In a one-two upheaval in US politics, President Joe Biden has mentioned he’ll not run for re-election in November and as a substitute endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris already made history by turning into the primary Black and feminine vp in US historical past, however has confronted issues over whether or not she will defeat Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump.
The approaching days will present if Harris will indeed be embraced by the celebration and chosen as their candidate on the Democratic Nationwide Conference subsequent month.
On Sunday, Biden referred to as the choice to choose former prosecutor Harris for his 2020 ticket “one of the best determination I’ve made”, whereas calling on Democrats to help her.
“Immediately I wish to provide my full help and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our celebration this 12 months,” Biden mentioned in a submit on X.
Right here’s what we learn about Harris:
Who’s she?
Harris, 59, was born in Oakland, California, the daughter of an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father.
She attended Howard College in Washington, DC earlier than getting her legislation diploma from the College of California School of the Legislation, San Francisco.
She started working within the Alameda County district lawyer’s workplace, earlier than shifting to the San Francisco district lawyer’s workplace.
She turned San Francisco’s district lawyer in 2003. She was then elected California’s lawyer basic, the state’s prime legislation enforcement function, in 2010 and was re-elected 4 years later.
She was elected to the US Senate in 2016 and have become a number one critic of Trump, significantly when it got here to his immigration insurance policies.
Her aggressive questioning of Supreme Court docket nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 helped solidify her credentials as one of many Democratic Get together’s prime rising stars.
Harris is married to lawyer Doug Emhoff, who turned the primary “second gentleman” in US historical past following the 2020 election. Harris and Emhoff don’t have any youngsters.
How did she turn into vp?
Harris initially mounted a run for the White Home within the 2020 election, however shortly light within the main season after lacklustre debate performances.
As Biden solidified his lead in 2020, he vowed he would choose a lady as his working mate. The choice of Harris was seen as an effort to attraction to Black voters, and to energise the celebration’s base.
Harris’s legislation enforcement credentials and centrist strategy had been additionally seen as property that would draw undecided voters away from Trump, though her historical past additionally roiled the progressive wing of the celebration.
In a 2019 debate, Harris had additionally challenged Biden on race, a viral second that many thought could have ended her possibilities of turning into the vp as soon as he turned the celebration’s nominee.
How has she made historical past?
Harris has collected a number of superlatives in her profession, turning into the primary Black girl to carry virtually each function she’s had: the district lawyer of San Francisco, California’s lawyer basic, senator from California and vp.
Harris was additionally the primary daughter of immigrants ever elected as vp.
How has she been as a vp?
Talking to Al Jazeera, Jennifer Victor, a professor at George Mason College, described Harris as a “very typical vp”.
Harris has largely cheerled signature insurance policies of the Biden administration, together with infrastructure laws, immigration, gun management and efforts to guard abortion rights.
Specifically, Harris has been tasked with spearheading efforts to stem migration from Central America.
“Her reputation numbers haven’t been too excessive, however she additionally hasn’t had a number of press protection,” Victor mentioned. “She has not been within the huge highlight of political discourse over the previous couple of years … however I believe what we’re going to see is a large ramping up.”
Will she be capable of beat Trump?
That continues to be the large query for Democrats.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, mentioned that whereas Biden has endorsed Harris, it doesn’t imply she is going to obtain help from the Democratic Get together, which has less than a month till its conference begins.
“Democrats won’t wish to battle on the conference ground in Chicago,” Fisher mentioned. “This seems unseemly, and they also could nicely shortly coalesce round Kamala Harris, after which look to place in a vp who will maybe assist them in different areas”.
Latest polls taken after Biden’s weak debate efficiency towards Trump haven’t prompt that Harris is likelier than Biden to beat Trump in November. Harris supporters have argued these polls could change now that Biden is out of the race.
For example, an Economist/YouGov ballot launched final week discovered Biden would lose to Trump 41 p.c to 43 p.c. The ballot confirmed Harris dropping to Trump 39 p.c to 44 p.c.
A Reuters/Ipsos ballot discovered each Biden and Harris performing the identical towards Trump: A statistical toss-up.
Why has she been controversial?
Harris has described herself as a “progressive prosecutor”, however she has made few inroads with the progressive wing of the celebration.
Whereas Harris did oversee some reforms in her profession, critics have accused her of at finest taking a mixed-bag strategy in her insurance policies.
That included a controversial truancy enforcement push as San Francisco’s district lawyer that noticed mother and father face penalties for his or her youngsters lacking college.
Her workplace additionally labored to stop the discharge of extra prisoners, regardless of huge overcrowding in California prisons. And because the state’s lawyer basic, Harris argued a case defending the usage of the dying penalty in California, regardless of being personally towards it.
Lengthy hailed as the way forward for the Democratic Get together, Harris has additionally confronted criticism that she has not lived as much as expectations. Detractors have mentioned she lacks the charisma to rally the celebration.
What’s her place on Israel’s warfare on Gaza?
On Israel-Palestine, Harris has hewed near the Biden administration’s “ironclad” help for Israel and he or she has commonly defended Israel’s proper to self-defence, together with through the warfare on Gaza.
She is ready to fulfill with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week when he visits the US.
Nonetheless, Harris has been one of many extra vocal members of the administration highlighting the humanitarian disaster unfolding within the enclave. In March, she turned the highest-ranking member of the administration to use the word “ceasefire” in calling for a humanitarian pause within the combating.