NEW YORK (Bakhabar Pakistan) – “I am the first female Vice President, not the last,” declared Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate for the upcoming U.S. election.
Kamala Harris, the first Black and female Vice President and the first South Asian attorney general of California, was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964. With a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, her immigrant background gives her a deep empathy for U.S. immigrants.
Harris’s parents divorced when she was just five years old, and she was raised by her Hindu mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, near San Francisco. Her mother was a prominent civil rights activist and cancer researcher. Harris recalls her mother as “tough, courageous, and a trailblazer in fights for women’s health.” She also spent several years in Canada while her mother worked as a teacher, studying in Montreal for five years.
Harris attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., earning degrees in political science and economics in 1986. She then obtained her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, in 1989. Her career began as a top prosecutor for Alameda County, followed by her role as district attorney for San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. She takes pride in defending families impacted by the 2008 economic crisis and has often shown resilience in her office, sometimes diverging from the Obama administration’s decisions.
In 2014, Harris married lawyer Douglas Emhoff and became the stepmother to his two children from a previous marriage. In 2017, she made history again as the second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate and the first from California with South Asian roots.
Aspirations for the Presidency
Harris first announced her presidential candidacy in 2019. Despite her exceptional communication skills, she did not progress beyond the primaries. However, in the 2020 presidential primaries, she competed against incumbent President Joe Biden. In a surprising move, Biden appointed her as his Vice President, a decision that proved pivotal for the Democrats, energizing women and young voters.
Accomplishments as Vice President
As Vice President, Harris has significantly contributed to the Biden administration’s successes. She gained recognition for her firm stance on drug trafficking and sexual abuse and spearheaded campaigns against abortion bans, raising awareness about their implications. Notably, she has made history by casting the most tie-breaking votes in Senate history, aiding in the passage of key legislation such as the Reduced Inflation Act and the American Rescue Plan to combat COVID-19.
Nomination and Campaign Promises
Harris was nominated as the Democratic candidate only four months before the election, after Biden announced his withdrawal. Her fundraising efforts have notably outpaced those of her rival, Donald Trump.
In her campaign, she has pledged to restore the economy, focusing on the middle class and small businesses. She advocates for reproductive rights, a firm approach to illegal immigration, and increased taxes on high earners and large corporations. Her foreign policy includes unwavering support for Ukraine against Russia and a commitment to a ceasefire and two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
