Kamala Harris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kamala Harris
Official portrait, 2021
49th Vice President of the United States
In office January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Mike Pence
Succeeded by	JD Vance
United States Senator from California
In office January 3, 2017 – January 18, 2021
Preceded by	Barbara Boxer
Succeeded by	Alex Padilla
32nd Attorney General of California
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017
Governor	Jerry Brown
Preceded by	Jerry Brown
Succeeded by	Xavier Becerra
27th District Attorney of San Francisco
In office January 8, 2004 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Terence Hallinan
Succeeded by	George Gascón
Personal details
Born	Kamala Devi Harris (1964-10-20) October 20, 1964 (age 60) Oakland, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Doug Emhoff ​ (m. 2014)​
Parents	Donald J. Harris Shyamala Gopalan
Relatives	Harris family
Residence	Brentwood, Los Angeles
Education	Howard University (BA) University of California, Hastings College of the Law (JD)
Signature

Kamala Devi Harris (born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and lawyer. She served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She was the first woman, first African American, and first Asian American U.S. vice president. This made her the highest-ranking female and Asian American official in U.S. history.

Before becoming Vice President, Harris represented California in the U.S. Senate from 2017 to 2021. She also served as the attorney general of California from 2011 to 2017. Harris is a member of the Democratic Party. She was the party's nominee in the 2024 presidential election.

Born in Oakland, California, Harris went to Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She started her law career as a prosecutor. She was elected district attorney of San Francisco in 2003. Later, she became attorney general of California in 2010.

As a U.S. Senator, Harris supported stricter gun control laws and reforms for healthcare and taxation. She also supported the DREAM Act. She became well-known for her questions during Senate hearings.

In 2019, Harris ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but later stopped her campaign. Joe Biden then chose her as his running mate. They won the 2020 presidential election. As Vice President, Harris often cast tie-breaking votes in the evenly split U.S. Senate. She cast 33 tie-breaking votes, more than any other vice president.

In July 2024, after Joe Biden decided not to run again, Harris launched her own presidential campaign. She became the Democratic nominee and chose Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate. She lost the election to former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance.

Early Life and Career

Growing Up and Education

Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a biologist from India. Her father, Donald J. Harris, was an economist from Jamaica. Both of her parents studied at the University of California, Berkeley.

Kamala's parents divorced when she was seven. She lived with her mother and sister, Maya. They lived in Berkeley, California, and later moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Kamala graduated from Westmount High School in Montreal in 1981.

After high school, Kamala attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. This is a historically black university. She studied political science and economics, graduating in 1986. She then went to law school at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. She earned her law degree in 1989.

Starting Her Law Career

In 1990, Harris became a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. This meant she worked as a prosecutor for the government. She was known as a skilled lawyer.

Later, she moved to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. She became the chief of the Career Criminal Division. In this role, she handled serious cases. In 2000, she worked for the city attorney of San Francisco.

San Francisco District Attorney (2002–2011)

In 2002, Harris ran for district attorney of San Francisco. She won the election with 56% of the votes. She became the first person of color to be San Francisco's district attorney. She ran again in 2007 and won without anyone running against her.

As district attorney, Harris worked to clear old murder cases. She also pushed for higher bail for people involved in gun crimes. She created a Hate Crimes Unit to focus on crimes against LGBT youth. She also started an environmental crimes unit in 2005.

Harris supported San Francisco's sanctuary city policy. This policy means police do not ask about immigration status during criminal investigations. In 2004, she created the San Francisco Reentry Division. This program helped people who had been in prison get back on track. It offered education and job training. The program had a very low rate of people returning to prison.

In 2006, Harris started an effort to reduce truancy (students missing school without permission). She believed that missing school often led to bigger problems later. Her office prosecuted a few parents whose children missed many days of school. This helped reduce the number of students who were habitually truant.

Attorney General of California (2011–2017)

Harris was elected attorney general of California in 2010. She was the first woman, African American, and South Asian American to hold this job in California. She started her term on January 3, 2011. She was reelected in 2014. She served until January 3, 2017, when she resigned to become a U.S. Senator.

As attorney general, Harris focused on protecting consumers. She also worked on criminal justice reform and privacy rights. She helped get billions of dollars back for California consumers. This happened through settlements with large companies. She also created the Homeowner Bill of Rights. This helped people facing foreclosure during the housing crisis.

