed out that they had asked similarly tough questions, but had not been interrupted.{{sfn|Harris Reminded to Be Respectful During Intel Hearing}} On June 13, Harris questioned [[Jeff Sessions]], the [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]], on the same topic;<ref>{{cite news |last=Finnegan |first=Michael |date=June 14, 2017 |title=Sen. Kamala Harris leaves Sessions 'nervous' in interrogation over his refusal to disclose conversations with Trump |url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-sen-kamala-harris-and-sessions-face-1497387259-htmlstory.html |work=Los Angeles Times |ref={{sfnRef|"Sen. Kamala Harris leaves Sessions 'nervous'"}}}}</ref> Harris was again interrupted by McCain and Burr.{{sfn|"Sen. Kamala Harris leaves Sessions 'nervous'"}} Sessions stated that Harris's mode of questioning "makes me nervous";{{sfn|"Sen. Kamala Harris leaves Sessions 'nervous'"}} other Democratic members of the committee again pointed out that Harris was the only senator whose questioning was interrupted with an admonishment from the chairman.{{sfn|"Sen. Kamala Harris leaves Sessions 'nervous'"}} Burr's singling out of Harris sparked suggestion in the news media that his behavior was sexist, with commentators arguing that Burr would not treat a male Senate colleague in a similar manner.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ansari |first=M. K. |date=June 8, 2017 |title=The Silencing Of Kamala Harris During The Senate Hearing Was Sexist: Why do people take issue when a woman asks direct questions? |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sen-kamala-harris-shushed-women-politicians-are_us_593983bce4b094fa859f1668 |work=Huffington Post |location=New York}}</ref> The website ''True Pundit'' suggested that treating Harris differently than other members of the Intelligence Committee is evidence of racism.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 14, 2017 |title=CNN Analyst Implies Racism Led Republicans To Silence Kamala Harris |url=http://truepundit.com/cnn-analyst-implies-racism-led-republicans-to-silence-kamala-harris/ |work=True Pundit |location=Philadelphia}}</ref> In addition, when CNN pundit Jason Miller described Harris as "hysterical", [[Kirsten Powers]], who was taking part in the same on-air segment, told Miller that his use of the term to describe Harris was sexist, and that he would not describe male senators in the same manner.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baragona |first=Justin |date=June 14, 2017 |title=CNN's Kirsten Powers Confronts Jason Miller For Calling Kamala Harris ‘Hysterical’ |url=http://www.mediaite.com/online/cnns-kirsten-powers-confronts-jason-miller-for-calling-kamala-harris-hysterical/ |work=Mediaite.com |location=New York}}</ref> |
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{{Main|Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign|2020 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection}} |
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[[File:Kamala_hero-1560x936.jpg|thumb|Harris announces her [[2020 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection|candidacy for vice president]], 2020 ]] |
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In May 2019, senior members of the [[Congressional Black Caucus]] endorsed the idea of a Biden–Harris ticket.<ref>{{cite news|title='A dream ticket': Black lawmakers pitch Biden-Harris to beat Trump|work=[[Politico]]|last=Caygle|first=Heather|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/12/joe-biden-kamala-harris-dream-ticket-1317561|date=May 12, 2019|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008213806/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/12/joe-biden-kamala-harris-dream-ticket-1317561|url-status=live}}</ref> In late February 2020, Biden won a landslide victory in the [[2020 South Carolina Democratic primary]] with the endorsement of House whip [[Jim Clyburn]], with more victories on [[Super Tuesday]]. In early March, Clyburn suggested Biden choose a black woman as a running mate, saying, "African American women needed to be rewarded for their loyalty".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/clyburn-calls-democrats-shut-primary-down-if-biden-has-big-n1155131|title=Clyburn calls for Democrats to 'shut this primary down' if Biden has big night|publisher=NBC News|date=March 10, 2020|access-date=July 4, 2020|last1=Timm|first1=Jane C.|last2=Gregorian|first2=Dareh|archive-date=July 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730170328/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/clyburn-calls-democrats-shut-primary-down-if-biden-has-big-n1155131|url-status=live}}</ref> In March, Biden committed to choosing a woman for his running mate.<ref>{{cite news|title=Joe Biden commits to picking a woman as his running mate|work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]|url=https://www.axios.com/2020/03/16/joe-biden-woman-running-mate|date=March 16, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008164423/https://www.axios.com/joe-biden-woman-running-mate-6add0a5b-2600-43b0-8e83-b38d74042881.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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On April 17, 2020, Harris responded to media speculation and said she "would be honored" to be Biden's running mate.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris 'would be honored' to be Joe Biden's running mate|first1=Joe|last1=Garofoli|first2=Tal|last2=Kopan|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Kamala-Harris-would-be-honored-to-be-Joe-15209050.php|date=April 17, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008010206/https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Kamala-Harris-would-be-honored-to-be-Joe-15209050.php|url-status=live}}</ref> In late May, in relation to the [[murder of George Floyd]] and [[George Floyd protests|ensuing protests and demonstrations]], Biden faced renewed calls to select a black woman as his running mate, highlighting the law enforcement credentials of Harris and [[Val Demings]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Minneapolis unrest shakes up VP shortlist|first1=Marc|last1=Caputo|first2=Natasha|last2=Korecki|work=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/31/joe-biden-vice-president-george-floyd-291063|date=May 31, 2020|access-date=May 31, 2020|archive-date=October 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005105118/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/31/joe-biden-vice-president-george-floyd-291063|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In a January 2018 hearing, Harris questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen for favoring Norwegian immigrants over others and claiming to be unaware that Norway is a predominantly white country.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Victoria |title=Kamala Harris Calls Bullsh*t on Homeland Security Secretary for Supporting Trump's Alleged 'Sh*thole' Remarks |url=https://www.complex.com/life/2018/01/kamala-harris-homeland-security-secretary-kirstjen-nielsen-trump-shithole |accessdate=November 9, 2018 |work=Complex |date=January 16, 2018}}</ref> |
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On June 12, ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that Harris was emerging as the front-runner to be Biden's running mate, as she was the only African American woman with the political experience typical of vice presidents.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kamala Harris, Front-runner (Again)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/briefing/kamala-harris-mark-milley-trump-rally-your-friday-briefing.html/|last=Leonhardt|first=David|work=The New York Times|date=June 12, 2020|access-date=June 12, 2020|archive-date=October 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012054011/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/briefing/kamala-harris-mark-milley-trump-rally-your-friday-briefing.html/|url-status=live}}</ref> On June 26, [[CNN]] reported that more than a dozen people close to the Biden search process considered Harris one of Biden's top four contenders, along with [[Elizabeth Warren]], [[Val Demings]], and [[Keisha Lance Bottoms]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Zeleny|first1=Jeff|last2=Merica|first2=Dan|last3=Lee|first3=MJ|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/26/politics/joe-biden-running-mate/index.html|title=Nation's reckoning on race looms large over final month of Biden's running mate search|work=[[CNN]]|date=June 26, 2020|access-date=June 27, 2020|archive-date=October 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009131646/https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/26/politics/joe-biden-running-mate/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In an April 2018 hearing, Harris questioned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for [[Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal|Facebook's misuse of users' data]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coldewey |first1=Devin |title=Sen. Harris puts Zuckerberg between a rock and a hard place for not disclosing data misuse |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/10/sen-harris-puts-zuckerberg-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place-for-not-disclosing-data-misuse/ |accessdate=November 9, 2018 |work=Techcrunch |date=April 10, 2018}}</ref> |
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On August 11, 2020, Biden announced he had chosen Harris.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dickinson |first=Tim |title=Kamala Harris, Gen X's Moment, and the Fall of House Boomer |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=August 12, 2020 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/kamala-harris-joe-biden-boomers-genx-millenials-1042881/ |access-date=July 23, 2024 |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725000721/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/kamala-harris-joe-biden-boomers-genx-millenials-1042881/ |url-status=live }}</ref> She was the first African American, the first [[Indian Americans|Indian American]], and the third woman after [[Geraldine Ferraro]] and [[Sarah Palin]] to be the vice-presidential nominee on a major-party ticket.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53739323|title=Biden VP pick: Kamala Harris chosen as running mate|website=BBC News|date=August 11, 2020|access-date=August 11, 2020|archive-date=October 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010223842/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53739323|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris is also the first resident of the Western United States to appear on the Democratic Party's national ticket.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ostermeier |first1=Eric |title=Will a Westerner Finally Land on a Democratic Presidential Ticket in 2020? |url=https://smartpolitics.lib.umn.edu/2019/01/23/will-a-westerner-finally-land-on-a-democratic-presidential-ticket-in-2020/ |website=Smart Politics |access-date=November 27, 2022 |date=January 23, 2019 |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725005035/https://smartpolitics.lib.umn.edu/2019/01/23/will-a-westerner-finally-land-on-a-democratic-presidential-ticket-in-2020/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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In response to the administration's [[Trump administration family separation policy|family separation policy]], Harris visited one of the detention facilities near the border in June, 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sloss |first1=Jason |title=‘Utter despair’: Sen. Harris visits migrant mothers separated from children in San Diego |url=https://fox5sandiego.com/2018/06/22/sen-kamala-harris-to-visit-migrant-mothers-separated-from-children-in-san-diego/ |accessdate=November 9, 2018 |work=Fox 5 San Diego |date=June 22, 2018}}</ref> |
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Harris became the [[Vice President-elect of the United States|vice president–elect]] after Biden won the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Blood|first1=Michael R.|last2=Riccardi|first2=Nicholas|date=December 5, 2020|title=Biden officially secures enough electors to become president|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-electoral-college-3e0b852c3cfadf853b08aecbfc3569fa|access-date=December 22, 2020|work=[[Associated Press|AP News]]|archive-date=December 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208201209/https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-electoral-college-3e0b852c3cfadf853b08aecbfc3569fa|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In the September and October 2018 [[Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination|Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings]], Harris participated in questioning the FBI Director's limited scope of the investigation on Kavanaugh.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ring |first1=Trudy |title=FBI Head Stonewalls as Kamala Harris Grills Him on Kavanaugh Probe |url=https://www.advocate.com/politics/2018/10/10/fbi-head-stonewalls-kamala-harris-grills-him-kavanaugh-probe |accessdate=November 9, 2018 |work=Advocate |date=October 10, 2018}}</ref> |
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== Vice presidency (2021–present) == |
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Harris was one of the targets of the [[October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Sam |last2=McGough |first2=Mike |last3=Yoon-Hendricks |first3=Alex |title=Suspicious package in Sacramento addressed to Sen. Kamala Harris, sources say |url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article220670830.html |accessdate=November 9, 2018 |work=The Sacramento Bee |date=October 26, 2018}}</ref> |
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{{See also|Inauguration of Joe Biden|Presidency of Joe Biden}} |
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[[File:V20210625LJ-0050_(51362307014).jpg|thumb|Harris disembarks [[Marine Two]] at [[Joint Base Andrews]], 2021]] |
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Harris was sworn in as vice president on 11:40 a.m. on January 20, 2021, by Justice [[Sonia Sotomayor]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/07/politics/kamala-harris-first-vice-president-female-black-south-asian/index.html|title=Harris bursts through another barrier, becoming the first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president-elect|first1=Brandon|last1=Tensley|last2=Wright|first2=Jasmine|publisher=CNN|date=November 7, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107194833/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/07/politics/kamala-harris-first-vice-president-female-black-south-asian/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> She is the United States' first woman vice president, first African-American vice president, and first Asian-American vice president.<ref name=VPHistory>{{Cite web |title=Kamala Harris: The Vice President |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/vice-president-harris/ |access-date=July 24, 2024 |work=The White House |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120170519/https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/vice-president-harris/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=harris-senate-presiden>{{Cite web |title=United States in the Senate: California Timeline |url=https://www.senate.gov/states/CA/timeline.htm |access-date=August 3, 2024 |publisher=The United States Senate |quote=2021, January 20: Kamala Harris of Los Angeles became the first woman and the first African American and Asian American to serve as vice president of the United States and president of the U.S. Senate. |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613015034/https://www.senate.gov/states/CA/timeline.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Horowitz|first1=Juliana Menasce|last2=Budiman|first2=Abby|date=August 18, 2020|title=Key findings about multiracial identity in the U.S. as Harris becomes vice presidential nominee|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/08/18/key-findings-about-multiracial-identity-in-the-u-s-as-harris-becomes-vice-presidential-nominee/|access-date=November 8, 2020|website=[[Pew Research Center]]|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107221446/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/08/18/key-findings-about-multiracial-identity-in-the-u-s-as-harris-becomes-vice-presidential-nominee/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=November 7, 2020|title=Kamala Harris Makes History As First Female, Black, Asian American Vice President|first=Jemima|last=McEvoy|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2020/11/07/kamala-harris-makes-history-as-first-female-black-asian-american-vice-president/|access-date=November 13, 2020|work=Forbes|archive-date=November 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113063528/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2020/11/07/kamala-harris-makes-history-as-first-female-black-asian-american-vice-president/|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris is the third person with acknowledged non-European ancestry to become president or vice president.{{efn|The other two are President [[Barack Obama]], and [[Charles Curtis]], a Native American and member of the [[Kaw Nation]], who was vice president under [[Herbert Hoover]] from 1929 to 1933.<ref>{{Cite news|date=August 12, 2020|title=Here Are The 'Firsts' Kamala Harris Represents With VP Candidacy|first=Andrew|last=Solender|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/08/12/here-are-the-firsts-kamala-harris-represents-with-vp-candidacy/|quote=Harris would not be the first person of color to serve as vice president. That honor belongs to Charles Curtis, President Herbert Hoover's No. 2.|work=[[Forbes]]|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=September 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902023222/https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/08/12/here-are-the-firsts-kamala-harris-represents-with-vp-candidacy/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} |
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Her first act as vice president was to swear in three new senators: [[Alex Padilla]] (her successor in the Senate) and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] Senators [[Raphael Warnock]] and [[Jon Ossoff]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hayes|first=Christal|date=January 20, 2021|title=Democrats officially take control of Senate after Harris swears in Ossoff, Warnock and Padilla|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/20/warnock-ossoff-sworn-in-giving-democrats-majority-senate/4217985001/|access-date=January 21, 2021|work=USA Today|location=Washington|archive-date=October 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023171322/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/20/warnock-ossoff-sworn-in-giving-democrats-majority-senate/4217985001/|url-status=live}}</ref> <!-- Disambiguation link intentional to refer to both events --> |
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====2020 presidential speculation==== |
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===Senate presidency=== |
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Kamala Harris has been considered a top contender for the [[Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020|2020 Democratic nomination for President]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Analysis {{!}} The top 15 Democratic presidential candidates for 2020, ranked |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/07/06/the-top-15-democratic-presidential-candidates-for-2020-ranked-3/ |website=Washington Post |accessdate=10 July 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Beckett |first1=Lois |title=Kamala Harris: young, black, female – and the Democrats' best bet for 2020? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/22/kamala-harris-democratic-candidate-for-2020 |website=the Guardian |accessdate=10 July 2018 |language=en |date=22 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cillizza |first1=Chris |last2=Enten |first2=Harry |title=Why Kamala Harris is the new Democratic frontrunner |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/12/politics/2020-rankings-democrats/index.html |accessdate=November 22, 2018 |work=CNN |date=November 12, 2018}}</ref> She has publicly stated that she is "not ruling it out".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shelbourne |first1=Mallory |title=Kamala Harris on 2020 presidential bid: 'I'm not ruling it out' |url=http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/393912-kamala-harris-on-2020-presidential-bid-im-not-ruling-it-out |website=TheHill |accessdate=10 July 2018 |language=en |date=25 June 2018}}</ref> As of July 2018, she was spending more on Facebook advertising than any other senator.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Kamala-Harris-increases-her-visibility-in-front-13110724.php#article-comments|title=Kamala Harris increases her visibility in front of possible presidential bid|date=July 29, 2018|publisher=|accessdate=October 12, 2018}}</ref> In July 2018, it was announced that she would publish a memoir, another sign of a possible run.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/17/politics/kamala-harris-book-deal/index.html|title=Kamala Harris signs book deal amid 2020 speculation|first=Eric Bradner,|last=CNN|publisher=|accessdate=October 12, 2018}}</ref> She also stumped for candidates in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.<ref>{{cite news |title=Prominent Dem Kamala Harris Endorses Mahlon Mitchell In Governor Bid |url=https://www.wpr.org/prominent-dem-kamala-harris-endorses-mahlon-mitchell-governor-bid |accessdate=November 9, 2018 |work=Wisconsin Public Radio |agency=Associated Press |date=July 26, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brennan |first1=Chris |title=Kamala Harris stumps for Bob Casey, sidesteps talk of 2020 |url=http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/politics/kamala-harris-bob-casey-2020-presidential-election-20180713.html |accessdate=November 9, 2018 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=July 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Schechter |first1=Maayan |title=Madam president? In SC, Kamala Harris fuels speculation of a 2020 presidential run |url=https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article220293565.html |accessdate=November 9, 2018 |work=The State |date=October 19, 2018}}</ref> |
