Vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris
Credit: California Attorney General’s Office

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will feature AAPI pioneers in a variety of areas.

In January 2021, Kamala Harris became the first woman to serve as vice president of the United States. She is also the first person of African American and South Asian ancestry to serve in the position. Harris and Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, defeated their Republican opponents, President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, in the 2020 election. Before becoming vice president, Harris represented California in the U.S. Senate since 2017. She had earlier served as California’s attorney general —the state’s chief law officer. Prior to serving as attorney general, Harris was the district attorney of San Francisco, California.

Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California, on Oct. 20, 1964. Her mother was a physician and cancer specialist who was born in India. Her father, who was born in Jamaica, became an economics professor. In 1986, Harris received a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Howard University. In 1989, she earned a law degree from the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. Harris married Doug Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer, in 2014.

From 1990 to 1998, Harris served as deputy district attorney for Alameda County, California. In 1998, she became the managing attorney of the Career Criminal Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In 2000, she was named to lead the San Francisco City Attorney’s Division on Families and Children.

In 2003, Harris won the election as San Francisco district attorney. She was reelected in 2007 and served through 2010. Her victory in the 2010 campaign for state attorney general marked the first time that a woman and—because of her mixed ethnicity—a person of African American and South Asian ancestry won the post. Harris took office in 2011. As attorney general, she gained attention for her work to combat transnational gangs and investigate banks that engaged in mortgage fraud. She was reelected in 2014 and served until 2017.

In January 2015, Barbara Boxer, long-time U.S. senator from California, announced that she would not seek reelection in 2016. Shortly afterward, Harris announced that she would campaign for the open Senate seat. In June 2016, Harris finished first in California’s open primary for the U.S. Senate seat. She defeated U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, a fellow Democrat, in the November election. As a U.S. senator, Harris served on a number of committees, including the Judiciary Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

In January 2019, Harris began a campaign for her party’s 2020 nomination for president. She dropped out of the race in December 2019, while trailing her competitors in fundraising and in support in public opinion polls. Harris’s memoir, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey, was published in 2019.

In August 2020, Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, named Harris his vice presidential running mate. Issues in the campaign included the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and tensions between Black communities and police. Days after the November 3 election, major news outlets called the election for Biden and Harris, though election results had yet to be certified. Trump and Pence refused to concede, however, and challenged several state results via lawsuit. On November 23, following a string of legal defeats, the Trump administration authorized the start of the formal transition to a Biden administration. The Electoral College confirmed Biden’s victory on December 14. Harris resigned her Senate seat in January 2021, days before she and Biden took office.

Kamala Harris
Credit: California Attorney General’s Office

March is Women’s History Month, an annual observance of women’s achievements and contributions to society. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature woman pioneers in a variety of areas. 

Kamala Harris and Stacey Abrams have reshaped the American political landscape not only for women and people of color, but for all Americans. Regardless of political affiliation, both have opened doors for women, rising to new heights in government and politics.

Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California, on Oct. 20, 1964. Her mother, a physician and cancer specialist, was born in India. Her father, who was born in Jamaica, became an economics professor. In 1986, Harris received a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Howard University. In 1989, she earned a law degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.

From 1990 to 1998, Harris served as deputy district attorney for Alameda County, in California. In 1998, she became the managing attorney of the Career Criminal Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In 2000, she was named to lead the San Francisco City Attorney’s Division on Families and Children.

In 2003, Harris won election as San Francisco district attorney. She was reelected in 2007 and served through 2010. Her victory in the 2010 campaign for state attorney general marked the first time that a woman and—because of her mixed ethnicity—a person of Black and South Asian ancestry won the post. Harris took office in 2011. As attorney general, she gained attention for her work to combat transnational gangs and investigate banks that engaged in mortgage fraud. She was reelected in 2014 and served until 2017.

In June 2016, Harris finished first in California’s open primary for a U.S. Senate seat. She defeated Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, a fellow Democrat, in the November election. As a U.S. senator, Harris served on a number of committees, including the Judiciary Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

In January 2019, Harris began a campaign for her party’s 2020 nomination for president. She dropped out of the race in December 2019, while trailing her competitors in fundraising and in support in public opinion polls.

In August 2020, Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, named Harris his vice presidential running mate. Issues in the campaign included the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and tensions between Black communities and police. Biden and Harris won the November 2020 election. Harris resigned her Senate seat in January 2021, days before she and Biden took office. On Jan. 20, 2021, Harris became the first woman to serve as vice president of the United States. She also became the first person of Black and South Asian ancestry to serve in the position.

