Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday selected Kamala Harris, the feisty senator and former attorney general from California, as his running mate in the November presidential election. In selecting Harris, Biden fulfilled a campaign promise made back in March 17 to select a woman for the job.
Harris, 55, becomes the first woman of color nominated for the vice presidency. Only two other women – both white – have been vice presidential candidates: the late Democrat Geraldine Ferraro, who ran with Walter Mondale in 1984, and Republican Sarah Palin, who ran with John McCain in 2008.
Biden is now 77, and would become the oldest person elected president should he win in November. But his advanced age has led to speculation that he would not run for a second term. Should this happen, Harris could very well be the Democratic pick for president in 2024.
In his announcement, Biden praised Harris as a "fearless fighter for the little guy" and mentioned her in the same breath as his beloved late son, Beau. Beau Biden was attorney general of Delaware and Harris, the attorney general of California, when both worked together on mortgage reform measures.
"Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau," tweeted Biden in his announcement. "I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign."
In a grateful reply, Harris tweeted, "Joe Biden can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals. I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief."
Biden himself acknowledges the danger presented by his advancing age. He now often says he sees himself "as a bridge to the next generation" of Democratic leaders.
On February 5, Biden admitted his first criteria in his choice for a vice president would be to pick someone who's "ready on day one to be president of the United States."
He also said he'd need someone younger and more energetic to handle the job of the presidency. One of Biden's more stunning admissions is his belief the presidency of the United States is too big for a president to handle alone. To be successful at his job, a U.S. president now needs a vice president to share the heavy burden. This partnership was the essence of his working relationship with his good friend, president Barack Obama.
"No president in 21st century can handle the job by himself," said Biden. "There's just too much on the plate."
Biden also emphasizes the need for his vice president to be on the same page he is strategically. He said this person will have to agree with his strategic vision for the U.S. but might disagree with him on tactics. Both Biden and Harris are considered moderate Democrats who are pragmatists first, and not ideologues.
Harris's mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, was born in Chennai, India. She was a renowned breast cancer scientist and civil rights activist. She died in 2009.
Kamala Harris has one sister, Maya, who is also a lawyer. Their mother insisted on giving her daughters Indian names to preserve their cultural identity.
Shyamala Gopalan married Donald Harris, a Black Jamaican who later became a professor of economics at Stanford University. As young people, both were both involved in the civil rights movement and met when he was at Berkeley. The couple divorced when Kamala was seven years old. Donald Harris emigrated to the United States in 1981.
Sen. Kamala Harris officially announced her candidacy for President of the United States on January 21. During the Democratic Party's nomination process, Harris harshly criticized Biden on several occasions.
She withdrew from the nomination in March citing a shortage of funds, and later endorsed Biden for president.