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When Harris took office the [[117th United States Congress|117th Congress]]'s Senate was divided 50–50 between [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]];<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/20/democrats-to-take-senate-majority-when-warnock-ossoff-and-padilla-are-sworn-in.html|title=Democrats take Senate majority, sealing control of the White House and Congress|first=Jacob|last=Pramuk|date=January 20, 2021|publisher=CNBC|access-date=December 3, 2021|archive-date=October 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025210344/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/20/democrats-to-take-senate-majority-when-warnock-ossoff-and-padilla-are-sworn-in.html|url-status=live}}</ref> this meant that she was often called upon to exercise her power to cast [[List of tie-breaking votes cast by the vice president of the United States|tie-breaking votes]] as [[Vice President of the United States#President of the United States Senate|president of the Senate]]. Harris cast her first two tie-breaking votes on February 5. In February and March, Harris's tie-breaking votes were required to pass the [[American Rescue Plan Act of 2021]] stimulus package Biden proposed, since no Senate Republicans voted for it.<ref>{{cite news |last=Segers |first=Grace |title=Senate passes $1.9 trillion COVID relief resolution after all-night 'vote-a-rama' |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-relief-package-senate-passes-budget-plan/ |website=[[CBS News]] |date=February 5, 2021 |access-date=February 7, 2021 |archive-date=February 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217042330/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-relief-package-senate-passes-budget-plan/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Maanvi |last2=Greve |first2=Joan E. |last3=Belam |first3=Martin |last4=McKernan |first4=Bethan |last5=Levine |first5=Sam |title=Kamala Harris breaks Senate tie to begin Covid relief package debate – as it happened |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/mar/04/voting-rights-police-reform-george-floyd-for-the-people-joe-biden-covid-coronavirus-live |work=The Guardian |date=March 5, 2021 |access-date=March 5, 2021 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=March 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306133828/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/mar/04/voting-rights-police-reform-george-floyd-for-the-people-joe-biden-covid-coronavirus-live |url-status=live }}</ref> On July 20, Harris broke [[Mike Pence]]'s record for tie-breaking votes in the first year of a vice presidency<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cohn |first1=Alicia |title=Pence became ultimate tie-breaker in 2017 |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/366811-pence-became-ultimate-tie-breaker-in-2017 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=December 31, 2017 |access-date=October 25, 2021 |archive-date=October 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027133916/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/366811-pence-became-ultimate-tie-breaker-in-2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> when she cast the seventh tie-breaking vote in her first six months.<ref name="senate.gov">{{cite web |title=Votes to Break Ties in the Senate |url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/TieVotes.htm |website=senate.gov |access-date=October 25, 2021 |archive-date=November 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118145849/https://www.senate.gov/legislative/TieVotes.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> She cast 13 tie-breaking votes during her first year in office, the most tie-breaking votes in a single year in U.S. history, surpassing [[John Adams]], who cast 12 in 1790.<ref name="senate.gov" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/VPTies.pdf|title=Senate.gov: VPTies.pdf|access-date=February 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502114129/https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/VPTies.pdf|archive-date=May 2, 2017}}</ref> On December 5, 2023, Harris broke the record for the most tie-breaking votes cast by a vice president, casting her 32nd vote, exceeding [[John C. Calhoun]], who cast 31 votes during his nearly eight years in office.<ref name="senate.gov" /><ref name="MostTies2">{{cite web|last1=Lebowitz|first1=Megan|last2=Thorp|first2=Frank|last3=Santaliz|first3=Kate|title=Vice President Harris breaks record for casting the most tie-breaking votes|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/president-harris-breaks-record-casting-tie-breaking-votes-rcna123999|website=NBC News|date=December 5, 2023|access-date=December 5, 2023|archive-date=December 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205185108/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/president-harris-breaks-record-casting-tie-breaking-votes-rcna123999|url-status=live}}</ref><!--Possible source for expansion: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/05/kamala-harris-vice-president-impossible/618890/--> On November 19, 2021, Harris served as [[Acting president of the United States|acting president]] from 10:10 to 11:35 am EST while Biden underwent a [[colonoscopy]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Zeke |date=November 19, 2021 |title=Biden to have routine colonoscopy, transfer power to Harris |url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-health-jen-psaki-70d7e5903ea41636ee6bbe829fa082a2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119212925/https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-health-jen-psaki-70d7e5903ea41636ee6bbe829fa082a2 |archive-date=November 19, 2021 |access-date=November 19, 2021 |publisher=Associated Press |location=Bethesda, MD}}</ref> She was the first woman, and the third person overall, to assume the powers and duties of the presidency as [[acting president of the United States]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Sullivan|first=Kate|title=For 85 minutes, Kamala Harris became the first woman with presidential power|date=November 19, 2021|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/19/politics/kamala-harris-presidential-power/index.html|work=CNN|access-date=November 19, 2021|archive-date=May 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510101502/https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/19/politics/kamala-harris-presidential-power/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Feinberg |first=Andrew |date=November 19, 2021 |title='First woman president': Kamala Harris makes history when she briefly assumes powers of presidency during Biden procedure |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/joe-biden-president-kamala-harris-b1960913.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119195940/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/joe-biden-president-kamala-harris-b1960913.html |archive-date=November 19, 2021 |access-date=November 19, 2021 |work=[[The Independent]] |location=Washington, DC}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Pengelly |first=Martin |date=November 19, 2021 |title=Kamala Harris takes on presidential role – briefly – as Biden has colonoscopy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/19/kamala-harris-presidential-powers-biden-colonoscopy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119203654/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/19/kamala-harris-presidential-powers-biden-colonoscopy |archive-date=November 19, 2021 |access-date=November 19, 2021 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> |
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As early as December 2021, Harris was identified as playing a pivotal role in the [[Presidency of Joe Biden|Biden administration]] owing to her tie-breaking vote in the evenly divided Senate as well as her being the presumed front-runner in 2024 if Biden did not seek reelection.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dorman |first=John L. |title=Kamala Harris' staff turnover driven by burnout and apprehension to being labeled a 'Harris person': Axios |date=December 4, 2021 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-staff-turnover-office-burnout-opportunities-pigeonholed-2024-democrats-2021-12 |access-date=July 23, 2024 |website=Business Insider |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725005233/https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-staff-turnover-office-burnout-opportunities-pigeonholed-2024-democrats-2021-12 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Kamala Harris was named as part of the "Hell-No Caucus" by ''[[Politico]]'' in April 2018, along with Senators [[Cory Booker]], [[Kirsten Gillibrand]], [[Elizabeth Warren]], and [[Bernie Sanders]], all of whom overwhelmingly voted to reject Trump's nominees for administration jobs, including [[Jeff Sessions]], [[Kirstjen Nielsen]], [[Rex Tillerson]], [[Betsy DeVos]], and [[Mike Pompeo]]; all five senators were considered potential 2020 presidential contenders at that point in time.<ref>{{cite web|last1=SCHOR|first1=ELANA|last2=LIN|first2=JEREMY C.F.|title=The Hell-No Caucus: How five 2020 contenders voted on Trump's nominees|url=https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/how-five-2020-contenders-voted-on-trumps-nominees/|website=Politico|accessdate=6 April 2018}}</ref> |
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=== Immigration === |
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On December 1, 2018, Harris stated that she would decide whether or not to run in the 2020 presidential election "over the holiday."<ref>{{cite web|last=Forgey|first=Quint|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/02/kamala-harris-2020-elections-1037160|title=Harris to make 2020 decision 'over the holiday'|work=[[Politico]]|date=December 2, 2018|accessdate=December 2, 2018}}</ref> |
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[[File:Arribo_a_Guatemala_de_la_vicepresidenta_de_los_Estados_Unidos_de_América,_Kamala_Harris,_20210606_(2).jpg|thumb|Harris arrives in Guatemala during her first foreign trip as vice president]] |
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On March 24, 2021, Biden assigned Harris to work with Mexico and [[Northern Triangle of Central America|Northern Triangle]] nations ([[El Salvador]], [[Guatemala]], and [[Honduras]]) to stem irregular migration to the [[Mexico–United States border]] and address the root causes of migration.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Egan |first1=Lauren |last2=Gutierrez |first2=Gabe |last3=Gregorian |first3=Dareh |title=Biden tasks Harris with 'stemming the migration' on southern border |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-taps-harris-lead-coordination-efforts-southern-border-n1261952 |date=March 24, 2021 |access-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725005245/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-taps-harris-lead-coordination-efforts-southern-border-n1261952 |url-status=live |publisher=NBC News |quote=A senior administration official said Harris' role would focus on 'two tracks': both curbing the current flow of migrants and implementing a long-term strategy that addresses the root causes of migration.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Harris to lead administration's efforts to stem migration at border |work=[[CBS News]] |date=March 24, 2021 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kamala-harris-immigration-lead-mexico-border-biden-administration/ |first1=Tim |last1=Perry |first2=Ed |last2=O'Keefe |first3=Camilo |last3=Montoya-Galvez |access-date=July 28, 2024 |quote=She [the vice president] is really going to look at two tracks. She is going to work first on the goal of stemming the flow of irregular migrants to the US, but also at the same time, and as part of the broader context, her real goal is establishment of a strategic partnership with these countries that is based on respect and shared values. |archive-date=July 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728132526/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kamala-harris-immigration-lead-mexico-border-biden-administration/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Root Causes Strategy]] (RCS) was the product of this effort.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 July 2021 |title=FACT SHEET: Strategy to Address the Root Causes of Migration in Central America |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/07/29/fact-sheet-strategy-to-address-the-root-causes-of-migration-in-central-america/ |website=[[Whitehouse.gov]] |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007225911/https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/07/29/fact-sheet-strategy-to-address-the-root-causes-of-migration-in-central-america/ |archive-date=7 October 2024}}</ref> Multiple news organizations at the time described Harris as a "border czar",<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chen |first1=Shawna |title=Harris to visit Mexico and Guatemala to address 'root causes' of border crossings |url=https://www.axios.com/2021/04/14/harris-immigration-visit-mexico-guatemala |website=[[Axios (website)|Axios]] |access-date=July 24, 2024 |date=April 14, 2021 |quote=Harris, appointed by Biden as border czar, said she would be looking at the 'root causes' that drive migration |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725010739/https://www.axios.com/2021/04/14/harris-immigration-visit-mexico-guatemala |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Transcripts |work=CNN |date=June 25, 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2106/25/nday.06.html |first=Ed |last=Lavandera |quote=Well, the vice president is expected to land here in El Paso in about an hour and a half. It will be a four-hour visit. And this will be her first visit to the U.S./Mexico border region since she was appointed as the border czar by President Biden. |access-date=July 28, 2024 |archive-date=July 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731093625/https://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2106/25/nday.06.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 24, 2021 |title=Biden tasks Harris with tackling migrant influx on US–Mexico border |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56516332 |access-date=July 25, 2024 |website=BBC News |quote=US President Joe Biden has put Vice-President Kamala Harris in charge of controlling migration at the southern border following a big influx of new arrivals. Mr Biden said he was giving her a 'tough job' but that she was 'the most qualified person to do it'. […] Announcing Ms Harris's appointment as his immigration czar |archive-date=July 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727150933/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56516332 |url-status=live }}</ref> though Harris rejected the title and never actually held it.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Paz |first1=Christian |title=Kamala Harris and the border: The myth and the facts |url=https://www.vox.com/politics/361635/kamala-harris-border-czar-immigration-mexico-guatemala-rnc |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |date=July 18, 2024 |quote=If Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, Republicans have a ready-made case against her: They can say she was President Joe Biden's 'border czar', in charge of immigration and the border, and she failed ... There's just one problem. The vice president was never in charge of the border. |access-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722142513/https://www.vox.com/politics/361635/kamala-harris-border-czar-immigration-mexico-guatemala-rnc |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Bergengruen |first1=Vera |date=July 23, 2024 |title=Kamala Harris Wasn't the 'Border Czar'. Here's What She Did |url=https://time.com/7001817/kamala-harris-immigration/ |magazine=Time |access-date=July 27, 2024 |archive-date=July 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727120848/https://time.com/7001817/kamala-harris-immigration/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Keith |first=Tamara |date=June 25, 2021 |title=Harris Visits The Southern Border After Trying To Keep The Focus Away From It |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/06/25/1009939218/harris-is-visiting-the-southern-border-after-trying-to-keep-the-focus-away-from- |access-date=July 28, 2024 |publisher=NPR |archive-date=July 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731093610/https://www.npr.org/2021/06/25/1009939218/harris-is-visiting-the-southern-border-after-trying-to-keep-the-focus-away-from- |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Alvarez |first=Priscilla |date=February 6, 2023 |title=Harris' mission to tackle migration root causes scores big money support but border crossings remain high |url=https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/02/06/politics/kamala-harris-migration |access-date=July 28, 2024 |publisher=CNN |archive-date=July 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240703163607/https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/02/06/politics/kamala-harris-migration |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wootson |first=Cleve R. Jr. |date=April 16, 2021 |title=Republicans try to crown Harris the 'border czar.' She rejects the title |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/harris-gop-border/2021/04/16/c3a2f63e-9e24-11eb-8005-bffc3a39f6d3_story.html |access-date=July 27, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725124219/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/harris-gop-border/2021/04/16/c3a2f63e-9e24-11eb-8005-bffc3a39f6d3_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=October 2024}} Republicans and other critics began using the term "border czar" to tie Harris to the [[Mexico–United States border crisis]], including in a July 2024 House resolution, despite her having no authority over the border itself.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kight |first1=Stef W. |date=July 24, 2024 |title=Harris border confusion haunts her new campaign |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/07/24/kamala-harris-border-czar-immigratin |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724080958/https://www.axios.com/2024/07/24/kamala-harris-border-czar-immigratin |archive-date=July 24, 2024 |access-date=July 24, 2024 |website=[[Axios (website)|Axios]] |quote=The announcement led to near-immediate confusion in the media and in the White House over how involved Harris would be, with Republicans and some news outlets, including Axios, giving Harris the unofficial monicker of 'border czar'. ... This article has been updated and clarified to note that Axios was among the news outlets that incorrectly labeled Harris a 'border czar' in 2021.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Uribe |first=Maria Ramirez |date=July 24, 2024 |title='Border czar'? GOP talking point distorts VP Harrris' role |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/jul/24/republican-national-committee-republican/border-czar-kamala-harris-assigned-to-tackle-immig/ |access-date=July 26, 2024 |website=politifact |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725234440/https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/jul/24/republican-national-committee-republican/border-czar-kamala-harris-assigned-to-tackle-immig/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=July 25, 2024 |title=Fact check: Trump made at least 10 false claims about Kamala Harris in a single rally speech |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/25/politics/fact-check-trump-false-claims-kamala-harris/index.html |access-date=July 27, 2024 |publisher=CNN |archive-date=July 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727000235/https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/25/politics/fact-check-trump-false-claims-kamala-harris/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Schnell |first=Mychael |date=July 25, 2024 |title=House GOP approves resolution condemning Kamala Harris as 'border czar' |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4792373-harris-border-czar-house-gop-resolution/ |access-date=July 27, 2024 |newspaper=The Hill}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Ulloa |first1=Jazmine |last2=Nehamas |first2=Nicholas |date=July 18, 2024 |title=Why Republicans Keep Calling Kamala Harris the 'Border Czar' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/17/us/politics/kamala-harris-border-czar.html |access-date=July 28, 2024 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=July 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728134206/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/17/us/politics/kamala-harris-border-czar.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=October 2024}} |
