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Presidential candidate profile: Kamala Harris

Official portrait of Kamala Harris. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Kamala Harris has served as vice president of the U.S. since the beginning of the Biden administration’s term in 2020. Harris was endorsed by President Biden after he withdrew his candidacy on July 21.

In August, Harris and her running-mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was officially nominated by the Democratic Party to be the party’s candidates for president and vice president of the U.S.

Harris’s campaign and past speeches have emphasized protection of abortion rights, lowering pharmaceutical costs and providing economic relief.

Economic relief includes bigger tax deductions for lower-income families and reducing the costs of housing, groceries and prescription medication. 

Harris supports Biden in his efforts to initiate student loan forgiveness for “tens of millions of borrowers,” but has not yet provided details on how she would implement the plan.

Harris has had a variety of careers that led her to become the first female vice president of the U.S. She attended Howard University and graduated in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in political science and economics.

After completing her undergraduate degree, Harris attended University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She was put on the California Bar in 1990.

Her career began as a district attorney. She was later appointed attorney general of California and in 2016 won a seat as senator for California.

Harris was born in 1964 and is now 60 years old. She is the first woman, first African American and first Asian American to serve as vice president of the U.S.

Harris campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019 but withdrew from the race that same year before primary elections.

Controversies in Harris’ past include her ideas on policies that she has since contradicted. Harris responded to this controversy in an interview with CNN, where she explained her changes in policy regarding fracking and immigration.

On Oct. 22, conservative activist Chrsitopher Rufo accused Harris of plagiarism both in the past and in her more recent speeches.