Kamala Devi Harris [ b ] born October 20, is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from to under President Joe Biden. She was the first female U. She was also the first African-American and the first Asian-American vice president. From to , Harris served as a U. She was the attorney general of California from to and the district attorney of San Francisco from to A member of the Democratic Party , she was the party's nominee in the presidential election , becoming the first Asian-American nominated for president by a major U.
She began her law career in the office of the district attorney of Alameda County. She was elected district attorney of San Francisco in and attorney general of California in , and reelected as attorney general in Harris was the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold each office.
Harris was the junior U. As a senator, Harris advocated for stricter gun control laws, the DREAM Act , federal legalization of cannabis , and reforms to healthcare and taxation. She gained a national profile while asking pointed questions of officials within the first administration of President Donald Trump during Senate hearings, including Trump's second U.
Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Harris sought the Democratic presidential nomination in , but withdrew from the race before the primaries. Biden selected her as his running mate , and their ticket defeated the incumbent Republican president and vice president, Trump and Mike Pence , in the presidential election. Presiding over an evenly split U. Senate upon entering office, Harris played a crucial role as President of the Senate. She cast more tie-breaking votes than any other vice president , which helped pass bills such as the American Rescue Plan Act of stimulus package and the Inflation Reduction Act.
In July , after Biden withdrew from the presidential election , Harris launched her presidential campaign with Biden's endorsement and became the nominee at the Democratic National Convention , with Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate. In the September debate with Trump, most political analysts declared Harris the winner. In November , she lost the presidential election to Trump.