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Harris conducted her first international trip as vice president in June 2021, visiting Guatemala and Mexico in an attempt to address the root causes of an [[Mexico–United States border crisis#Biden administration|increase in migration from Central America to the United States]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Egan |first=Lauren |title=Harris takes first steps onto world stage, into migration spotlight |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/harris-takes-her-first-steps-world-stage-migration-policy-spotlight-n1269789 |publisher=[[NBC News]] |date=June 7, 2021 |access-date=June 9, 2021 |archive-date=June 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617215045/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/harris-takes-her-first-steps-world-stage-migration-policy-spotlight-n1269789 |url-status=live }}</ref> During her visit, in a joint press conference with Guatemalan president [[Alejandro Giammattei]], Harris issued an appeal to potential migrants: "I want to be clear to folks in the region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rodriguez |first1=Sabrina |title=Harris' blunt message in Guatemala: 'Do not come' to U.S. |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/07/harris-message-in-guatemala-do-not-come-492047 |newspaper=[[Politico]] |date=June 7, 2021 |access-date=June 9, 2021 |archive-date=September 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911174620/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/07/harris-message-in-guatemala-do-not-come-492047 |url-status=live }}</ref> Her work in Central America led to creation of: |
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=== Committee assignments === |
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* Task forces on corruption and [[human trafficking]] |
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*'''[[United States Senate Committee on the Budget|Committee on the Budget]]''' |
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* The [[Partnership for Central America]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-09 |title=Partnership For Central America |url=https://www.centampartnership.org/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Partnership For Central America |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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*'''[[United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs|Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs]]''' |
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* The women's empowerment program In Her Hands, part of the Partnership for Central America<ref>{{Cite web |title=In Her Hands |url=https://www.centampartnership.org/in-her-hands |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Partnership For Central America |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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** [[United States Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management|Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management]] |
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* Investment funds for housing and businesses<ref name="Rothkopf">{{cite news |last=Rothkopf |first=David |date=December 17, 2021 |title=Kamala's Conundrum: She's Doing a Great Job But Her Story's Not Getting Out |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamala-harris-conundrum-shes-doing-a-great-job-but-her-storys-not-getting-out |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102182753/https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamala-harris-conundrum-shes-doing-a-great-job-but-her-storys-not-getting-out |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |access-date=January 2, 2022 |work=[[The Daily Beast]]}}</ref> |
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** [[United States Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management|Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management]] |
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*'''[[United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence|Select Committee on Intelligence]]''' |
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*'''[[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Committee on the Judiciary]]'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-announces-updated-senate-democratic-committee-memberships-for-the-115th-congress-2nd-session|title=SCHUMER ANNOUNCES UPDATED SENATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS FOR THE 115TH CONGRESS, 2nd SESSION {{!}} Senate Democratic Leadership|website=www.democrats.senate.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-01-10}}</ref> |
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** [[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution|Subcommittee on the Constitution]] |
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** [[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts|Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts]] |
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** [[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law|Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law]] |
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=== Foreign policy === |
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Source: ''[http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-kamala-harris-nabs-national-security-1482178585-htmlstory.html Los Angeles Times]'' |
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[[File:Kamala Harris 2024 - 65.jpg|thumb|left|Vice President Harris at a press conference with Ukrainian president [[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]]]]Harris met with French president [[Emmanuel Macron]] in November 2021 to strengthen [[France–United States relations|ties]] after the [[Attack-class submarine#Reaction|contentious cancellation]] of a [[Attack-class submarine|submarine program]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Rogers|first=Katie|date=November 10, 2021|title=Harris Meets Macron, Signaling a 'New Era' After Sub Snub, Both Say|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/world/europe/france-kamala-harris-macron.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110225005/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/world/europe/france-kamala-harris-macron.html |archive-date=November 10, 2021 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=January 2, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Another meeting was held in November 2022 during Macron's visit to the U.S., resulting in an agreement to strengthen U.S.–France space cooperation across civil, commercial, and national security sectors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cowing |first=Keith |date=November 30, 2022 |title=Vice President Harris' Meeting At NASA With President Macron |url=https://spaceref.com/science-and-exploration/vice-president-harris-meeting-at-nasa-with-president-macron/ |access-date=July 23, 2024 |website=SpaceRef |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725004354/https://spaceref.com/science-and-exploration/vice-president-harris-meeting-at-nasa-with-president-macron/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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In April 2021, Harris said she was the last person in the room before Biden decided to [[2020–2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|remove all U.S. troops from Afghanistan]], adding that Biden had "an extraordinary amount of courage" and "make[s] decisions based on what he truly believes ... is the right thing to do."<ref>{{cite news |last=Bice |first=Allie |date=April 25, 2021 |title=Harris says she had key role in Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal decision |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/25/harris-afghanistan-biden-withdrawal-decision-484581 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823064520/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/25/harris-afghanistan-biden-withdrawal-decision-484581 |archive-date=August 23, 2021 |accessdate=August 20, 2021 |website=[[Politico]]}}</ref> National Security Advisor [[Jake Sullivan]] said that Biden "insists she be in every core decision-making meeting. She weighs in during those meetings, often providing unique perspectives."<ref name="Rothkopf" /> Harris assumed a "key diplomatic role" in the Biden administration, particularly after the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] in February 2022, after which she was dispatched to Germany and Poland to rally support for arming Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia.<ref name="Tomlinson">{{cite news |last=Tomlinson |first=Hugh |date=March 17, 2022 |title=Fresh woe for Kamala Harris as another adviser quits |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fresh-woe-for-kamala-harris-as-another-adviser-quits-zssczgzlt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318063019/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fresh-woe-for-kamala-harris-as-another-adviser-quits-zssczgzlt |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |access-date=March 18, 2022 |newspaper=[[The Times]]}}</ref> |
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=== Caucus memberships === |
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* [[Congressional Black Caucus]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Membership|author=|url=https://cbc.house.gov/membership/|format=|publisher=Congressional Black Caucus|date=|accessdate=7 March 2018}}</ref> |
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* [[Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|author=|url=https://capac-chu.house.gov/members|format=|publisher=Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus|date=|accessdate=17 May 2018}}</ref> |
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* [[Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues]] |
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[[File:Vice President Harris met with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel at the White House in 2024 (2).jpg|thumb|Harris with Israeli prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] at the White House on July 25, 2024]] |
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== Political positions == |
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In April 2023, Harris visited [[Goddard Space Flight Center]] in Maryland with South Korean president [[Yoon Suk Yeol]] and agreed to work to strengthen the space alliance between the U.S. and South Korea. "We renew our commitment to strengthen our cooperation in the next frontier of our expanding alliance, and of course that is space," Harris said at a joint news conference with Yoon.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 26, 2023 |title=Yoon, Harris agree to strengthen 'space alliance' in visit to NASA center |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/04/26/national/politics/Korea-Yoon-Suk-Yeol-space-cooperation/20230426081803875.html |work=[[Korea JoongAng Daily]] |access-date=July 24, 2024 |archive-date=July 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723190739/https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/04/26/national/politics/Korea-Yoon-Suk-Yeol-space-cooperation/20230426081803875.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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===Abortion=== |
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Since her election to the Senate, Harris has maintained a 100% rating by the pro-choice Planned Parenthood Action Fund and a 0% rating by the pro-life National Right to Life Committee.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/120012/kamala-harris#.W0uuKdJKiUm|title=Kamala Harris's Ratings and Endorsements|last=|first=|date=15 July 2018|website=VoteSmart.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> |
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In November 2023, Harris pledged that the Biden administration would place no conditions on [[United States support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war|U.S. aid to Israel]] in its war with [[Hamas]] in [[Gaza Strip|Gaza]].<ref>{{cite news |title=US will not impose conditions on support for Israel to defend itself – VP Harris |first=William |last=James |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-will-not-impose-conditions-support-israel-defend-itself-vp-harris-2023-11-02/ |work=Reuters |date=November 2, 2023 |access-date=June 16, 2024 |archive-date=March 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312135636/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-will-not-impose-conditions-support-israel-defend-itself-vp-harris-2023-11-02/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In March 2024, she criticized Israel's actions during the [[Israel–Hamas war]], saying, "Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks...This will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid in."<ref>{{cite news |title=US VP Harris calls for 'immediate' Gaza truce in rare rebuke of Israel |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/4/us-vp-harris-calls-for-immediate-gaza-ceasefire-in-rare-rebuke-of-israel |work=Al Jazeera |date=March 4, 2024 |access-date=June 16, 2024 |archive-date=May 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524163658/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/4/us-vp-harris-calls-for-immediate-gaza-ceasefire-in-rare-rebuke-of-israel |url-status=live }}</ref>{{anchor|"Coconut tree" meme}} |
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=== Cannabis === |
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In May 2018, Harris announced she would co-sponsor the Marijuana Justice Act, which [[Cory Booker|Sen. Cory Booker]] introduced in August 2017. The legislation would eliminate [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]]'s status as a [[Controlled Substances Act#Schedule I controlled substances|Schedule I]] drug under the [[Controlled Substance Act]]. The move would also require federal courts to expunge the records of Americans who have prior marijuana convictions related to use or possession. She believes the move to decriminalize marijuana will prevent the [[Justice Department]] from enforcing laws that are “unjust and unfair.”<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thehill.com/regulation/legislation/387101-kamala-harris-backs-booker-bill-to-legalize-marijuana |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=May 10, 2018 |title=Kamala Harris backs Booker bill to legalize marijuana |accessdate=August 9, 2018 |first=Aris |last=Folley}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://twitter.com/SenKamalaHarris/status/994595315805310976 |work=[[NowThis News|NowThis]] |date=May 10, 2018 |title=Sen. Kamala Harris Says It's Time to Federally Legalize Cannabis |accessdate=August 9, 2018 |first=Kamala |last=Harris}}</ref> |
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== 2024 presidential campaign == |
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===Death penalty=== |
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{{Main|Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign}} |
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Harris is opposed to the [[death penalty]], but has said that she would review each case individually.<ref name="sfbg.com">{{cite news |title=Give Kamala Harris credit for integrity |author=Tim Redmond |url=http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2009/09/11/give-kamala-harris-credit-integrity |newspaper=[[The San Francisco Bay Guardian]] |date=November 9, 2009 |accessdate=April 5, 2013}}</ref> Her position was tested in April 2004, when [[San Francisco Police Department|SFPD]] Officer Isaac Espinoza was murdered in the Bayview district. Harris announced that she would not seek the death penalty for the man accused of his killing. The decision evoked protests from the [[San Francisco Police Officers Association]], Senator [[Dianne Feinstein]], and others.<ref name=NYTmag/> Those who supported her decision not to seek the death penalty included San Francisco Supervisors [[Tom Ammiano]] and [[Sophie Maxwell]], in whose district the murder occurred.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.basetree.com/photos/sets/photography39.html |title=Don't Kill in Our Name, Rally to Support Kamala Harris |website=Basetree |date=May 5, 2004 |accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> The jury found the convicted killer, David Hill, guilty of [[second-degree murder]], although the prosecutor, Harry Dorfman, had sought a [[first-degree murder]] conviction.<ref name="SF Sentinel">{{cite web|url=http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=1353 |title=Police Officer Isaac Espinoza killer gets two consecutive life sentences—No possibility of parole |publisher=Sanfranciscosentinel.com |date= |accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> The defense had argued that Hill thought Espinoza was a member of a rival gang, and that the murder was not premeditated. Hill was given the maximum sentence for the conviction, [[life without the possibility of parole]].<ref name="SF Sentinel" /> |
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[[File:Kamala_Harris_&_Tim_Walz_-_53915639353.jpg|thumb|Harris and [[Tim Walz]] at a [[Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign|2024 presidential campaign]] rally in [[Arizona]]]] |