Harris also worked on privacy issues. She made sure that mobile apps told users how they shared data. She created a Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit. This unit focused on cyber privacy and data breaches.

Harris also worked on criminal justice reform. She started programs to reduce the number of people who return to prison. She also supported banning the gay panic defense in California courts. She opposed Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state.

U.S. Senator (2017–2021)

Election to the Senate

In 2015, Senator Barbara Boxer announced she would not run for reelection. Harris then announced she would run for the Senate seat. She was a strong candidate from the start.

California uses a "top-two primary" system. The two candidates with the most votes in the primary election move on to the general election. Harris came in first in the June 2016 primary. She then faced fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez in the general election.

In July 2016, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden supported Harris. In the November 2016 election, Harris won with over 60% of the votes. She became the second Black woman and first South Asian American senator in U.S. history.

Time in the Senate and Political Views

As a senator, Harris supported stricter gun control laws. She also advocated for the DREAM Act. This act helps young undocumented immigrants. She pushed for reforms in healthcare and taxation. She became nationally known for her questioning of officials from the Trump administration.

2017

In January 2017, Harris spoke out against President Trump's travel ban. She called it a "Muslim ban." She also opposed some of Trump's cabinet choices. In March, she called for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign. This was after reports that he had met with the Russian ambassador.

In April, Harris voted against confirming Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. She also traveled to the Middle East. She visited U.S. troops in Iraq and a refugee camp in Jordan.

In June, Harris gained media attention for her questioning of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. She asked about his role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Her questioning style was direct. Some senators interrupted her, asking her to be more respectful.

2018

In January 2018, Harris joined the Senate Judiciary Committee. She questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. She asked why Nielsen seemed to favor immigrants from Norway.

In May, Harris strongly questioned Secretary Nielsen again. This was about the Trump administration family separation policy. This policy separated children from their parents at the border. After visiting a detention center, Harris was the first senator to demand Nielsen's resignation.

During the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings in September and October, Harris questioned him closely. She asked about a possible meeting he had regarding an investigation. She voted against his confirmation.

2019

Harris supported busing for school integration. She said that schools were still very separate. She saw busing as an option for school districts.

Harris was an early supporter of the Green New Deal. This plan aims to use 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030.

In March 2019, after the Mueller Report on Russian interference was submitted, Harris called for Attorney General William Barr to testify. She wanted transparency. She later called for Barr to resign. She accused him of not answering her questions truthfully.

In April 2019, Harris and other senators urged President Trump not to cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. They argued that this aid helped U.S. national security.

In July, Harris worked with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. They urged the Trump administration to investigate the persecution of Uyghurs in China. This was about how China treated the Uyghur people.

In November, Harris called for an investigation into the death of Roxsana Hernández. She was a transgender immigrant who died in government custody.

2020

Before the impeachment trial of Donald Trump in January 2020, Harris spoke in the Senate. She said that no one, not even a president, is above the law. She voted to convict Trump.

Harris also worked on bills with Republican senators. These included bills on bail reform and election security.

2021

After being elected Vice President, Harris resigned from her Senate seat on January 18, 2021. She was replaced by Alex Padilla.

Senate Committees and Groups

While in the Senate, Harris was a member of several important committees:

• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• Select Committee on Intelligence
• Committee on the Judiciary

She was also part of several groups:

• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
• Congressional Black Caucus
• Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues

2020 Presidential Election

Presidential Campaign

Kamala Harris was seen as a strong candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president. On January 21, 2019, she officially announced her candidacy. Her campaign raised a lot of money quickly. Over 20,000 people attended her campaign launch event in Oakland, California.

During the first Democratic debate in June 2019, Harris challenged Joe Biden. She criticized his past remarks about senators who opposed school integration. After this debate, her support in polls increased. However, her poll numbers later dropped. She faced criticism for some of her past "tough-on-crime" policies as attorney general.

On December 3, 2019, Harris stopped her presidential campaign. She said she did not have enough money. In March 2020, she supported Joe Biden for president.

