Who is Sen. Kamala Harris? This is what you need to know about Joe Biden’s VP running mate

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on police use of force and community relations on on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 16, 2020 in Washington. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP) (Jonathan Ernst)

HOUSTON – Sen. Kamala Harris, of California, has been named former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate.

Here’s what we know about the senator:

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  • Here’s how to pronounce her name. This was a former campaign ad/PSA for her senator bid in California.
  • In 2017, Harris was sworn in as a United States Senator for California. She says on her website that she’s the second African-American woman and first South Asian-American senator in history.
  • She serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on the Budget.
  • She grew up in Oakland, California.
  • Harris dropped out of the presidential race in December, citing funding as the reason for her inability to continue.
  • She’s a graduate of Howard University. She has her law degree from the University of California, Hastings.
  • She began her career in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
  • In 2003, Harris became the District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco.
  • She’s the first African-American and first woman to serve as California’s Attorney General.
  • Here’s a recent article with the Associated Press in which she addressed young voters.