Kamala Harris

Biography

Harris' path — San Francisco DA, California attorney general, senator — was a prosecutor's steady climb, accelerated when Joe Biden chose her as his running mate in 2020. Her 107-day presidential campaign in 2024, launched after Biden withdrew, was unprecedented in modern American politics.

American politician and prosecutor who rose from San Francisco district attorney to the vice presidency.

Known for

The first woman, and first Black and South Asian American, U.S. vice president.

Notable works & defining projects

• The Truths We Hold (memoir)
• Smart on Crime (book)
• Vice presidency (2021–2025)

Notable achievements

• Served as the 49th vice president of the United States (2021-2025), a historic first on three counts
• Previously served as U.S. senator from California and the state's attorney general
• Was the Democratic Party's presidential nominee in 2024

Timeline

1. 2011Became attorney general of California
2. 2017Sworn in as a U.S. senator from California
3. 2021Inaugurated as the first woman, first Black American and first South Asian American vice president

Did you know?

• Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was an Indian breast-cancer researcher; her father, Donald Harris, is a Jamaican economist
• Her first name means 'lotus' in Sanskrit