Kamala Harris (January 2020): Biden calls her a "fearless fighter"
Photo: Jacquelyn Martin / dpaOrigin and Education: Kamala Harris was born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland, California. She has Jamaican-Indian roots. In addition to being a cancer researcher, her mother was also a civil rights activist - Harris repeatedly says of her that she had the greatest impact on her life. Harris studied political science and economics in the capital Washington, and law in California.
Advancement in the judicial system: She was elected District Attorney for San Francisco in 2003. There she made controversial decisions: During the election campaign, she promised never to seek the death penalty as a prosecutor. She did well, but protested after killing a policeman. When she applied for the position of Attorney General - which combines the positions of Attorney General and Attorney General in the USA - she promised to have the death penalty carried out in the new office despite her personal opposition - and again she adhered to it.
Obama's derailment: Internationally, Harris' name probably first came across the general public when Barack Obama apologized. In 2013 he praised Harris as a brilliant and tenacious lawyer - and described it as the most visually appealing attorney general by far. Obama was charged with sexism.
Advancement to the Senate: Harris was the second African American woman to be elected to the US Senate in 2016. Your mission is as before: to fight for the rights of all people in California. In the Senate, she has shown that she can persistently ask questions and is a problem solver. It is more often criticized that it cannot be located ideologically.
Failed campaign: In early 2019, she announced that she was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. At the beginning she was considered a promising applicant, in a TV duel she clashed with Biden. Her opponents tried to use the law-and-order past against her. Some of their decisions were seen by critics as inconsistent with their promise to reform a "broken" criminal justice system. In December she ended her campaign.
The relationship with Biden: Harris previously thought about playing in a duo with Biden against Trump. Biden would be a great running mate, she said in May 2019 - at that time, however, she still had him in mind as her runner-up candidate. Biden described Harris, who was close friends with his late son Beau, as a "fearless fighter" when announcing his decision.
Icon: The mirrorjok / dpa
