Who is Kamala Harris? The woman running for US presidency in 2020

California-native Kamala Harris has announced she is running for the United States presidency in the fast-approaching 2020 election.

The 54-year-old launched her campaign today on ABC’s Good Morning America, as well as via a video online. But who is Kamala and what does she stand for? Here we find out…

Who is Kamala?

Kamala Harris is the daughter of two immigrants, with her father and mother hailing from Jamaica and India respectively. She grew up between Berkeley, California and Québec, Canada; before moving to Washington DC for college.

Here, Kamala developed an interest in law and politics. Not only was she studying political science, but she was also a member of the debate team and was elected to the student council. She later obtained her law degree from the University of California, and by 1990, was accepted into the State Bar.

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Fast forward to 2019, Kamala has a wealth of experience under her belt. She served as district attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2010; as well as attorney general of California from 2011 to 2017. Since then, she’s been elected to the US Senate (becoming the third female senator in the state’s history).

What are her values?

Kamala is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives, no matter what background they’re from. She quotes “truth, justice, decency, equality, freedom, and democracy” as values she holds dear.

If we are lucky enough to be in a position of power, if our voice and our actions can mobilize change, don’t we have a special obligation to do so? Being an ally can’t be just about nodding when someone says something we agree with — it must also be about action.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 18, 2019

She supports gun control and insists it’s vital to get guns off the streets. What’s more, she’s against tax cuts for the wealthy; instead favouring tax cuts for the poor.

Not only that, Kamala has always been critical of Donald Trump’s policies and opinions; particularly his stance on immigration. She says immigrants should be entitled to speak with law enforcement without fear, and she’s wholly opposed to the building of his wall along the Mexican border.

Kamala’s campaign

Kamala’s presidential campaign focuses on giving the American people a voice. In her new video, she says, “Let’s do this, together. Let’s claim our future. For ourselves, for our children, and for our country.

“Truth, justice, decency, equality, freedom, democracy. These aren’t just words,” she continues, “They’re the values we as Americans cherish – and they’re all on the line now.

“The future of our country depends on you and millions of others; lifting our voices to fight for our American values.

“That’s why I’m running for president of the United States. I’m running to lift those voices; to bring our voices together.”

I’m running for president. Let’s do this together. Join us: https://joebiden.com/presidency-for-all-americans/ pic.twitter.com/otf2ez7t1p

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 21, 2019

Photo: Kamala Harris via Wikimedia Commons