Stacey Abrams
Credit: © Cheriss May, NurPhoto/Getty Images

Stacey Abrams also played a major role in the 2020 election. Get-out-the-vote drives championed by Abrams are widely credited with helping Biden and Harris to win the state of Georgia. They are also said to have helped two Democrats to victory in state runoff elections, tipping the balance of the U.S. Senate.

Stacey Yvonne Abrams was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on Dec. 9, 1973. She grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi. When Abrams was 16, her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia. In 1991, Abrams graduated from Avondale High School, where she was the first Black valedictorian. The valedictorian is the graduate with the highest marks. In 1995, she graduated magna cum laude (with great honor) from Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies. The major combined political science, economics, and sociology. She then attended the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, receiving a master’s degree in public policy in 1998. The next year, Abrams earned her J.D. degree from the law school of Yale University.

After graduating law school, Abrams began working at a law firm in Atlanta. In 2003, she started her career in government. She became the deputy attorney for the city of Atlanta’s law department. In 2006, Abrams was elected to Georgia’s House of Representatives from the state’s 84th district.

After four years as a representative, Abrams was chosen by the Democratic Party to serve as minority leader in the House of Representatives of Georgia. She became the first woman to serve as leader of either party in the Georgia General Assembly, the state’s legislature.

In 2018, she became the first Black woman nominated by a major political party to run for governor of Georgia. In the primary contest, Abrams defeated the Democrat Stacey Evans. But, in the general election, she was narrowly defeated by the Republican candidate Brian Kemp.

In addition to holding political office, Abrams has founded several political organizations. In 2014, she founded the New Georgia Project to counteract challenges to voter rights and increased barriers to voter registration. In 2018, she founded Fair Fight, an organization promoting voter education and fair elections.

United States President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris speak in Wilmington, Delaware, on Nov. 7, 2020, after being declared the winners of the presidential election. Both wear masks to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
Credit: © Andrew Harnik, AFP/Getty Images

In the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2021, the United States certified its electoral count, making official Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. In November 2020, Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris of California, defeated the Republican incumbents (office holders), President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Certifying the electoral count is an activity associated with the Electoral College, a group of representatives that formally elects the president and vice president. On Election Day, in November, voters choose among presidential and vice-presidential tickets (pairings of candidates) from various political parties. But, the votes do not directly determine which candidate will become president. Instead, they determine which party’s electors will represent each state in the Electoral College. The electors, in turn, cast electoral votes on behalf of the states they represent. Electoral votes determine the outcome of the election.

In December, following the election, the electors in each state assemble and cast their ballots. Either by custom or by law, the electors vote for the candidates designated by their party. After the electoral votes are cast, they are sent to the vice president of the United States, acting in his role as president of the Senate. In January, at a joint session of Congress, the vice president opens and tallies the votes. One Democrat and one Republican from each chamber count the votes. The candidate who gets a majority of the electoral votes is declared the winner of the election.

On the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, members of Congress convened at the United States Capitol to carry out this largely ceremonial tradition. However, the count was disrupted by protests that turned violent. Supporters of President Trump, who had gathered to challenge the legitimacy of the election, stormed the Capitol, pushing through barriers and climbing walls. Lawmakers were quickly ushered to safety. Shouting and waving flags, the unruly mob entered the official chambers of Congress, as well as the personal offices of senators and representatives. Some damaged or stole property. Others took pictures of themselves occupying one of the nation’s most sacred buildings. Several people were injured, and one woman was shot and killed by the police. Several hours after the raid began, police and security officials cleared the Capitol. Lawmakers returned to the chambers to vote, intent on certifying the election results.

Outgoing Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, a Republican, was one of the first senators to speak when talks resumed. Just hours earlier, Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, had defeated Loeffler in a runoff election. (In November 2020, neither Loeffler nor Warnock received more than half the vote, requiring the state to hold a runoff election.) The Loeffler-Warnock runoff was not the only one held in Georgia on January 5. In another runoff, the Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff defeated Senator David Perdue, a Republican. These victories gave the Democrats slim control of the Senate, reshaping the balance of power.

United States President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris speak in Wilmington, Delaware, on Nov. 7, 2020, after being declared the winners of the presidential election by several major television networks and news organizations. Both wear masks to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
Credit: © Andrew Harnik, AFP/Getty Images

The 2020 United States presidential election entered its final phases on November 7. On that day, several major television networks and press organizations called the election in favor of former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris. In a victory speech in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden made a plea for national unity following the bitterly fought election. Biden’s opponent, President Donald Trump, refused to concede the election, however, and vowed to fight the results in court.