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In April 2023, incumbent president Joe Biden announced [[Joe Biden 2024 presidential campaign|his reelection campaign]], with Harris as his running mate. After the [[2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries|Democratic primaries]], the pair became the party's presumptive nominees in the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]]. On July 21, 2024, Biden [[Withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 United States presidential election|suspended]] his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris for president.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Samuels |first1=Brett |last2=Gangitano |first2=Alex |date=July 21, 2024 |title=Biden Endorses Harris as Democratic Nominee After Ending His Candidacy |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4784460-joe-biden-endorses-kamala-harris/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723214700/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4784460-joe-biden-endorses-kamala-harris/ |archive-date=July 23, 2024 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |access-date=July 24, 2024}}</ref> Harris was also endorsed by [[Jimmy Carter]], [[Bill Clinton|Bill]] and [[Hillary Clinton]], [[Barack Obama|Barack]] and [[Michelle Obama]], the [[Congressional Black Caucus]], and [[List of Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign endorsements|many others]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Gamio |first1=Lazaro |last2=Keefe |first2=John |last3=Kim |first3=June |last4=McFadden |first4=Alyce |last5=Park |first5=Andrew |last6=Yourish |first6=Karen |date=July 22, 2024 |title=Many Elected Democrats Quickly Endorsed Kamala Harris. See Who Did. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/22/us/politics/kamala-harris-democrats-endorsement-list.html |access-date=July 22, 2024 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722072026/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/22/us/politics/kamala-harris-democrats-endorsement-list.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=The Democrats who have endorsed Kamala Harris to replace Biden as nominee |first1=Hayden |last1=Godfrey |first2= Adrián |last2=Blanco |first3=Kati |last3=Perry |first4=Hannah |last4=Dormido |first5=Eric |last5=Lau |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/kamala-harris-endorsements/ |date=July 21, 2024 |access-date=August 5, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Ebony |date=July 26, 2024 |title=Barack and Michelle Obama endorse Kamala Harris for president |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/26/politics/barack-michelle-obama-kamala-harris-endorsement/index.html |access-date=August 5, 2024 |publisher=CNN |archive-date=August 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240805160641/https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/26/politics/barack-michelle-obama-kamala-harris-endorsement/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bluestein |first1=Greg |date=August 3, 2024 |title=Jimmy Carters next goal is voting for Kamala Harris for president |url=https://www.ajc.com/politics/jimmy-carters-next-goal-is-voting-for-kamala-harris/UKCLDIUSSJC6JM4NP7HGOEDCNY/ |access-date=August 3, 2024 |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |archive-date=August 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240803125750/https://www.ajc.com/politics/jimmy-carters-next-goal-is-voting-for-kamala-harris/UKCLDIUSSJC6JM4NP7HGOEDCNY/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In the first 24 hours of her candidacy, her campaign raised $81 million in small-dollar donations, the highest single-day total of any presidential candidate in history.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Samuels |first1=Brett |date=July 22, 2024 |title=Harris breaks 24-hour fundraising record after Biden drops out |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4786610-harris-breaks-fundraising-record/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722220814/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4786610-harris-breaks-fundraising-record/ |archive-date=July 22, 2024 |access-date=July 22, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]}}</ref> If elected, Harris would be the first female and first Asian-American president of the United States, and the second African-American president, after Obama.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 21, 2024 |title=Harris could become the first female president after years of breaking racial and gender barriers |first1=Chris |last1=Megerian |url=https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-president-democrat-biden-96df4c46fab767269056511037776b15 |access-date=August 6, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press |archive-date=August 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807074158/https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-president-democrat-biden-96df4c46fab767269056511037776b15 |url-status=live }}</ref> By August 5, Harris had officially secured the nomination via a virtual roll call of delegates.<ref name="KHnom">{{Cite news|last=Kim|first=Seung Min|title=Kamala Harris is now Democratic presidential nominee, will face off against Donald Trump this fall|url=https://apnews.com/article/harris-democratic-presidential-nomination-eb43b6b346cc644b2d195315cb2bfb20|publisher=Associated Press|date=August 5, 2024|access-date=August 5, 2024|archive-date=August 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240808041440/https://apnews.com/article/harris-democratic-presidential-nomination-eb43b6b346cc644b2d195315cb2bfb20|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Nehamas |first=Nicholas |date=August 6, 2024 |title=Harris Officially Secures Democratic Party's Nomination for President |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/06/us/politics/kamala-harris-president-campaign-2024.html |access-date=August 6, 2024 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806062412/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/06/us/politics/kamala-harris-president-campaign-2024.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="HarrisClinches2020">{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-23/harris-crosses-delegate-threshold-in-sign-nomination-is-hers|title=Harris Has Enough Delegates to Clinch Nomination for President |first1=Gregory |last1=Korte |first2=Jordan |last2=Fabian|date=July 22, 2024|access-date=July 22, 2024|publisher=[[Bloomberg News]]|archive-date=July 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723020348/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-23/harris-crosses-delegate-threshold-in-sign-nomination-is-hers?srnd=homepage-uk|url-status=live}}</ref> The next day, she announced Minnesota governor [[Tim Walz]] as [[2024 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection|her vice presidential running mate]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Parnes|first1=Amie|last2=Samuels|first2=Brett|last3=Conradis|first3=Brandon|date=August 6, 2024|title=Harris picks Walz for vice president|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4789021-kamala-harris-vp-tim-walz-minnesota/|access-date=August 6, 2024|newspaper=The Hill|archive-date=August 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806130648/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4789021-kamala-harris-vp-tim-walz-minnesota/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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On August 22, 2024, the fourth day of the [[Democratic National Convention]], Harris officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yilek |first= Caitlin |title=12 highlights from the 2024 Democratic National Convention |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dnc-highlights-2024/ |access-date=October 31, 2024 |website=CBS News| date=August 23, 2024}}</ref> Harris participated in a debate with Trump on September 10; it was widely reported that Harris won the debate.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reinstein |first=Julia |title=Harris and Trump meet for the first time, and shake hands |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/harris-trump-shake-hands-debate-stage/story?id=113569492 |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Collinson |first=Stephen |date=2024-09-11 |title=Analysis: Harris bests Trump in debate but there's no guarantee it will shape the election {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/11/politics/harris-trump-debate-analysis/index.html |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Griffiths |first=Brent D. |title=All the signs Trump lost the debate |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-lost-debate-polls-prediction-market-reaction-taylor-swift-rematch-2024-9 |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Barabak |first= Mark Z. |date=2024-09-11 |title=Column: Trump was Trump in his debate with Kamala Harris — which is why he came across so poorly |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-09-11/trump-harris-presidential-debate-analysis-barabak |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=September 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927055644/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-09-11/trump-harris-presidential-debate-analysis-barabak |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 October, she delivered a speech at [[The Ellipse]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] The half-hour address was intended as a 'closing argument' for her campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krieg |first=Gregory |date=2024-10-30 |title=Harris tries to paint contrast with Trump, arguing ‘it doesn’t have to be this way’ at Ellipse rally {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/29/politics/kamala-harris-ellipse-rally/index.html |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> |
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== Political positions == |
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Harris's position against the death penalty was tested again in the case of [[Edwin Ramos]], an [[undocumented immigrant]] and alleged [[MS-13]] gang member who was accused of murdering Tony Bologna and his sons Michael and Matthew.<ref name="latimes.com">Finnegan, Michael. [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-harris22-2009jun22,0,3668981,full.story "San Francisco D.A.'s program trained illegal immigrants for jobs they couldn't legally hold"], ''Los Angeles Times'', June 22, 2009.</ref> On September 10, 2009, Harris announced she would seek life in prison without the possibility of parole rather than the death penalty in the Ramos case.<ref name="The San Francisco Chronicle">Van Derbeken, Jaxon. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/11/BAM819L7NE.DTL "Edwin Ramos won't face death penalty"], ''San Francisco Chronicle'', September 11, 2009.</ref> |
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{{Main|Political positions of Kamala Harris}} |
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Harris's domestic platform supports national [[Abortion-rights movement in the United States|abortion protections]], [[LGBTQ rights in the United States|LGBTQ+ rights]], stricter [[Gun politics in the United States|gun control]], and limited legislation to address [[climate change]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 30, 2024 |title=Where does Kamala Harris stand on climate change? |url=https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-vs-climate-where-she-stands-on-the-green-new-deal-fossil-fuels-and-pollution |access-date=September 5, 2024 |website=euronews |language=en |archive-date=September 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906235200/https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-vs-climate-where-she-stands-on-the-green-new-deal-fossil-fuels-and-pollution |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NYT">{{cite news |last1=Astor |first1=Maggie |date=July 21, 2024 |title=Where Kamala Harris Stands on the Issues: Abortion, Immigration and More |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/21/us/politics/kamala-harris-abortion-immigration-economy-israel.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240721215822/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/21/us/politics/kamala-harris-abortion-immigration-economy-israel.html |archive-date=July 21, 2024 |access-date=July 22, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="SenateStances" /> On immigration, she supports an earned [[pathway to citizenship]] and increases in border security, as well as addressing the root causes of illegal immigration by means of the RCS program.<ref name="b533">{{cite news | last1=Sacchetti | first1=Maria | last2=Rivera | first2=Anthony | last3=Cheeseman | first3=Abbie | last4=McDaniel | first4=Justine | title=Kamala Harris's immigration policies, explained | newspaper=Washington Post | date=September 10, 2024 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2023/presidential-candidates-2024-policies-issues/kamala-harris-immigration/ | access-date=September 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=House |first=The White |date=2022-04-19 |title=Report on the U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root causes of Migration in Central America |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/19/report-on-the-u-s-strategy-for-addressing-the-root-causes-of-migration-in-central-america/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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Harris has expressed the belief that life without possibility of parole is a better, and more cost-effective, punishment.<ref name="CA Capitol">{{cite web|url=http://californiascapitol.com/blog/?p=341 |title=San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris |publisher=Californiascapitol.com |date=April 15, 2009 |accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> According to the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, the death penalty costs $137 million per year.<ref name="CCAFJ report">{{cite web|url=http://www.ccfaj.org/documents/CCFAJFinalReport.pdf |title=CCFAJ-Report-final.pdf |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=November 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114144752/http://www.ccfaj.org/documents/CCFAJFinalReport.pdf |archive-date=November 14, 2010}}</ref> If the system were changed to life without possibility of parole, the annual costs would be approximately $12 million per year.<ref name="CCAFJ report" /> Harris noted that the resulting surplus could put 1,000 more police officers into service in San Francisco alone.<ref name="CA Capitol" /> |
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On foreign policy, Harris supports continued military aid to [[Russian Invasion of Ukraine|Ukraine]] and [[Israel–Hamas war|Israel]] in their respective wars, but insists that Israel should agree to [[three-phase Israel–Hamas war ceasefire proposal|a ceasefire and hostage deal]] and work toward a [[two-state solution]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Al-Sheikh |first1=Y. L. |last2=Fayyazi |first2=Nickan |date=July 26, 2024 |title=Kamala Harris Will Shift on Gaza Only if We Make Her |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/kamala-harris-gaza-policy-pressure/ |access-date=July 30, 2024 |website=[[The Nation]] |issn=0027-8378 |archive-date=July 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727215050/https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/kamala-harris-gaza-policy-pressure/ |url-status=live }}</ref> She opposes an [[arms embargo on Israel]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 30, 2024 |title=Harris Says She Will Not Impose Stricter Conditions On Weapons For Israel |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kamala-harris-gaza-war-biden-arms-policy_n_66d12f4ee4b0099ccb749660 |access-date=September 5, 2024 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> Harris has departed from Biden on economic issues, proposing what has been called a "populist" economic agenda.<ref name="politicoAug16">{{Cite news |date=August 16, 2024 |title=Harris breaks from 'Bidenomics' in North Carolina |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/16/kamala-harris-economic-policy-north-carolina-00174451 |website=[[Politico]] |language=en-US |access-date=August 30, 2024 |archive-date=August 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822214005/https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/16/kamala-harris-economic-policy-north-carolina-00174451 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="wapoaug16">{{Cite news |date=August 16, 2024 |title=Kamala Harris unveils populist policy agenda, with $6,000 credit for newborns |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/08/16/kamala-harris-2024-policy-child-tax-credit/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |language=en-US |access-date=August 30, 2024 |archive-date=August 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240817013422/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/08/16/kamala-harris-2024-policy-child-tax-credit/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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When in 2014, U.S. District Judge [[Cormac J. Carney]] declared [[capital punishment in California]] unconstitutional, Harris reviewed the case.<ref name=NYTmag/> |
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== Personal life == |
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{{see also|Family of Kamala Harris}} |
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In August 2018, Harris was one of eight senators to sign a letter to the [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] charging the agency with not assisting displaced homeowners in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of [[Hurricane Maria]] under the Individuals and Households (IHP) program at "alarming rates."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/400182-dems-push-fema-on-housing-help-for-displaced-puerto-ricans|title=Dems push FEMA on housing help for displaced Puerto Ricans|first=Maya|last=Lora|date=August 2, 2018|publisher=The Hill}}</ref> |
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[[File:Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff walk the West Colonnade of the White House on May 9, 2024 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Vice president Harris and her husband, [[Second ladies and gentlemen of the United States|Second Gentleman]] Doug Emhoff, in 2024]] |
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In the 1990s, Harris dated [[Willie Brown (politician)|Willie Brown]], [[Speaker of the California Assembly]] (1980–1995) and then [[Mayor of San Francisco]] (1996–2004).<ref name="latimes-brown-harris" /> In 2001, she briefly dated talk show host [[Montel Williams]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insideedition.com/kamala-harris-once-dated-talk-show-host-montel-williams-55097|title=Kamala Harris Once Dated Talk Show Host Montel Williams|website=Inside Edition|date=August 8, 2019|access-date=August 8, 2020|archive-date=May 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518081741/https://www.insideedition.com/kamala-harris-once-dated-talk-show-host-montel-williams-55097|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Harris met her husband, attorney [[Doug Emhoff]], through a mutual friend who set them up on a blind date in 2013.<ref name="Wright">{{Cite web|last1=Wright|first1=Jasmine|last2=Stracqualursi|first2=Veronica|date=January 15, 2021|title=Harris and Emhoff recall first date: 'It felt like we had known each other forever'|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/15/politics/kamala-harris-doug-emhoff-first-date-cnntv/index.html|access-date=January 18, 2021|website=CNN|archive-date=January 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117231947/https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/15/politics/kamala-harris-doug-emhoff-first-date-cnntv/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Emhoff, who was born in a Jewish family, was an entertainment lawyer who became partner-in-charge at [[Venable LLP]]'s Los Angeles office.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wright|first1=Jasmine|date=November 20, 2021|title=Second family becomes first to affix a mezuzah on executive home'|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/20/politics/mezuzah-vice-president-home/index.htmll|access-date=January 18, 2024|publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref name="Wright" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.venable.com/douglas-c-emhoff/|title=Douglas C. Emhoff|publisher=[[Venable LLP]]|access-date=May 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706110444/https://www.venable.com/douglas-c-emhoff/|archive-date=July 6, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Harris and Emhoff married on August 22, 2014, in [[Santa Barbara, California]].<ref>{{cite news|first1=David |last1=Siders|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article2607685.html|title=Kamala Harris married in Santa Barbara ceremony|work=[[The Sacramento Bee]]|date=August 25, 2014|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=August 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817181737/https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article2607685.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris is stepmother to Emhoff's two children, Cole and [[Ella Emhoff|Ella]], from his previous marriage to the film producer [[Kerstin Emhoff]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a27422434/kamala-harris-stepmom-mothers-day/|title=Sen. Kamala Harris on Being 'Momala' |last1=Harris |first1=Kamala |date=May 10, 2019|website=Elle.com|access-date=May 11, 2019|archive-date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812185005/https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a27422434/kamala-harris-stepmom-mothers-day/|url-status=live}}</ref> {{as of|2024|08|df=US}}, Harris and her husband had an estimated net worth of $8{{nbsp}}million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kylemullins/2024/05/26/heres-how-much-kamala-harris-is-worth/ |first1=Kyle |last1=Khan-Mullins |date=May 26, 2024 |title=Here's How Much Kamala Harris is Worth |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=August 22, 2024 |archive-date=August 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822075348/https://www.forbes.com/sites/kylemullins/2024/05/26/heres-how-much-kamala-harris-is-worth/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first1=Simmone |last1=Shah |url=https://time.com/7001574/kamala-harris-net-worth/ |title=What We Know About Kamala Harris' Net Worth |date=July 23, 2024 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=August 22, 2024 |archive-date=August 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822092809/https://time.com/7001574/kamala-harris-net-worth/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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===Education=== |
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In interviews with [[Matt Lauer]] on ''[[The Today Show]]'' and local [[KGO-TV]], Harris argued for treating "habitual and chronic [[truancy]]" among children in elementary school as a crime committed by the parents of truant children. She argues that there is a direct connection between habitual truancy in elementary school and crime later in life.<ref>{{cite web|author=“” |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i0tpAqrDDY |title=KGO/ABC 7's View from the Bay's Interview with Kamala Harris on Truancy Rates |publisher=YouTube.com |date= |accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=“” |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-c-4FlgUT0 |title=Kamala Harris on the Today Show |publisher=YouTube.com |date= |accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> She has received the endorsement of the California Federation of Teachers.<ref name="Endorsements" /> |
