Kamala Devi Harris was born October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, to immigrant parents from India and Jamaica. She graduated from Howard University and UC Hastings College of the Law, beginning a career as a prosecutor in Alameda County before rising to become San Francisco District Attorney in 2003 and California Attorney General in 2011.
In 2016, Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate, representing California as a progressive Democrat with strong stances on criminal justice reform, immigration, healthcare access, and civil rights. She earned national attention for her assertive questioning in Senate hearings, particularly during investigations into the Trump administration.
Harris launched a presidential campaign in 2019, emphasizing reform-driven policies and a multiracial, working-class coalition. Although she exited before the primaries, her national profile led to her selection as Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020. She made history as the first female, first Black, and first South Asian Vice President of the United States after their victory in the 2020 election.
As Vice President, Harris has focused on voting rights, reproductive freedom, foreign policy engagement, and promoting democratic alliances abroad. She later became the Democratic nominee in the 2024 presidential election but suffered a blowout loss to Donald Trump, a defeat that exposed persistent weaknesses for Democrats in key battleground states and among swing voters.
In the post-Biden era, Harris remains one of the most prominent national Democrats, with a record that blends establishment pragmatism with progressive policy goals and intense debate over how her 2024 campaign was run and why it failed to defeat Trump.
Establishment Democrat
Achievements
- First woman, first Black American, and first South Asian American Vice President in U.S. history.
- Served as California Attorney General and U.S. Senator, leading on voting rights, healthcare access, and civil liberties.
- Prominent advocate for reproductive rights, democracy protection, and criminal justice reform.
- Played a key diplomatic role in strengthening U.S. alliances, particularly in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Controversies
- Criticized for aspects of her record as California Attorney General — including aggressive prosecution policies, which some argue conflicted with her later progressive stances on criminal justice reform.
- Faced political pushback over communication and messaging during her vice presidency — detractors argued she sometimes struggled to define her identity apart from the broader administration and its policies.
- Her 2024 campaign was attacked by opponents as overly establishment-oriented and heavily reliant on large institutional donors and allied PACs rather than small-dollar grassroots support.
- After her blowout loss to Donald Trump in the 2024 election, some progressives and younger Democrats criticized her for failing to energize key parts of the base and for not pivoting more aggressively toward economic populism and institutional reform.
Top Donors
| Contributor | Total | Individuals | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Future Forward USA | $267,470,351 | — | — |
| Asana | $50,044,808 | — | — |
| American Bridge 21st Century | $45,521,512 | — | — |
| Bloomberg LP | $19,208,220 | — | — |
| Evidence For Impact (DC) | $16,550,000 | — | — |
Reflects high reliance on large PACs, Democratic coalitions, and major institutional backers during national campaigns.