Joe Biden has given his support to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democrats into the next election.
President Biden announced he would.
Biden’s withdrawal from the race means his party, the Democrats, need a new contender to face Trump (a Republican) on 5 November.
Biden’s successor won’t be confirmed until next month’s Democratic National Convention, but Harris is the most likely candidate.
So, who is Kamala Harris?
Background
Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California in 1964.
Her mother, a breast cancer scientist, was born in India. Her Jamaican-born father was an economist and professor. Both were active in the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1960s.
Harris is the first woman, first Black person, and first person of South Asian descent to be Vice President.
Before she ran as Biden’s deputy in 2020, the 59-year-old represented the state of California as a Senator, and was its Attorney-General.
Legal career
Harris graduated from Howard University, a historically Black college, and the University of California before becoming a prosecutor, taking on cases relating to a range of criminal offences.
She specialised in prosecuting child sexual assault cases, homicide, and robbery.
Harris rose through the ranks to become her state’s top legal officer, the first female Attorney General, in 2010 — a role she held for six years.
Senator
In 2016, Kamala Harris was elected to U.S. Congress as a. Harris (a Democrat) faced a Republican-controlled Senate during her term.
Harris gained prominence as a vocal critic of two Supreme Court judges appointed by then-President Donald Trump.
While Harris was praised by Democrats for her line of questioning, Trump described her approach as “extraordinarily nasty”.
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2020 election
Kamala Harris briefly campaigned for the Democrat nomination ahead of the 2020 election.
However, she withdrew from the race in December 2019 and was eventually named as Biden’s pick for Vice President.
Before she was named as his running mate, Harris criticised Biden for opposing busing, a 1960s/70s de-segregation practice mandating children of colour be moved into predominantly white schools.
Vice President
Following Biden’s election victory over Trump, Harris was sworn in as VP in January 2021.
In the years since, she has strongly criticised the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — a legal precedent that protected access to abortion for women across the U.S.
Harris’describes her as someone who “always fights for the people” on issues like abortion access, gun reform, pollution, and voting rights.
Polling
Harris has been criticised for failing to elevate her profile as VP. She has remained relatively unpopular amongst voters since mid-2021, after she told migrants “do not come” to the U.S., and the country’s military withdrew from Afghanistan.
Recent opinion polls ranked Harris ahead of Biden. While she closely trails Trump as preferred President, the gap between the two is narrower than the one between Biden and Trump.
A recent Reuters-Ipsos survey showed voters were evenly split between Trump and Harris (44% support for each).
Harris 2024?
President Biden has declared his support for Harris to replace him as the Democrat nominee.
Harris said she was “honoured” by the endorsement. “My intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said.
Former President Bill Clinton and 2016 Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton also endorsed Harris on X: “Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her.”
The party’s Presidential candidate will be confirmed at next month’s Democratic National Convention.