In-person voting took place on November 3, but the race was so tight that no definitive result was available for days. Trump, who had encouraged his supporters to vote in person, took several early leads on election night. In the early hours of November 4, he addressed his supporters from the White House, declaring victory and making widespread accusations of voter fraud. However, several key races were still undecided, and many Biden supporters had voted by mail. As the Trump campaign filed lawsuits in an attempt to stop the counting of remaining votes—many of them mail-in ballots—the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin were called for Biden. Biden then overcame an early Trump lead to tip Pennsylvania, giving him the electoral votes to take the race. Georgia was also soon called for Biden, although the slim vote margin will likely lead to a recount.

Biden served as vice president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. In 2008, Biden and Senator Barack Obama, who was elected president, defeated their Republican opponents, Senator John McCain of Arizona and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. In 2012, Obama and Biden were reelected. They defeated former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former U.S. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Before becoming vice president, Biden had represented Delaware in the United States Senate since 1973.

Senator Kamala Harris became the first woman vice president-elect. She was already the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to be placed on the presidential ticket of a major political party. Before becoming a member of the United States Senate in 2017, Harris served as attorney general of California. Attorney general is the state’s chief law officer.

Credit: © Prostock-studio, Shutterstock

Tuesday, November 3, is Election Day in the United States, the day on which nationwide elections take place. Americans will vote to elect the next political leaders at the local, state, and national levels. More than 90 million people—a record number—have already voted early, either in person or by mail. The rights of citizens to select their leaders is a key feature of democracy, a type of government ruled by the people.

The primary presidential candidates include the Republican President Donald J. Trump and the Democratic nominee former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Trump became president of the United States in 2017. He had previously been known as a high-stakes real estate developer and reality television personality. In the 2016 presidential election, Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton, a former first lady, U.S. senator, and secretary of state. Trump’s running mate is Vice President Mike Pence. Prior to his election as vice president, Pence had been the governor of the Midwestern state of Indiana since 2013.

Biden served as vice president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. In 2008, Biden and Senator Barack Obama, who was elected president, defeated their Republican opponents, Senator John McCain of Arizona and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. In 2012, Obama and Biden were reelected. They defeated former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former U.S. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Before becoming vice president, Biden had represented Delaware in the United States Senate since 1973.

Biden’s vice-presidential running mate is Senator Kamala Harris. She became the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to be placed on the presidential ticket of a major political party. Before becoming a member of the United States Senate in 2017, Harris served as attorney general of California. Attorney general is the state’s chief law officer.

Americans will vote not only for a president; many will also vote for lawmakers to represent their states. These lawmakers will fill seats in one of the country’s two lawmaking bodies, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Races for House and Senate seats—as well as races for state and local offices—are known as downballot or downticket races. They are called that because they may be influenced by the turnout for the presidential election at the top of the ballot.

Many of our readers are not eligible to vote. (Voters must be age 18 or older.) But, we encourage you to learn about the candidates and to talk to the adults in your life about their voting plan.

Vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris
Credit: California Attorney General’s Office

On Aug. 11, 2020, the Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden, Jr., selected Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate. Harris became the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to be placed on the presidential ticket of a major political party.

Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California, on Oct. 20, 1964. In 1986, Harris received a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Howard University. In 1989, she earned a law degree from the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.

Harris began her career in 1990, when she became deputy district attorney for Alameda County, California. In 1998, she became the managing attorney of the Career Criminal Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In 2000, she was named to lead the San Francisco City Attorney’s Division on Families and Children.

In 2003, Harris won election as San Francisco district attorney. She was reelected in 2007 and served through 2010. Her victory in the 2010 campaign for state attorney general marked the first time that a woman and—because of her mixed ethnicity—a person of African American and South Asian ancestry won the post. Harris took office in 2011. As attorney general, she gained attention for her work to combat transnational gangs and investigate banks that engaged in mortgage fraud. She was reelected in 2014 and served until 2017.

In June 2016, Harris finished first in California’s open primary for the U.S. Senate seat. As a U.S. senator, Harris has served on a number of committees, including the Judiciary Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

In January 2019, Harris began a campaign for her party’s 2020 nomination for president. She dropped out of the race in December 2019, while trailing her competitors in fundraising and in support in public opinion polls. Harris was expected to formally accept the vice-presidential nomination as part of the Democratic National Convention, beginning August 17.