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Harris is a [[Baptist]], holding membership of the [[Third Baptist Church (San Francisco, California)|Third Baptist Church of San Francisco]], a [[Church (congregation)|congregation]] of the [[American Baptist Churches USA]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kamala Harris talks about her own faith and how it might influence a Biden-Harris White House |url=https://religionnews.com/2020/10/28/kamala-harris-talks-about-her-own-faith-and-how-it-might-influence-a-biden-harris-white-house/ |access-date=November 9, 2020 |last1=Mwaura |first1=Maina |website=Religion News Service |date=October 28, 2020 |archive-date=November 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107114102/https://religionnews.com/2020/10/28/kamala-harris-talks-about-her-own-faith-and-how-it-might-influence-a-biden-harris-white-house/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Harris brings Baptist, interfaith roots to Democratic ticket |access-date=August 13, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/harris-brings-baptist-interfaith-roots-to-democratic-ticket/2020/08/12/2d319e6a-dc57-11ea-b4f1-25b762cdbbf4_story.html |last1=Schor |first1=Elana |newspaper=Washington post |date=August 12, 2020 |archive-date=September 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903200811/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/harris-brings-baptist-interfaith-roots-to-democratic-ticket/2020/08/12/2d319e6a-dc57-11ea-b4f1-25b762cdbbf4_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=5 faith facts about Biden's veep pick, Kamala Harris – a Baptist with Hindu family |first1=Yonat |last1=Shimron |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/08/12/faith-facts-about-bidens/ |date=August 12, 2020 |access-date=August 13, 2020|website=The Salt Lake Tribune|archive-date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812175945/https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/08/12/faith-facts-about-bidens/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Find A Church|url=https://www.abc-usa.org/find-a-church/|access-date=August 13, 2020|website=ABCUSA|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806062430/https://www.abc-usa.org/find-a-church/|url-status=live}}</ref> She is a member of [[The Links]], an invitation-only social and service organization of prominent Black American women.<ref>{{cite news|date=August 22, 2020|title=America's black upper class and Black Lives Matter|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/08/22/americas-black-upper-class-and-black-lives-matter|access-date=July 21, 2021|archive-date=February 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207154050/https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/08/22/americas-black-upper-class-and-black-lives-matter|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Pitts |first1=Myron B. |title=Myron B. Pitts: Sen. Kamala Harris, VP-elect, shines light on The Links |date=November 14, 2020 |url=https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/columns/2020/11/14/myron-b-pitts-sen-kamala-harris-vp-elect-shines-light-links/6180696002/|access-date=February 7, 2022|website=[[The Fayetteville Observer]]|archive-date=February 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207185038/https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/columns/2020/11/14/myron-b-pitts-sen-kamala-harris-vp-elect-shines-light-links/6180696002/|url-status=live}}</ref> Harris is a gun owner.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Megerian |first1=Chris |title=Kamala Harris, gun owner, talks firearms at debate |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/kamala-harris-gun-owner-talks-firearms-debate-113587365 |newspaper=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |access-date=September 11, 2024 |date=September 10, 2024 |archive-date=September 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911155136/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/kamala-harris-gun-owner-talks-firearms-debate-113587365 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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===Environment=== |
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During her time as San Francisco District Attorney, Harris created the Environmental Justice Unit in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office<ref>{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Jason B.|title=SAN FRANCISCO / D.A. creates environmental unit / 3-staff team takes on crime mostly affecting the poor|url=http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-06-01/bay-area/17376837_1_environmental-justice-bird-droppings-san-francisco-city-hall|accessdate=August 20, 2010|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=June 1, 2005}}</ref> and prosecuted several industries and individuals for pollution, most notably [[U-Haul]], Alameda Publishing Corporation, and the [[Cosco Busan oil spill]]. She also advocated for strong enforcement of environmental protection laws.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kamalaharris.org/issues/Environment|accessdate=October 3, 2011|title=Protecting the Environment}}</ref> |
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Harris's sister, [[Maya Harris|Maya]], is a lawyer and [[MSNBC]] political analyst; her brother-in-law, [[Tony West (attorney)|Tony West]], is [[general counsel]] of [[Uber]] and a former [[United States Department of Justice]] senior official.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shaban |first1=Hamza |title=Uber hires PepsiCo's Tony West as general counsel|archive-date= October 28, 2017 |url-status=live |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/10/27/uber-hires-pepsicos-tony-west-as-general-counsel/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=August 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028010101/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the%2Dswitch/wp/2017/10/27/uber%2Dhires%2Dpepsicos%2Dtony%2Dwest%2Das%2Dgeneral%2Dcounsel/|date=October 27, 2017}}</ref> Her niece, [[Meena Harris|Meena]], is the founder of the Phenomenal Women Action Campaign and former head of strategy and leadership at Uber.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://people.com/style/phenomenal-woman-founder-meena-harris-interview/|title=Meet Meena Harris, the Designer and Activist Behind the Viral 'Phenomenally Black' T-Shirt|last1=Kratofil |first1=Colleen |date=June 17, 2020|magazine=People|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106153551/https://people.com/style/phenomenal-woman-founder-meena-harris-interview/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In September 2018, Harris was one of eight senators to sponsor the Climate Risk Disclosure Act, a bill described by cosponsor [[Elizabeth Warren]] as using "market forces to speed up the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy — reducing the odds of an environmental and financial disaster without spending a dime of taxpayer money."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/406700-warren-wants-companies-to-disclose-more-about-climate-change|title=Warren wants companies to disclose more about climate change impacts|date=September 14, 2018|publisher=The Hill}}</ref> |
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== Public image == |
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{{Main|Public image of Kamala Harris}}Though the public had an unfavorable view of Harris as vice president, setting a record low,<ref name=":1" /> her public image improved after Biden withdrew his candidacy for reelection. Notably, her approval rating rose 13% among Democrats.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brenan |first=Megan |date=22 August 2024 |title=Democrats Give Harris Nearly Unanimous Positive Ratings |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/649127/democrats-give-harris-nearly-unanimous-positive-ratings.aspx |access-date=August 23, 2024 |website=Gallup.com |language=en}}</ref>[[File:You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?.webm|thumb|right|Harris quips, "[[You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?]]" during a speech on May 10, 2023.]] |
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On April 6, 2017, responding to the [[Khan Shaykhun chemical attack]], Harris charged [[President of Syria]] [[Bashar al-Assad]] with attacking Syrian children, and stated "the clear fact that President Assad is not only a ruthless dictator brutalizing his own people -- he is a war criminal the international community cannot ignore." She called on President Trump to work with Congress on his administration's "lack of clear objectives in Syria and articulate a detailed strategy and path forward in partnership with our allies."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-harris-statement-on-us-military-action-in-syria|title=Senator Harris Statement on U.S. Military Action in Syria|date=April 6, 2017|publisher=Kamala Harris United States Senator for California}}</ref> |
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Harris's term as vice president has seen high staff turnover—including the departures of her chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, press secretary, deputy press secretary, communications director, and chief speechwriter<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cadelago |first1=Christopher |last2=Lippman |first2=Daniel |last3=Daniels |first3=Eugene |date=December 4, 2021 |title='Not a healthy environment': Kamala Harris' office rife with dissent |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/30/kamala-harris-office-dissent-497290 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624123821/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/30/kamala-harris-office-dissent-497290 |archive-date=June 24, 2022 |access-date=June 27, 2022 |newspaper=[[Politico]] }}</ref>—which critics allege reflects dysfunction and demoralization.<ref name="Tomlinson" /> ''Axios'' reported that at least some of the turnover was due to exhaustion from a demanding transition into the new administration, as well as financial and personal considerations.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Alexi |last1=McCammond |first2=Sarah |last2=Mucha |url=https://www.axios.com/2021/12/03/harris-turnover |title=Burnout, money, fear drive turnover in Harris's office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221191337/https://www.axios.com/2021/12/03/harris-turnover |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |work=Axios |date=December 3, 2021 |access-date=August 18, 2024 }}</ref> For most of her tenure, Harris had one of the lowest approval ratings of any vice president.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fossett |first=Katelyn |title=What's going on with Kamala's poll numbers? |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/women-rule/2021/11/12/whats-going-on-with-kamalas-poll-numbers-495086 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131143808/https://www.politico.com/newsletters/women-rule/2021/11/12/whats-going-on-with-kamalas-poll-numbers-495086 |date=November 12, 2021 |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |newspaper=Politico }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ting |first=Eric |date=November 8, 2021 |title=Kamala Harris has a comically bad approval rating, poll finds |url=https://www.sfgate.com/national-politics/article/Kamala-Harris-approval-rating-poll-history-Biden-16602512.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131143807/https://www.sfgate.com/national-politics/article/Kamala-Harris-approval-rating-poll-history-Biden-16602512.php |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |work=[[SFGate]] }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |last=Oshin |first=Olafimihan |date=June 26, 2023 |title=Poll: Kamala Harris sets record low for Vice President net favorability |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4069023-poll-kamala-harris-sets-record-low-for-vice-president-net-favorability/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627015642/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4069023-poll-kamala-harris-sets-record-low-for-vice-president-net-favorability/ |archive-date=June 27, 2023 |access-date=June 26, 2023 |newspaper=The Hill}}</ref> According to a ''[[RealClearPolitics|RealClear Politics]]'' polling average, a record low of 34.8% of Americans had a favorable view of her in August 2022, but this number rose rapidly after she became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in July 2024. Harris had a net favorable rating by September 9.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kamala Harris Favorable/Unfavorable Ratings Polls |url=https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/favorability/kamala-harris |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806232508/https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/favorability/kamala-harris |archive-date=August 6, 2024 |access-date=August 6, 2024 |website=RealClearPolling}}</ref> |
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In February 2018, Harris was one of 18 senators to sign a letter arguing against President Trump's having the legal authority to launch a preemptive strike against [[North Korea]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/372311-dem-senators-tell-trump-he-doesnt-have-legal-authority-to-launch-preemptive|title=Dem senators tell Trump he doesn’t have ‘legal authority’ to launch preemptive strike on North Korea|date=February 5, 2018|publisher=The Hill|first=Brett|last=Samuels}}</ref> |
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In 2024, a video clip from 2023 [[went viral]] of Harris saying "[[You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?]] You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you" at a White House event.<ref>{{Cite news |last=DeLetter |first=Emily |date=July 21, 2024 |title='You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?' Kamala Harris meme resurfaces after Biden drops out |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/21/coconut-tree-meme-kamala-harris/74466581007/ |access-date=July 22, 2024 |newspaper=USA Today |archive-date=July 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240721231308/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/21/coconut-tree-meme-kamala-harris/74466581007/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the launch of her 2024 presidential campaign, that and other Harris remarks have been widely shared as memes, resulting in press coverage of her public image.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Touma |first1=Rafqa |last2=Cassidy |first2=Caitlin |date=July 22, 2024 |title=What is the Kamala Harris coconut tree meme and why is everyone sharing it? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/article/2024/jul/22/kamala-harris-coconut-tree-meme |access-date=July 22, 2024 |newspaper=The Guardian |archive-date=July 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731093605/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/article/2024/jul/22/kamala-harris-coconut-tree-meme |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Amanda |last1=Hess |date=July 23, 2024 |title=The Triumphant Comeback of the Kamala Harris Meme |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/23/arts/kamala-harris-tiktok-trump.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723165630/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/23/arts/kamala-harris-tiktok-trump.html |archive-date=July 23, 2024 |access-date=July 23, 2024 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> |
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On May 8, 2018, after President Trump announced the United States was withdrawing from the [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]], Harris released a statement saying the decision "jeopardizes our national security and isolates us from our closest allies" while calling the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action "the best existing tool we have to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and avoid a disastrous military conflict in the Middle East."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-statement-on-trump-violating-the-iran-nuclear-deal|title=Harris Statement on Trump Violating the Iran Nuclear Deal|date=May 8, 2018|publisher=Kamala Harris United States Senator for California}}</ref> |
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Harris's often boisterous laughter{{efn|In terms of its type, it is often described as a cackle or guffaw.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/07/30/kamala-harriss-powerful-laughter-face-weirdness/|title=Kamala Harris's powerful laughter in the face of weirdness|date=July 30, 2024|last=Givhan|first=Robin|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=August 2, 2024|archive-date=July 31, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731004517/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/07/30/kamala-harriss-powerful-laughter-face-weirdness/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-07-24/kamala-harris-memes-coconut-brat-summer|title=Coconuts, 'brat summer' and that laugh: The memeing of Kamala Harris|date=July 24, 2024|last1=Ebeledike|first1=Neenma|last2=Bonilla|first2=Emely|last3=Hayempour|first3=Kayla|last4=Branson-Potts|first4=Hailey|access-date=August 2, 2024|archive-date=July 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725000607/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-07-24/kamala-harris-memes-coconut-brat-summer|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/28/arts/kamala-harris-laugh.html|title=Kamala Harris's Laugh Is a Campaign Issue. Our Comedy Critic Weighs in|date=July 28, 2024|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Zinoman|first=Jason|access-date=August 2, 2024|archive-date=August 2, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240802205027/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/28/arts/kamala-harris-laugh.html|url-status=live}}</ref> An example of it can be seen in the "coconut tree" video exhibited on the right of this section.}} has been called one of her "most defining and most dissected personal traits".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/2024/07/31/kamala-harris-laugh/|title=What's in Kamala Harris's laugh?|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 31, 2024|last1=Judkis|first1=Maura|last2=Voght|first2=Kara|access-date=August 2, 2024|archive-date=July 31, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731123220/https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/2024/07/31/kamala-harris-laugh/|url-status=live}}</ref> She says she got her laugh from [[Shyamala Gopalan|her mother]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/kamala-harris-drew-barrymore-interview-laugh-v0nn2v5tr|title=Kamala Harris defends 'cackle' derided by her rivals|last=Southern|first=Keiran|date=April 30, 2024|newspaper=The Times|access-date=August 2, 2024|archive-date=August 2, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240802205027/https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/kamala-harris-drew-barrymore-interview-laugh-v0nn2v5tr|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In December 2018, after [[United States Secretary of State]] [[Mike Pompeo]] announced the Trump administration was suspending its obligations in the [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]] in 60 days in the event that Russia continued to violate the treaty, Harris was one of twenty-six senators to sign a letter expressing concern over the administration "now abandoning generations of bipartisan U.S. leadership around the paired goals of reducing the global role and number of nuclear weapons and ensuring strategic stability with America's nuclear-armed adversaries" and calling on President Trump to continue arms negotiations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/421307-senate-dems-urge-trump-to-continue-nuclear-arms-control-negotiations-after|title=Senate Dems urge Trump to continue nuclear arms control negotiations after treaty suspension|date=December 13, 2018|first=Ellen|last=Mitchell|publisher=The Hill}}</ref> |
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== |
== Publications == |
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Harris has written two nonfiction books and one children's book. |
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Harris earned an "F" rating from the [[National Rifle Association]] for her consistent efforts supporting gun control.<ref name="NRARating17">{{cite web|title=Kamala Harris on Gun Control|url=http://www.ontheissues.org/Domestic/Kamala_Harris_Gun_Control.htm|website=www.ontheissues.org|accessdate=4 October 2017}}</ref> |
