U.S. President Joe Biden, 81, has withdrawn from the race for the presidential election to be held on November 5 this year. Yesterday, he issued a statement refusing to run for the next presidential election. Biden said that he made this decision in the interest of the Democratic Party. He will soon address the nation and elaborate on this decision. Following his announcement, speculation has risen that Kamala Harris will be the Democratic Party's presidential candidate.
Joe Biden has also endorsed Kamala Harris as his successor. Harris is the first female Vice President of the United States, as well as the first person of Black or South Asian descent to hold the position. If she becomes the Democratic candidate and defeats Republican nominee Donald Trump in November, she will become the first woman president of the United States. However, Kamala Harris's nomination as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate is not yet certain.
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Will Kamala Harris Be the Democratic Party’s Presidential Candidate?
The Democratic Party will announce its presidential candidate next month at a convention in Chicago. Before this, the party might hold a 'mini primary' to consider other candidates. However, even before Biden's endorsement, Kamala Harris was seen as the first choice to replace him in the Democratic Party. With her experience in foreign policy and national recognition, she leads the race among other contenders like California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
Could Become the First Indian-Origin President by Defeating Trump
If Kamala Harris becomes the Democratic Party's candidate and defeats Donald Trump in the November elections, it will be a matter of pride for India as well. Notably, Harris has roots tied to India. Kamala Harris's mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was Indian, while her father, Donald J. Harris, was Jamaican. Shyamala Gopalan hailed from Thulasendrapuram village in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district. She was born on December 7, 1938, in Madras and was a biologist by profession.
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In 1960, Shyamala Gopalan moved from Tamil Nadu, India to the University of California, Berkeley, while Kamala's father, Donald J. Harris, moved to Berkeley from Jamaica in 1961. They met each other at the University of California and decided to marry while participating in civil rights movements. Kamala Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California. Kamala was seven years old when her parents separated.
Kamala Harris’s Deep Connection with India
Kamala and her younger sister Maya were raised by their mother, Shyamala Gopalan. Their mother had a significant influence on their lives. During their upbringing, Shyamala kept Kamala and Maya connected to their roots. She occasionally took both daughters to India, including their ancestral village in Tamil Nadu. She taught Kamala and Maya to take pride in their shared heritage, ensuring that they remained deeply connected to Indian culture.
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In her autobiography 'The Truths We Hold,' Kamala Harris mentioned that her mother knew she was raising two Black daughters who would always be seen as Black. But she instilled values that led cancer researcher and civil rights activist Shyamala Gopalan and her daughters to be known in America as 'Shyamala and the Girls.' After graduating from Harvard University, Kamala Harris studied law at the University of California's Hastings College of Law.
Started Career in Law
In 2003, she became the top prosecutor in San Francisco. In 2010, she became the first woman and first Black person to be elected Attorney General of California. In 2017, Harris was elected the junior U.S. Senator from California. When she married fellow lawyer Douglas Emhoff in 2014, she connected not just with Indian, African, and American traditions but also Jewish traditions. She began her law career at the District Attorney's office in Alameda County and joined the San Francisco DA's office. In 2003, she became San Francisco's City Attorney.
In 2010, Kamala Harris was elected Attorney General of California, making her the first woman and first Black person to hold the office. She was re-elected in 2014. When she married Douglas Emhoff in 2014, she embraced Indian, African, American, and Jewish traditions. Harris served as the junior U.S. Senator from California from 2017 to 2021. By defeating Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 Senate election, she became the second African-American woman and first South-Asian-American to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Outspoken Critic of Gun Culture
As a Senator, Kamala Harris advocated for legislation on gun control, the DREAM Act (a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants), the legalization of cannabis, as well as healthcare and tax reforms. Her pointed questioning of Trump administration officials during Senate hearings earned her national recognition. She sought the Democratic nomination for President in the 2020 U.S. election but withdrew before the primaries. Joe Biden selected her as his vice-presidential candidate.
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First Female Vice President of the US
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris defeated then-President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the 2020 election. This victory made her the first female, first Indian-origin, and first Black Vice President of the United States. Known as the 'Female Obama,' Kamala Harris also made history by becoming a member of the Senate. In her historic victory speech in November 2020, Kamala fondly remembered her late mother Shyamala Gopalan, stating that her mother had prepared her for this monumental day. She affirmed that while she might be the first woman to hold the position of Vice President, she certainly wouldn’t be the last.