Vice Presidential Campaign

In May 2019, some members of Congress suggested a Biden–Harris ticket. In March 2020, Joe Biden promised to choose a woman as his running mate. After the murder of George Floyd and protests, there were more calls for Biden to choose a Black woman.

On August 11, 2020, Biden announced he had chosen Harris. She was the first African American, first Indian American, and third woman to be a vice-presidential nominee for a major party. Harris became the vice president–elect after Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

Vice Presidency (2021–2025)

Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president on January 20, 2021. She made history as the first woman, first African American, and first Asian American vice president of the United States. Her first act was to swear in three new senators.

Senate Presidency

When Harris became Vice President, the Senate was evenly split, 50–50. This meant she often had to cast tie-breaking votes as the president of the Senate. She cast her first tie-breaking votes in February 2021. Her votes were needed to pass important laws like the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Harris cast 13 tie-breaking votes in her first year. This was the most in a single year in U.S. history. On December 5, 2023, she broke the record for the most tie-breaking votes ever cast by a vice president, with 32 votes. When she left office, she had cast 33 such votes.

On November 19, 2021, Harris served as acting president for a short time. This happened while President Biden had a medical procedure. She was the first woman to temporarily hold the powers of the presidency.

Immigration Efforts

On March 24, 2021, President Biden asked Harris to work with Mexico and Central American nations. Her goal was to address the reasons why people migrate to the U.S. border. This effort led to the "Root Causes Strategy."

Harris made her first international trip as vice president in June 2021. She visited Guatemala and Mexico.

Foreign Policy

Harris met with French President Emmanuel Macron in November 2021. They worked to strengthen ties between France and the U.S. They also agreed to work together on space cooperation.

Harris played a key role in the Biden administration's foreign policy. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, she traveled to Germany and Poland. She worked to gather support for Ukraine and for sanctions against Russia.

In April 2023, Harris visited a space center with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. They agreed to strengthen space cooperation between their countries.

In November 2023, Harris said the U.S. would not place conditions on aid to Israel. This was for its war with Hamas in Gaza. In March 2024, she criticized Israel's actions in Gaza. She called for an immediate ceasefire.

2024 Presidential Election

Presidential Campaign

On July 21, 2024, President Biden decided not to run for reelection. He immediately supported Harris for president. Many other important figures also endorsed her. In the first 24 hours, her campaign raised $81 million. This was the highest amount ever raised by a presidential candidate in one day.

By August 5, Harris officially became the Democratic nominee. The next day, she announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate. On August 22, Harris officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president.

On September 10, 2024, Harris debated Donald Trump in Philadelphia. Trump tried to call her a "radical liberal."

Harris lost the 2024 United States presidential election to Trump on November 5, 2024. She conceded the next day in a speech at Howard University. She lost the Electoral College vote and the popular vote. Her losses in key states like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania were important to her defeat. If she had won, Harris would have been the first female and first Asian-American president.

Post-Vice Presidency (2025–Present)

Harris left office on January 20, 2025. She was succeeded by the 50th vice president, JD Vance. She and her husband moved to Los Angeles. They helped people affected by the Palisades Fire.

On February 18, 2025, Harris signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA). This agency helps people with speaking and publishing opportunities. Four days later, she received an award at the 56th NAACP Image Awards.

On March 21, 2025, President Trump took away Harris's security clearance. This is usually given to former vice presidents.

On April 30, 2025, Harris spoke at a gala. She criticized the Trump administration's handling of the economy and social issues. The next week, Vogue reported that Harris made a surprise appearance at the 2025 Met Gala.

Harris has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the 2026 California gubernatorial election (governor of California). She is also considered a possible candidate for the 2028 United States presidential election.

Political Positions

Harris's domestic platform supports LGBTQ+ rights. She also supports stricter gun control and efforts to address climate change. On immigration, she supports a way for immigrants to become citizens. She also supports increasing border security.

In foreign policy, Harris supports continued military aid to Ukraine and Israel. However, she believes Israel should agree to a ceasefire and work towards a two-state solution. She does not support an arms embargo on Israel. Harris has also proposed economic ideas that are different from President Biden's.

LGBTQ+ Rights

As California attorney general, Harris refused to defend Prop 8. This law banned same-sex marriage. After Prop 8 was overturned, she ordered that same-sex marriages could begin immediately. She even officiated the wedding of the plaintiffs in the case.