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While serving as district attorney in San Francisco, Harris, along with other district attorneys, filed an [[amicus brief]] in ''[[District of Columbia v. Heller]]'', arguing that the Washington, D.C., gun law at issue did not violate the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/07-290_amicus_district_attorneys.pdf|title=''D.C. v. Heller'' Amici Curiae brief of District Attorneys in support of Petitioners|accessdate=March 2, 2008|author=Kamala D. Harris|display-authors=etal}}</ref> In her second term as district attorney, she said that getting guns off the streets was a priority.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/state-appellate-panel-strikes-down-sf-handgun-ban/nLFY9/|title="State Appellate Panel Strikes Down SF Handgun Ban"|publisher=|accessdate=April 19, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305014550/http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/state-appellate-panel-strikes-down-sf-handgun-ban/nLFY9/|archivedate=March 5, 2014|deadurl=yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref> |
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* {{cite book |last1=Harris |first1=Kamala |last2=O'C. Hamilton |first2=Joan |year=2009 |title=Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer |title-link=Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer |location=San Francisco |publisher=Chronicle Books |isbn=978-0-8118-6528-9}} |
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During her run for Senate, she was endorsed by former U.S. Representative [[Gabrielle Giffords]], shot in [[2011 Tucson shooting|Tucson in 2011]]. She was also endorsed by the [[Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence]].<ref name="PanzarWillon">{{cite web|last1=Panzar|first1=Javier|last2=Willon|first2=Phil|title=Essential Politics September archives: Brown signs new laws and issues vetoes, fall campaigns heat up|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-gun-control-advocate-and-shooting-1475165392-htmlstory.html|website=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=4 October 2017}}</ref> |
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* {{cite book |last=Harris |first=Kamala |date=January 8, 2019 |title=The Truths We Hold: An American Journey |title-link=The Truths We Hold |location=London |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-9848-8622-4}} |
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* {{cite book |last=Harris |first=Kamala |date=January 8, 2019 |title=Superheroes Are Everywhere |title-link=Superheroes Are Everywhere |location=London |publisher=Penguin Young Readers Group |isbn=978-1-9848-3749-3}} |
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== See also == |
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In response to the [[2017 Las Vegas shooting]], Harris supported the call for more gun control. Believing that [[thoughts and prayers]] are inadequate answers to the shooting, she stated that "...we must also commit ourselves to action. Another moment of silence won't suffice."<ref name="Alcántara">{{cite web|last1=Alcántara|first1=Ann-Marie|title=Kamala Harris Wants Americans to Commit to Action, Not Prayers, After Las Vegas Shooting|url=https://www.popsugar.com/news/Sen-Kamala-Harris-Las-Vegas-Mass-Shooting-October-2017-44097553|website=POPSUGAR News|accessdate=4 October 2017}}</ref> |
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* [[Black women in American politics]] |
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* [[List of African-American United States Cabinet members]] |
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* [[List of African-American United States Senate candidates]] |
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* [[List of African-American United States senators]] |
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* [[List of female state attorneys general in the United States]] |
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* [[List of female United States Cabinet members]] |
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* [[List of female United States presidential and vice presidential candidates]] |
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* [[List of politicians of Indian descent#United States|List of United States politicians of Indian descent]] |
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* [[List of United States senators from California]] |
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* [[Women in the United States Senate]] |
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== Notes == |
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{{Notelist}} |
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On August 30, 2017, Harris announced at a town hall in Oakland that she would co-sponsor fellow Senator [[Bernie Sanders]]' "Medicare for All" bill, supporting [[single-payer healthcare]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Weigel|first1=David|title=Sen. Kamala Harris backs Bernie Sanders's single-payer bill|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/08/31/sen-kamala-harris-backs-bernie-sanderss-single-payer-bill/|website=The Washington Post|accessdate=August 31, 2017|date=August 30, 2017}}</ref> |
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== References == |
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In April 2018, Harris was one of ten senators to sponsor the Choose Medicare Act, an expanded public option for health insurance that also increased ObamaCare subsidies and rendered individuals with higher income levels eligible for its assistance.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/383764-dem-senators-unveil-expanded-public-option-for-health-insurance|title=Dem senators unveil expanded public option for health insurance|date=April 18, 2018|publisher=The Hill}}</ref> |
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{{Reflist|refs= |
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<!-- <ref>{{cite news |
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| url = https://cbc.ca/player/play/1816926275902 |
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| title = Kamala Harris's friend reacts to her historic win |
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| work = [[CBC News]] |
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| date = November 7, 2020 |
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| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201107212814/https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1816926275902 |
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| archive-date = November 7, 2020 |
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| access-date = November 7, 2020 |
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| url-status = live |
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| quote = Wanda Kagan has known vice president-elect Kamala Harris for nearly 40 years. Kagan says that in their most recent conversation, Harris credited her for inspiring her career path. |
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}} |
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Wanda Kagan's account of telling Kamala – her best friend – that she was being abused by her step-father, at 1:15 into the video. |
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=== Immigration === |
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She goes on to describe how Kamala then told her mom, and that her mom then generously invited Kagan to move into their household, |
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Harris has expressed support for San Francisco's immigration policy of not inquiring about immigration status in the process of a criminal investigation.<ref>Jesse McKinley (November 16, 2006), [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/12/us/12sanctuary.html "Immigrant Protection Rules Draw Fire"], ''The New York Times''. Retrieved October 28, 2010.</ref> Harris argues that it is important that immigrants be able to talk with law enforcement without fear.<ref>Anthony York (October 5, 2010), [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/10/steve-cooleykamala-harris-debate-the-arizona-immigration-law.html "Attorney general debate: The Arizona immigration law"], ''LA Times''.</ref> |
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to finish her final year of high school. She described Kamala's sister, Maya, also being very gracious in welcoming her, and that |
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Kamala's mom provided significant help for her to achieve independence from her family. |
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The clip doesn't say, but my Google searches show, Kagan is now a senior hospital administrator at the hospital where Kamala's mom worked. </ref>--> |
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}} |
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== Further reading == |
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On October 25, 2017, during a news conference, Harris stated she would not support a spending bill until Congress addressed the [[Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals]] program in a way that clarified "what we are going to do to protect and take care of our DACA young people in this country."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-sen-kamala-harris-wont-back-federal-1508949513-htmlstory.html|title=Sen. Kamala Harris won't back federal spending bill without DACA fix |first=Sarah D.|last=Wire|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 25, 2017}}</ref> |
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* {{cite book | last=Johnson-Batiste | first=Stacey L. | title=Friends from the Beginning: The Berkeley Village That Raised Kamala and Me| publisher=Twelve Books | date=2021 | isbn=978-1-5387-0748-7}} |
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* {{cite book | last=Morain | first=Dan | title=Kamala's Way | date=2021 | publisher=Simon & Schuster | isbn=978-1-3985-0485-1}} |
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== External links == |
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In a January 2018 interview, when asked by Hiram Soto about her ideal version of a bipartisan deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Harris stated the need to focus on comprehensive immigration reform and "pass a clean [[DREAM Act]]."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/hoy-san-diego/noticias/san-diego/sdhoy-sen-kamala-harris-talks-daca-future-run-for-president-20180112-story.html|title=Senator Kamala Harris talks DACA amid heated negotiations |date=January 12, 2018|first=Hiram|last=Soto|work=The San Diego Union-Tribune}}</ref> |
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{{sister project links|d=Q10853588|c=Category:Kamala_Harris|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=Author:Kamala_Devi_Harris|wikt=no|species=no}} |
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{{Library resources box|about=yes|by=no}} |
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=== Official === |
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In July 2018, the [[Presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]] falsely accused Harris of "supporting the animals of [[MS-13]]."<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/02/harris-warren-senate-women-trump-691546|title=White Houses lashes out at Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren|work=POLITICO|access-date=2018-07-02|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=http://www.politifact.com/california/statements/2018/jul/03/donald-trump/pants-fire-white-house-claim-sen-harris-supporting/|title=Pants On Fire for WH claim Sen. Harris ‘supporting MS-13'|work=@politifact|access-date=2018-07-04|language=en}}</ref> Harris responded, "As a career prosecutor, I actually went after gangs and transnational criminal organizations. That's being a leader on public safety. What is not, is ripping babies from their mothers."<ref name=":7" /> [[PolitiFact]] concluded, "We found no information showing Harris has supported or sympathized with MS-13. When asked, the White House provided no evidence to back up its reckless attack, which fits with a pattern of other baseless claims on the subject."<ref name=":8" /> |
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* [https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/vice-president-harris/ Vice President Kamala Harris] official website |
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* [https://kamalaharris.com/ Official campaign website] |
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* [https://www.congress.gov/member/kamala-harris/H001075 Senator Kamala D. Harris] (2017–2021) |
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=== Other === |
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In August 2018, Harris led fifteen Democrats and [[Bernie Sanders]] in a letter to [[United States Secretary of Homeland Security]] [[Kirstjen Nielsen]] demanding that the Trump administration take immediate action in attempting to reunite 539 migrant children with their families, citing each passing day of inaction as intensifying "trauma that this administration has needlessly caused for children and their families seeking humanitarian protection."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/401999-senate-democrats-demand-immediate-reunification-of-remaining-separated|title=Senate Dems demand immediate reunification of remaining separated children|first=Nathaniel|last=Weixel|date=August 15, 2018|publisher=The Hill}}</ref> |
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* [https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=kamala+harris&btnG= Books and articles on or by Kamala Harris] at [[Google Scholar]] |
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In November 2018, Harris was one of eleven senators to sign a letter to [[United States Secretary of Defense]] [[James Mattis]] concerning "the overt politicization of the military" with the Trump administration's deployment of 5,800 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and requesting a briefing and written justification from the U.S. Northern Command for troop deployment while urging Mattis to "curb the unprecedented escalation of DOD involvement in immigration enforcement."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/417703-2020-democrats-challenge-trumps-use-of-troops-at-mexico-border|title=2020 Democrats challenge Trump's use of troops at Mexico border|date=November 20, 2018|publisher=The Hill}}</ref> |
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* {{C-SPAN}} |
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* [https://www.ontheissues.org/Kamala_Harris.htm Kamala Harris] at [[On the Issues]] |
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=== Taxes === |
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* [https://www.politifact.com/personalities/kamala-harris/ Kamala Harris] at [[PolitiFact]] |
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Harris opposed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and has called for a repeal of the bill's tax cuts for wealthy Americans.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/11/15/almost-all-sen-harriss-trillion-tax-plan-would-help-middle-working-class-study-finds/|title=Almost all of Sen. Harris’s $2.8 trillion tax plan would help middle and working class, study finds|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> In 2018, she proposed a tax cut for the majority of working-class Americans. An analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated that the bill would reduce federal revenue by $2.8 trillion over a decade. Harris proposed to pay for the tax cuts by repealing tax cuts for wealthy Americans and by increasing taxes on corporations.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/kamala-harriss-tax-credit-would-cut-taxes-significantly-low-and-moderate-income-households |title=Kamala Harris’s Tax Credit Would Cut Taxes Significantly For Low- And Moderate-Income Households But Could Add Trillions To The Debt}}</ref> |
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==Personal life== |
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[[File:Kamala Harris signing the guest book at Yad Vashem with her husband, Doug24830055418 5323ea6526 h (cropped2).jpg|thumb|right|Kamala Harris in 2017 signing the guestbook at [[Yad Vashem]] as her husband looks on]] |
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Harris is married to California attorney Douglas Emhoff,<ref>{{cite news|title=California Attorney General Kamala Harris engaged|publisher=''SF Gate''|date=April 7, 2010|url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/garchik/article/California-Attorney-General-Kamala-Harris-engaged-5380881.php|accessdate=April 17, 2014|first=Leah|last=Garchik}}</ref> who was at one time partner-in-charge at [[Venable LLP]]'s Los Angeles office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.venable.com/douglas-c-emhoff/|title=Douglas C. Emhoff|publisher=[[Venable LLP]]}}</ref> They married on August 22, 2014, in [[Santa Barbara, California]].<ref>{{cite news|author=David Siders |url=http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article2607685.html|title=Kamala Harris grew up idolizing lawyers |work=[[The Sacramento Bee]]|date=August 25, 2014 }}</ref> Harris's sister is [[Maya Harris]], MSNBC political analyst, and her brother-in-law is [[Tony West (attorney)|Tony West]], General Counsel of [[Uber (company)|Uber]] and a former [[U.S. Justice Department]] senior official.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" /> Harris has two stepchildren, one in college and one in high school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/2014/08/26/california-attorney-general-kamala-harris-marries-fellow-lawyer/|title=California Attorney General Kamala Harris marries fellow lawyer |website= [[The Mercury News]]|access-date=2017-03-16}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* [[List of African-American United States Senators]] |
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* [[List of female state attorneys-general in the United States]] |
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* [[List of politicians of Indian descent#United States|List of United States politicians of Indian descent]] |
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* [[List of United States Senators from California]] |
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* [[Women in the United States Senate]] |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist|30em}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Commons category|Kamala Harris}} |
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* [https://www.harris.senate.gov U.S. Senate website] |
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* [https://kamalaharris.org/ Campaign website] |
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* {{DMOZ|Regional/North_America/United_States/California/Government/Federal/US_Senate/Kamala_Harris_%5BD%5D }} |
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* {{C-SPAN|kamalaharris}} |
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* {{CongLinks | congbio = H001075 | fec = S6CA00584 | votesmart = 120012 | congress = kamala-harris/H001075 }} |
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* {{worldcat id|lccn-n2009-45056|Kamala D. Harris}} |
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{{Kamala Harris}} |
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Latest revision as of 21:08, 3 November 2024
Kamala Harris | |
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49th Vice President of the United States | |
Assumed office January 20, 2021 | |
President | Joe Biden |
Preceded by | Mike Pence |
United States Senator from California | |
In office January 3, 2017 – January 18, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Barbara Boxer |
Succeeded by | Alex Padilla |
32nd Attorney General of California | |
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017 | |
Governor | Jerry Brown |
Preceded by | Jerry Brown |
Succeeded by | Xavier Becerra |
27th District Attorney of San Francisco | |
In office January 8, 2004 – January 3, 2011 | |
Preceded by | Terence Hallinan |
Succeeded by | George Gascón |
Personal details | |
Born | Kamala Devi Harris[a] October 20, 1964 Oakland, California, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 stepchildren, including Ella |
Parents | |
Relatives | Harris family |
Residence | Number One Observatory Circle |
Education | |
Signature | |
Website | Campaign website |
| ||
---|---|---|
Personal U.S. Senator from California 49th Vice President of the United States Incumbent Vice presidential campaigns |
||
Kamala Devi Harris (pronounced /ˈkɑːmələ ˈdeɪvi/ ;[1] born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who has been the 49th and current vice president of the United States since 2021, serving under President Joe Biden. Harris is the Democratic Party's nominee for president in the 2024 election. She is the first female vice president of the United States, making her the highest ranking female official in U.S. history. She is also the first African American, and the first Asian American vice president. From 2017 to 2021, she represented California in the United States Senate. Before that, she was the attorney general of California.
