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Harris' Road to the Vice Presidency

Megan Duzor

   VicePresident-elect Kamala Harrisismakinghistoryas the first African
   American woman and first South Asian American woman to attain the
   second-most-powerful job in the United States, yet the campaign that
   brought her there was bruising at times.

   Harris parlayed a career as a California prosecutor, attorney general
   and U.S. senator to become a top-tier contender in the Democratic race
   for the presidential nomination, standing out in a field of more than
   two dozen candidates.

   She surged towardthe top of the pack after a Democratic debate in June
   2019 in which she confronted Joe Biden, one of the party's
   long-standing leaders, about his views on race relations. Biden was
   stunned by the attack in which Harris criticized his opposition to
   federal busing policies during the 1970s and his working relationship
   with segregationist lawmakers. He called the attack "a
   mischaracterization of my position across the board."

   Harris was not able to sustain her climb to the top of the Democratic
   field, with her poll numbers dropping during the summer and fall of
   2019, followed by a decline in donations. She dropped out of the race
   in December 2019 and endorsed Biden in March 2020 after it became clear
   he was likely to win the nomination.

   Whatever animosity was generated between the two candidates on the
   campaign trail appeared to vanish as Biden secured the nomination and
   began a lengthy search for hisvicepresidentialrunning mate. His
   selection of Harris brought new political energy to his presidential
   campaign and was praised by many in the Democratic Party.

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