Joe Biden Announces Kamala Harris as Vice Presidential Pick

Joe Biden Announces Kamala Harris as Vice Presidential Pick

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On Tuesday, former Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden announced California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate for the 2020 presidential election. Harris was formerly one of Biden's rivals in the race for the nomination, but dropped out in December. The pair clashed during the primaries, particularly during a debate last July when Harris confronted Biden for his previous opposition to busing programs.

"I have the great honor to announce that I've picked Kamala Harris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants — as my running mate," Biden announced on Twitter. "Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. 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 March, Harris, 55, endorsed Biden for president following his victories on Super Tuesday. "I have decided that I am with great enthusiasm going to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States," Harris said in a video. "I believe in Joe. I really believe in him, and I have known him for a long time. "One of the things that we need right now is we need a leader who really does care about the people and who can therefore unify the people, and I believe Joe can do that."

Harris is the first Black woman and first person of Indian descent to be nominated for national office by a major political party in the United States. She was elected to the Senate in 2016, and prior to that had served as California's attorney general since 2010. "Joe Biden can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us," she tweeted on Tuesday following the announcement. "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."