Born in Oakland, California, Harris graduated from Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She began her law career in the office of the district attorney of Alameda County. She was recruited to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office and later to the office of the city attorney of San Francisco. She was elected district attorney of San Francisco in 2003 and attorney general of California in 2010, and reelected as attorney general in 2014. As the San Francisco district attorney and the attorney general of California, Harris was the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold each office.
Harris was the junior U.S. senator from California from 2017 to 2021. She won the 2016 Senate election, becoming the second Black woman and first South Asian American U.S. senator. As a senator, Harris advocated for stricter gun control laws, the DREAM Act, federal legalization of cannabis, and reforms to healthcare and taxation. She gained a national profile for her pointed questioning of Trump administration officials during Senate hearings, including Trump's second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.
Harris sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination in 2019, but withdrew from the race before the primaries. Biden selected her as his running mate, and their ticket defeated the incumbent president and vice president, Donald Trump and Mike Pence, in the 2020 election. Presiding over an evenly split Senate upon entering office, Harris played a crucial role as president of the Senate. She cast more tie-breaking votes than any other vice president, which helped pass bills such as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 stimulus package and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. After Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential election, Harris launched her campaign with Biden's endorsement and soon became the presumptive nominee. On August 6, 2024, she chose Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, as her running mate.
Early life and career
Early life and education
Kamala Devi Harris[a] was born in Oakland, California,[3] on October 20, 1964.[4] Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a biologist who arrived in the United States from India in 1958 to enroll in graduate school in endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley. A research career of over 40 years followed, during which her work on the progesterone receptor gene led to advances in breast cancer research.[5] Harris's father, Donald J. Harris,[6] is an Afro-Jamaican who arrived in the United States in 1961, also enrolling in UC Berkeley and specializing in development economics. The first Black scholar to be granted tenure at Stanford University's economics department, he now has emeritus status there.[7] Kamala Harris's parents met in 1962 and married in 1963.[8]
The Harris family lived in Berkeley until they moved in 1966, around Kamala's second birthday. They lived for a few years in college towns in the Midwest where her parents held teaching or research positions:[9] Urbana, Illinois (where her sister Maya was born in 1966); Evanston, Illinois; and Madison, Wisconsin.[b][10][9][11] By 1970, the marriage had faltered, and Shyamala moved back to California with her two daughters;[12][13][9] the couple divorced when Kamala was seven.[8] In 1972, Donald Harris accepted a position at Stanford University; Kamala and Maya spent weekends at their father's house in Palo Alto and lived at their mother's house in Berkeley during the week.[14] Shyamala was friends with African-American intellectuals and activists in Oakland and Berkeley.[11] In 1976, she accepted a research position at the McGill University School of Medicine, and moved with her daughters to Montreal, Quebec.[15][16] Harris graduated from Westmount High School in Montreal in 1981.[17]
Harris attended Vanier College in Montreal in 1981–82,[18] and then Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C.[19][20] At Howard, she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, one of the "Divine Nine" historically black sororities.[21] She graduated in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics.[22][23] Harris then attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco,[24] where she served as president of its chapter of the Black Law Students Association.[25] She graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1989.[26]
Early career
In 1990, Harris was hired as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California, where she was described as "an able prosecutor on the way up".[27] In 1994, Speaker of the California Assembly Willie Brown, who was then dating Harris, appointed her to the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and later to the California Medical Assistance Commission.[27] In February 1998, San Francisco district attorney Terence Hallinan recruited Harris as an assistant district attorney.[28] There, she became the chief of the Career Criminal Division, supervising five other attorneys, where she prosecuted homicide, burglary, robbery, and sexual assault cases—particularly three-strikes cases. In August 2000, Harris took a job at San Francisco City Hall, working for city attorney Louise Renne.[29] Harris ran the Family and Children's Services Division, representing child abuse and neglect cases. Renne endorsed Harris during her D.A. campaign.[30]
San Francisco District Attorney (2002–2011)
In 2002, Harris ran for District Attorney of San Francisco,[31] running a "forceful" campaign[32][33] and differentiating herself from Hallinan by attacking his performance.[34] Harris won the election with 56% of the vote, becoming the first person of color elected district attorney of San Francisco.[35] She ran unopposed for a second term in 2007.[36]
Within the first six months of taking office, Harris cleared 27 of 74 backlogged homicide cases.[37] She also pushed for higher bail for criminal defendants involved in gun-related crimes, arguing that historically low bail encouraged outsiders to commit crimes in San Francisco. SFPD officers credited Harris with tightening the loopholes defendants had used in the past.[38] During her campaign, Harris pledged never to seek the death penalty,[39] and kept to this in the cases of a San Francisco Police Department officer, Isaac Espinoza, who was shot and killed in 2004,[40][41] and of Edwin Ramos, an illegal immigrant and alleged MS-13 gang member who was accused of murdering a man and his two sons in 2009.[42][43]
Harris created a Hate Crimes Unit, focusing on hate crimes against LGBT children and teens in schools,[44] and supported A.B. 1160, the Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act.[45] As District Attorney, she created an environmental crimes unit in 2005.[46] Harris expressed support for San Francisco's sanctuary city policy of not inquiring about immigration status in the process of a criminal investigation.[47] In 2004, she created the San Francisco Reentry Division.[48] Over six years, the 200 people graduated from the program had a recidivism rate of less than 10%, compared to the 53% of California's drug offenders who returned to prison within two years of release.[49][50][51]
In 2006, as part of an initiative to reduce the city's homicide rate, Harris led a citywide effort to combat truancy for at-risk elementary school youth in San Francisco.[52] In 2008, declaring chronic truancy a matter of public safety and pointing out that the majority of prison inmates and homicide victims are dropouts or habitual truants,[53] she issued citations against six parents whose children missed at least 50 days of school, the first time San Francisco prosecuted adults for student truancy.[54] Harris's office ultimately prosecuted seven parents in three years, with none jailed.[55] By April 2009, 1,330 elementary school students were habitual or chronic truants, down 23% from 1,730 in 2008, and from 2,517 in 2007 and 2,856 in 2006.[55]
Attorney General of California (2011–2017)
Harris was elected attorney general of California in 2010, becoming the first woman, African American, and South Asian American to hold the office in the state's history.[56] She took office on January 3, 2011, and was reelected in 2014.[57] She served until resigning on January 3, 2017, to take her seat in the United States Senate.
In 2010, Harris announced her candidacy for attorney general and was endorsed by prominent California Democrats, including U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.[58] She won the Democratic primary and narrowly defeated Republican nominee Steve Cooley in the general election.[59] Her tenure was marked by significant efforts in consumer protection, criminal justice reform, and privacy rights.
In 2014, Harris was reelected, defeating Republican nominee Ronald Gold with 58% of the vote.[57] During her second term, she expanded her focus on consumer protection, securing major settlements against corporations like Quest Diagnostics,[60] JPMorgan Chase,[61] and Corinthian Colleges,[62][63] recovering billions for California consumers. She spearheaded the creation of the Homeowner Bill of Rights to combat aggressive foreclosure practices during the housing crisis, recording multiple nine-figure settlements against mortgage servicers.[64][65] Harris also worked on privacy rights. She collaborated with major tech companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook to ensure that mobile apps disclosed their data-sharing practices.[66][67] She created the Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit, focusing on cyber privacy and data breaches.[67] California secured settlements with companies like Comcast and Houzz for privacy violations.[68][69]
Harris was instrumental in advancing criminal justice reform. She launched the Division of Recidivism Reduction and Re-Entry and implemented the Back on Track LA program, which provided educational and job training opportunities for nonviolent offenders.[70][71] Despite her focus on reform, Harris faced criticism for defending the state's position in cases involving wrongful convictions[72][72] and for her office's stance on prison labor.[73][74] She continued to advocate for progressive reforms, including banning the gay panic defense in California courts[75][76] and opposing Proposition 8, the state's same-sex marriage ban.[77][78][79]
U.S. Senator (2017–2021)
Election
After more than 20 years as a U.S. senator from California, Senator Barbara Boxer announced on January 13, 2015, that she would not run for reelection in 2016.[80] Harris announced her candidacy for the Senate seat the next week.[80] She was a top contender from the beginning of her campaign.[81]
The 2016 California Senate election used California's new top-two primary format, where the top two candidates in the primary advance to the general election regardless of party.[81] On February 27, 2016, Harris won 78% of the California Democratic Party vote at the party convention, allowing her campaign to receive financial support from the party.[82] Three months later, Governor Jerry Brown endorsed her.[83] In the June 7 primary, Harris came in first with 40% of the vote and won with pluralities in most counties.[84] Harris faced representative and fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez in the general election.[85]
On July 19, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden endorsed Harris.[86] In the November 2016 election, Harris defeated Sanchez with over 60% of the vote, carrying all but four counties.[87] After her victory, she promised to protect immigrants from the policies of President-elect Donald Trump and announced her intention to remain Attorney General through the end of 2016.[88][89] Harris became the second Black woman and first South Asian American senator in history.[90][91][92]
Tenure and political positions
As a senator, Harris advocated stricter gun control laws,[93][94] the DREAM Act, federal legalization of cannabis, and healthcare and taxation reforms.[citation needed] She became well known nationally after questioning several Trump appointees, such as Jeff Sessions and Brett Kavanaugh.[95]
2017
On January 28, after Trump signed Executive Order 13769, barring citizens from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days, she condemned the order and was one of many to call it a "Muslim ban".[96] She called White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly at home to gather information and push back against the executive order.[97]
In February, Harris spoke in opposition to Trump's cabinet picks Betsy DeVos for secretary of education[98] and Jeff Sessions for United States Attorney General.[99] In early March, she called on Sessions to resign, after it was reported that Sessions, who had previously said he "did not have communications with the Russians", spoke twice with Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak.[100]
In April, Harris voted against the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.[101] Later that month, she took her first foreign trip to the Middle East, visiting California troops stationed in Iraq and the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, the largest camp for Syrian refugees.[102]
In June, Harris garnered media attention for her questioning of Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, over the role he played in the May 2017 firing of James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[103] The prosecutorial nature of her questioning caused Senator John McCain, an ex officio member of the Intelligence Committee, and Senator Richard Burr, the committee chairman, to interrupt her and request that she be more respectful of the witness. A week later, she questioned Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, on the same topic.[104] Sessions said her questioning "makes me nervous".[105] Burr's singling out of Harris sparked suggestions in the news media that his behavior was sexist, with commentators arguing that Burr would not treat a male Senate colleague in a similar manner.[106]
In December, Harris called for the resignation of Senator Al Franken, writing on Twitter, "Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere."[107]
2018
In January, Harris was appointed to the Senate Judiciary Committee after Franken resigned.[109] Later that month, she questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen for favoring Norwegian immigrants over others and for claiming to be unaware that Norway is a predominantly white country.[110][111]
Also in January, Harris and Senators Heidi Heitkamp, Jon Tester, and Claire McCaskill co-sponsored the Border and Port Security Act,[112] legislation to mandate that U.S. Customs and Border Protection "hire, train and assign at least 500 officers per year until the number of needed positions the model identifies is filled" and require the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection to determine potential equipment and infrastructure improvements for ports of entry.[113]
In May, Harris heatedly questioned Nielsen about the Trump administration family separation policy, under which children were separated from their families when their parents were taken into custody for illegally entering the U.S.[114] In June, after visiting one of the detention facilities near the border in San Diego,[115] Harris became the first senator to demand Nielsen's resignation.[116]
In the September and October Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Harris questioned Brett Kavanaugh about a meeting he may have had regarding the Mueller Investigation with a member of Kasowitz Benson Torres, the law firm founded by Donald Trump's personal attorney, Marc Kasowitz. Kavanaugh was unable to answer and repeatedly deflected.[117] Harris also participated in questioning the FBI director's limited scope of the investigation of Kavanaugh regarding allegations of sexual assault.[118] She voted against his confirmation.
Harris was a target of the October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts.[119]
In December, the Senate passed the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act (S. 3178), sponsored by Harris.[120] The bill, which died in the House, would have made lynching a federal hate crime.[121]
2019
Harris supported busing for desegregation of public schools, saying, "the schools of America are as segregated, if not more segregated, today than when I was in elementary school."[122] She viewed busing as an option to be considered by school districts, rather than the responsibility of the federal government.[123]
Harris was an early co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, a plan to transition the country towards generating 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030.[124]
In March 2019, after Special Counsel Robert Mueller submitted his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, Harris called for U.S. Attorney General William Barr to testify before Congress in the interests of transparency.[125] Two days later, Barr released a four-page "summary" of the redacted Mueller Report, which was criticized as a deliberate mischaracterization of its conclusions.[126] Later that month, Harris was one of 12 Democratic senators led by Mazie Hirono to sign a letter questioning Barr's decision to offer "his own conclusion that the President's conduct did not amount to obstruction of justice", and called for an investigation into whether Barr's summary of the Mueller Report and his statements at a news conference were misleading.[127]
In April 2019, Harris was one of 34 Senate Democrats and independents to write a letter urging President Trump not to cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The group wrote:[128]
We encourage you to listen to members of your own Administration and reverse a decision that will damage our national security and aggravate conditions inside Central America....Since taking office, you have consistently expressed a flawed understanding of U.S. foreign assistance. It is neither charity, nor is it a gift to foreign governments. Our national security funding is specifically designed to promote American interests, enhance our collective security, and protect the safety of our citizens... By obstructing the use of [Fiscal Year 2018] national security funding and seeking to terminate similar funding from [Fiscal Year 2017], you are personally undermining efforts to promote U.S. national security and economic prosperity.