As a U.S. Senator, Harris supported the Equality Act. This bill aims to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination.

In July 2018, Harris introduced a bill to stop the "gay and trans panic defenses." These defenses tried to excuse crimes against LGBTQ+ people.

In October 2019, Harris spoke about LGBTQ+ rights. She highlighted the problem of hate crimes against Black trans women. She noted that LGBTQ+ people of color face double discrimination.

Criminal Justice

In December 2018, Harris voted for the First Step Act. This law aimed to reduce the number of people who return to prison. It expanded job training programs and changed some sentencing laws.

In March 2020, Harris and other senators asked prison officials about their plans for the COVID-19 pandemic. They wanted to make sure prisoners and staff were protected.

In June 2020, Harris supported budget cuts for the Los Angeles Police Department. She also tweeted in support of donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. This fund helps people arrested during protests pay bail.

Harris's record on criminal justice has been seen as mixed. Some critics called her "tough on crime." However, she called herself a "progressive prosecutor."

Personal Life

In the early 1970s, Harris often visited Chennai, India, with her mother. She stayed with her grandfather there. She learned about traditional Indian clothing and some Tamil language phrases.

Harris met her husband, lawyer Doug Emhoff, in 2013. They were set up on a blind date by a friend. Emhoff is from a Jewish family. He was an entertainment lawyer. Harris and Emhoff married on August 22, 2014. Harris is a stepmother to Emhoff's two children, Cole and Ella.

Harris is a Baptist. She is a member of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco. She is also a member of The Links, a social and service organization for prominent Black American women. Harris owns a gun.

Interesting Facts About Kamala Harris

• She is the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica (her father) and India (her mother).
• Her name, Kamala, means "lotus" flower in Sanskrit.
• Kamala visited India when she was a child.
• She was the first woman, first Jamaican-American, and first Asian-American to become Attorney General of California.
• She is the first Jamaican-American woman to become a California Senator.
• Kamala was Joe Biden's running mate in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
• She is the first woman of color to be a running mate in a U.S. presidential election. She is the third woman overall, after Sarah Palin and Geraldine Ferraro.
• Her stepchildren call her "Momala" (a mix of "Mom" and "Kamala").
• She has written two non-fiction books and one children's book.
• She is the first Jamaican-American, first Asian-American, and first female Vice President.

Kamala Harris's Inspiring Quotes

• “I’m speaking.”
• “When [my mother] came here from India at 19, she maybe didn’t quite imagine this moment. But she believed so deeply, and in America, where a moment like this is possible."
• “To everyone keeping up the fight, you are doing something."
• “Imperfect though we may be, I believe we are a great country.”
• "I’ve had a lot of titles over my career, and certainly ‘vice president’ will be great. But ‘Momala’ will always be the one that means the most.”

Images for kids

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  Official portrait, 2021

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  Harris's childhood home at 1227 Bancroft Way in Berkeley, August 2020

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  Harris with future House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in March 2004

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  Harris with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, November 2009

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  Harris's official attorney general portrait, 2010

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  Harris being sworn into the Senate by then vice president Joe Biden in January 2017. At center is Harris's husband, Doug Emhoff.

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  Senate official portrait, 2017

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  Harris with DREAMers, December 2017

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  Harris at the commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama where she was invited to speak by John Lewis (right), January 2018

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  Harris at the San Francisco Pride parade, June 2019

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  Harris with women of the Congressional Black Caucus in January 2019

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  Harris announces her run for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president in Oakland, California, January 2019.

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  Biden/Harris logo

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  Harris announces her candidacy for vice president in Wilmington, Delaware, August 2020.

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  Harris being sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on January 20, 2021

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  Harris disembarks Marine Two at Joint Base Andrews beginning a trip to El Paso, Texas, June 2021.

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  Harris arrives in Guatemala City during her first foreign trip as vice president, June 2021.

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  Vice President Harris at a press conference at the Commerzbank in Munich with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, February 2024

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  Harris meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on July 25, 2024

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  Harris and Tim Walz at a presidential campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, August 2024

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  The 2024 election with electoral votes by state

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  Vice President Harris and her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff at the White House, May 2024

See also

In Spanish: Kamala Harris para niños