POPSUGAR UK

Joe Biden Announces Kamala Harris as His Running Mate, Calls Her a "Fearless Fighter"

12/08/2020 - 11:05 AM

NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE - MAY 15: Democratic presidential candidate U.S.  Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)  speaks at a campaign stop on May 15, 2019 in Nashua, New Hampshire. The Democrat and California senator is looking to differentiate herself from current front runner former Vice President Joe Biden who recently took a campaign swing through New Hampshire. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Joe Biden [1] has officially chosen Sen. Kamala Harris [2] to be his running mate, making her the first Black and South Asian American woman to become the vice presidential nominee of a major party. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, announced their partnership on Tuesday afternoon on Twitter.

"I have the great honour to announce that I've picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants — as my running mate," he tweeted [3]. "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."

Biden's announcement comes after months of speculation, following his promise to choose a woman as his running mate [4]. Harris is currently the only Black woman in the Senate, as a first-term senator for California. She and Biden were previously primary competitors as they campaigned against each other for the presidential ticket. Since dropping out of the race, however, Harris threw her support behind the former VP.

"When I started my run for president, I said America needs a president who reflects the decency and dignity of the American people; a president who speaks the truth; and a president who fights for those whose voices are too often overlooked or ignored. I still believe that to this day. That is why I am proud to announce I am endorsing my friend, Vice President Joe Biden, for President of the United States," she said in a March statement [5].

Harris will be the third woman to run as a vice presidential nominee, following Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Sarah Palin in 2008. She is scheduled to debate Vice President Mike Pence [6] on Oct. 7 at the University of Utah.


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.co.uk/news/kamala-harris-joe-biden-vice-president-pick-47684955