On May 1, 2019, Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[129] During the hearing, he remained defiant about the misrepresentations in the four-page summary he had released ahead of the full report.[130] When asked by Harris whether he had reviewed the underlying evidence before deciding not to charge Trump with obstruction of justice, Barr admitted that neither he, Rod Rosenstein, nor anyone in his office had reviewed the evidence supporting the report before making the charging decision.[131] Harris later called for Barr to resign, accusing him of refusing to answer her questions because he could open himself up to perjury, and saying his responses disqualified him from serving as U.S. attorney general.[132][133] Two days later, Harris demanded again that the Department of Justice inspector general Michael E. Horowitz investigate whether Barr acceded to pressure from the White House to investigate Trump's political enemies.[134]
On May 5, 2019, Harris said "voter suppression" prevented Democrats Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum from winning the 2018 gubernatorial elections in Georgia and Florida; Abrams lost by 55,000 votes and Gillum by 32,000. According to election law expert Richard L. Hasen, "I have seen no good evidence that the suppressive effects of strict voting and registration laws affected the outcome of the governor's races in Georgia and Florida."[135]
In July, Harris teamed with Kirsten Gillibrand to urge the Trump administration to investigate the persecution of Uyghurs in China by the Chinese Communist Party; in this question she was joined by Senator Marco Rubio.[136]
In November, Harris called for an investigation into the death of Roxsana Hernández, a transgender woman and immigrant who died in ICE custody.[137][138]
In December, Harris led a group of Democratic senators and civil rights organizations in demanding the removal of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller after emails published by the Southern Poverty Law Center revealed frequent promotion of white nationalist literature to Breitbart website editors.[139]
2020
Before the opening of the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on January 16, 2020, Harris delivered remarks on the floor of the Senate, stating her views on the integrity of the American justice system and the principle that nobody, including an incumbent president, is above the law. She later asked Senate Judiciary chairman Lindsey Graham to halt all judicial nominations during the impeachment trial, to which Graham acquiesced.[140][141] Harris voted to convict Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.[142]
Harris worked on bipartisan bills with Republican co-sponsors, including a bail reform bill with Rand Paul,[143] an election security bill with James Lankford,[144] and a workplace harassment bill with Lisa Murkowski.[145]
2021
Following her election as Vice President of the United States, Harris resigned from her seat on January 18, 2021,[146] before taking office on January 20, and was replaced by California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.[147]
Committee assignments
While in the Senate, Harris was a member of the following committees:[148]
- Committee on the Budget
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Select Committee on Intelligence
- Committee on the Judiciary[149]
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus[150]
- Congressional Black Caucus[151]
- Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues
2020 presidential election
Presidential campaign
Harris had been considered a top contender and potential front-runner for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president.[152] In June 2018, she said she was "not ruling it out".[153] In July 2018, it was announced that she would publish a memoir, a sign of a possible run.[154] On January 21, 2019, Harris officially announced her candidacy for president of the United States in the 2020 presidential election.[155] In the first 24 hours after her announcement, she tied a record set by Bernie Sanders in 2016 for the most donations raised in the day after an announcement.[156][157] More than 20,000 people attended her campaign launch event in her hometown of Oakland, California, on January 27, according to a police estimate.[158]
During the first Democratic presidential debate in June 2019, Harris scolded former vice president Joe Biden for "hurtful" remarks he made, speaking fondly of senators who opposed integration efforts in the 1970s and working with them to oppose mandatory school bussing.[159] Harris's support rose by between six and nine points in polls after that debate.[160] In the second debate in August, Biden and Representative Tulsi Gabbard confronted Harris over her record as attorney general.[161] The San Jose Mercury News assessed that some of Gabbard's and Biden's accusations were on point, such as blocking the DNA testing of a death row inmate, while others did not withstand scrutiny. In the immediate aftermath of the debate, Harris fell in the polls.[162][163] Over the next few months her poll numbers fell to the low single digits.[164][165] Harris faced criticism from reformers for tough-on-crime policies she pursued while she was California's attorney general.[166] In 2014, she defended California's death penalty in court.[167]
Before and during her presidential campaign, an online informal organization using the hashtag #KHive formed to support Harris's candidacy and defend her from racist and sexist attacks.[168][169][170] According to the Daily Dot, Joy Reid first used the term in an August 2017 tweet saying "@DrJasonJohnson @ZerlinaMaxwell and I had a meeting and decided it's called the K-Hive."[171]
On December 3, 2019, Harris withdrew from the 2020 presidential election, citing a shortage of funds.[172] In March 2020, she endorsed Joe Biden for president.[173]
Vice presidential campaign
In May 2019, senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus endorsed the idea of a Biden–Harris ticket.[174] In late February 2020, Biden won a landslide victory in the 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary with the endorsement of House whip Jim Clyburn, with more victories on Super Tuesday. In early March, Clyburn suggested Biden choose a black woman as a running mate, saying, "African American women needed to be rewarded for their loyalty".[175] In March, Biden committed to choosing a woman for his running mate.[176]
On April 17, 2020, Harris responded to media speculation and said she "would be honored" to be Biden's running mate.[177] In late May, in relation to the murder of George Floyd and ensuing protests and demonstrations, Biden faced renewed calls to select a black woman as his running mate, highlighting the law enforcement credentials of Harris and Val Demings.[178]
On June 12, The New York Times reported that Harris was emerging as the front-runner to be Biden's running mate, as she was the only African American woman with the political experience typical of vice presidents.[179] On June 26, CNN reported that more than a dozen people close to the Biden search process considered Harris one of Biden's top four contenders, along with Elizabeth Warren, Val Demings, and Keisha Lance Bottoms.[180]
On August 11, 2020, Biden announced he had chosen Harris.[181] She was the first African American, the first Indian American, and the third woman after Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin to be the vice-presidential nominee on a major-party ticket.[182] Harris is also the first resident of the Western United States to appear on the Democratic Party's national ticket.[183]
Harris became the vice president–elect after Biden won the 2020 presidential election.[184]
Vice presidency (2021–present)
Harris was sworn in as vice president on 11:40 a.m. on January 20, 2021, by Justice Sonia Sotomayor.[185] She is the United States' first woman vice president, first African-American vice president, and first Asian-American vice president.[186][187][188][189] Harris is the third person with acknowledged non-European ancestry to become president or vice president.[c]
Her first act as vice president was to swear in three new senators: Alex Padilla (her successor in the Senate) and Georgia Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.[191]
Senate presidency
When Harris took office the 117th Congress's Senate was divided 50–50 between Republicans and Democrats;[192] this meant that she was often called upon to exercise her power to cast tie-breaking votes as president of the Senate. Harris cast her first two tie-breaking votes on February 5. In February and March, Harris's tie-breaking votes were required to pass the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 stimulus package Biden proposed, since no Senate Republicans voted for it.[193][194] On July 20, Harris broke Mike Pence's record for tie-breaking votes in the first year of a vice presidency[195] when she cast the seventh tie-breaking vote in her first six months.[196] She cast 13 tie-breaking votes during her first year in office, the most tie-breaking votes in a single year in U.S. history, surpassing John Adams, who cast 12 in 1790.[196][197] On December 5, 2023, Harris broke the record for the most tie-breaking votes cast by a vice president, casting her 32nd vote, exceeding John C. Calhoun, who cast 31 votes during his nearly eight years in office.[196][198] On November 19, 2021, Harris served as acting president from 10:10 to 11:35 am EST while Biden underwent a colonoscopy.[199] She was the first woman, and the third person overall, to assume the powers and duties of the presidency as acting president of the United States.[200][201][202]
As early as December 2021, Harris was identified as playing a pivotal role in the Biden administration owing to her tie-breaking vote in the evenly divided Senate as well as her being the presumed front-runner in 2024 if Biden did not seek reelection.[203]
Immigration
On March 24, 2021, Biden assigned Harris to work with Mexico and Northern Triangle nations (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) to stem irregular migration to the Mexico–United States border and address the root causes of migration.[204][205] The Root Causes Strategy (RCS) was the product of this effort.[206] Multiple news organizations at the time described Harris as a "border czar",[207][208][209] though Harris rejected the title and never actually held it.[210][211][212][213][214][excessive citations] Republicans and other critics began using the term "border czar" to tie Harris to the Mexico–United States border crisis, including in a July 2024 House resolution, despite her having no authority over the border itself.[215][216][217][218][219][excessive citations]
Harris conducted her first international trip as vice president in June 2021, visiting Guatemala and Mexico in an attempt to address the root causes of an increase in migration from Central America to the United States.[220] During her visit, in a joint press conference with Guatemalan president Alejandro Giammattei, Harris issued an appeal to potential migrants: "I want to be clear to folks in the region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come."[221] Her work in Central America led to creation of:
- Task forces on corruption and human trafficking
- The Partnership for Central America[222]
- The women's empowerment program In Her Hands, part of the Partnership for Central America[223]
- Investment funds for housing and businesses[224]
Foreign policy
Harris met with French president Emmanuel Macron in November 2021 to strengthen ties after the contentious cancellation of a submarine program.[225] Another meeting was held in November 2022 during Macron's visit to the U.S., resulting in an agreement to strengthen U.S.–France space cooperation across civil, commercial, and national security sectors.[226]
In April 2021, Harris said she was the last person in the room before Biden decided to remove all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, adding that Biden had "an extraordinary amount of courage" and "make[s] decisions based on what he truly believes ... is the right thing to do."[227] National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Biden "insists she be in every core decision-making meeting. She weighs in during those meetings, often providing unique perspectives."[224] Harris assumed a "key diplomatic role" in the Biden administration, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after which she was dispatched to Germany and Poland to rally support for arming Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia.[228]
In April 2023, Harris visited Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland with South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol and agreed to work to strengthen the space alliance between the U.S. and South Korea. "We renew our commitment to strengthen our cooperation in the next frontier of our expanding alliance, and of course that is space," Harris said at a joint news conference with Yoon.[229]
In November 2023, Harris pledged that the Biden administration would place no conditions on U.S. aid to Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza.[230] In March 2024, she criticized Israel's actions during the Israel–Hamas war, saying, "Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks...This will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid in."[231]
2024 presidential campaign
In April 2023, incumbent president Joe Biden announced his reelection campaign, with Harris as his running mate. After the Democratic primaries, the pair became the party's presumptive nominees in the 2024 presidential election. On July 21, 2024, Biden suspended his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris for president.[232] Harris was also endorsed by Jimmy Carter, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, the Congressional Black Caucus, and many others.[233][234][235][236] In the first 24 hours of her candidacy, her campaign raised $81 million in small-dollar donations, the highest single-day total of any presidential candidate in history.[237] If elected, Harris would be the first female and first Asian-American president of the United States, and the second African-American president, after Obama.[238] By August 5, Harris had officially secured the nomination via a virtual roll call of delegates.[239][240][241] The next day, she announced Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate.[242] On August 22, 2024, the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention, Harris officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president.[243] Harris participated in a debate with Trump on September 10; it was widely reported that Harris won the debate.[244][245][246][247] On 30 October, she delivered a speech at The Ellipse in Washington, D.C. The half-hour address was intended as a 'closing argument' for her campaign.[248]
Political positions
Harris's domestic platform supports national abortion protections, LGBTQ+ rights, stricter gun control, and limited legislation to address climate change.[249][250][93] On immigration, she supports an earned pathway to citizenship and increases in border security, as well as addressing the root causes of illegal immigration by means of the RCS program.[251][252]
On foreign policy, Harris supports continued military aid to Ukraine and Israel in their respective wars, but insists that Israel should agree to a ceasefire and hostage deal and work toward a two-state solution.[253] She opposes an arms embargo on Israel.[254] Harris has departed from Biden on economic issues, proposing what has been called a "populist" economic agenda.[255][256]
Personal life
In the 1990s, Harris dated Willie Brown, Speaker of the California Assembly (1980–1995) and then Mayor of San Francisco (1996–2004).[27] In 2001, she briefly dated talk show host Montel Williams.[257]
Harris met her husband, attorney Doug Emhoff, through a mutual friend who set them up on a blind date in 2013.[258] Emhoff, who was born in a Jewish family, was an entertainment lawyer who became partner-in-charge at Venable LLP's Los Angeles office.[259][258][260] Harris and Emhoff married on August 22, 2014, in Santa Barbara, California.[261] Harris is stepmother to Emhoff's two children, Cole and Ella, from his previous marriage to the film producer Kerstin Emhoff.[262] As of August 2024[update], Harris and her husband had an estimated net worth of $8 million.[263][264]
Harris is a Baptist, holding membership of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco, a congregation of the American Baptist Churches USA.[265][266][267][268] She is a member of The Links, an invitation-only social and service organization of prominent Black American women.[269][270] Harris is a gun owner.[271]
Harris's sister, Maya, is a lawyer and MSNBC political analyst; her brother-in-law, Tony West, is general counsel of Uber and a former United States Department of Justice senior official.[272] Her niece, Meena, is the founder of the Phenomenal Women Action Campaign and former head of strategy and leadership at Uber.[273]
Public image
Though the public had an unfavorable view of Harris as vice president, setting a record low,[274] her public image improved after Biden withdrew his candidacy for reelection. Notably, her approval rating rose 13% among Democrats.[275]
Harris's term as vice president has seen high staff turnover—including the departures of her chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, press secretary, deputy press secretary, communications director, and chief speechwriter[276]—which critics allege reflects dysfunction and demoralization.[228] Axios reported that at least some of the turnover was due to exhaustion from a demanding transition into the new administration, as well as financial and personal considerations.[277] For most of her tenure, Harris had one of the lowest approval ratings of any vice president.[278][279][274] According to a RealClear Politics polling average, a record low of 34.8% of Americans had a favorable view of her in August 2022, but this number rose rapidly after she became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in July 2024. Harris had a net favorable rating by September 9.[280]
In 2024, a video clip from 2023 went viral of Harris saying "You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you" at a White House event.[281] Since the launch of her 2024 presidential campaign, that and other Harris remarks have been widely shared as memes, resulting in press coverage of her public image.[282][283]
Harris's often boisterous laughter[d] has been called one of her "most defining and most dissected personal traits".[287] She says she got her laugh from her mother.[288]
Publications
Harris has written two nonfiction books and one children's book.
- Harris, Kamala; O'C. Hamilton, Joan (2009). Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-6528-9.
- Harris, Kamala (January 8, 2019). The Truths We Hold: An American Journey. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-1-9848-8622-4.
- Harris, Kamala (January 8, 2019). Superheroes Are Everywhere. London: Penguin Young Readers Group. ISBN 978-1-9848-3749-3.
See also
- Black women in American politics
- List of African-American United States Cabinet members
- List of African-American United States Senate candidates
- List of African-American United States senators
- List of female state attorneys general in the United States
- List of female United States Cabinet members
- List of female United States presidential and vice presidential candidates
- List of United States politicians of Indian descent
- List of United States senators from California
- Women in the United States Senate
Notes
- ^ a b Harris was originally named Kamala Iyer Harris by her parents, who two weeks later filed an affidavit by which her middle name was changed to Devi.[2]
- ^ The schools were University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Northwestern University, Evanston; and University of Wisconsin, Madison.
- ^ The other two are President Barack Obama, and Charles Curtis, a Native American and member of the Kaw Nation, who was vice president under Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933.[190]
- ^ In terms of its type, it is often described as a cackle or guffaw.[284][285][286] An example of it can be seen in the "coconut tree" video exhibited on the right of this section.
References
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my paternal grandfather, Oscar Joseph … my paternal grandmother, Beryl
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She [the vice president] is really going to look at two tracks. She is going to work first on the goal of stemming the flow of irregular migrants to the US, but also at the same time, and as part of the broader context, her real goal is establishment of a strategic partnership with these countries that is based on respect and shared values.
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Well, the vice president is expected to land here in El Paso in about an hour and a half. It will be a four-hour visit. And this will be her first visit to the U.S./Mexico border region since she was appointed as the border czar by President Biden.
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If Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, Republicans have a ready-made case against her: They can say she was President Joe Biden's 'border czar', in charge of immigration and the border, and she failed ... There's just one problem. The vice president was never in charge of the border.
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Further reading
- Johnson-Batiste, Stacey L. (2021). Friends from the Beginning: The Berkeley Village That Raised Kamala and Me. Twelve Books. ISBN 978-1-5387-0748-7.
- Morain, Dan (2021). Kamala's Way. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-3985-0485-1.
External links
Official
- Vice President Kamala Harris official website
- Official campaign website
- Senator Kamala D. Harris (2017–2021)
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