According to the Associated Press, on the 5th local time, U.S. Vice President Harris officially received the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming the first woman of color to lead a major party in a U.S. presidential election. The nomination became official after the Democratic National Convention delegates concluded five days of online voting on the evening of the 5th.
With less than 100 days until the U.S. election, Harris will face off against Republican presidential candidate Trump. Who will ultimately win the U.S. presidential seat?
Daughter of Immigrants
Born in October 1964 in Oakland, California, Harris is the daughter of Jamaican economist Donald Harris and Indian cancer researcher Shyamala Gopalan. Harris graduated from Howard University and later attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, earning a Juris Doctor degree.
In 1998, Harris joined the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and was elected San Francisco District Attorney at the age of 40. At 46, she was elected as California Attorney General and later reelected.
However, Harris’s career as a prosecutor has been described as “mixed.” She has often touted herself as “California’s top cop,” but as her political status rose, her stances on major issues became increasingly nuanced and unpredictable.
According to CBS, Representative Tulsi Gabbard criticized Harris for her harshness and failures during her tenure as San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General, including:
- Prosecuting numerous minor marijuana offenses
- Inaction on correcting wrongful convictions
- Refusing to release prison laborers to maintain cheap labor
In 2004, a 29-year-old police officer was killed on duty. The San Francisco Police Officers Association pressured Harris to seek the death penalty for the suspect, which she refused. By the time she ran for State Attorney General in 2010, Harris recognized the severe consequences of antagonizing the California police community. She then worked to mend relations with the police, garnering endorsements and support from numerous law enforcement groups for her reelection.
“Indeed, Harris embraces progressive judicial justice and reform policies, but only when it is safe for her to do so, and does not threaten her position,” sharply pointed out University of San Francisco Law School Professor Lara Bazelon.
“A Typical Vice President”
Harris once said she chose a career in law because she wanted “a seat at the decision-making table.” But she never stopped there and set her sights on higher positions.
In 2017, Harris was elected as a U.S. Senator from California. In Congress, Harris made a name for herself. As a member of multiple Senate committees, she conducted “court-like interrogations” of many political figures, including former and current U.S. Attorneys General during the Trump era, and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Two years later, Harris announced her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but withdrew in December of the same year due to financial issues. The following summer, Biden selected Harris as his running mate, and they won the 2020 election together.
Shortly after the Biden administration was established, Harris was handed the “hot potato” of handling immigration issues. However, immigration problems require significant legislation to resolve, and the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border escalated during her vice presidency. According to Newsweek, on July 22, Republican Representative Elise Stefanik from New York filed a motion in the House to censure Harris for her work on border issues, accusing the Biden-Harris administration of allowing 400,000 immigrants to arrive in the U.S. by air and failing to act on the southwestern border issue.
During her vice presidency, Harris’s approval ratings have remained relatively low. “Harris is a very typical vice president,” noted George Mason University Professor Jennifer Victor. She largely supports the Biden administration’s signature policies but has not become a political focal point herself.
How Close Is She to the Presidency?
On July 21, 2024, U.S. President Biden announced he would not seek reelection and endorsed Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, thrusting Harris back into the political spotlight. Analysts believe Harris, with her diverse cultural background, might attract key Democratic voters better than Biden, including minorities, young voters, and progressives. Additionally, Harris, who is 19 years younger than Trump, would neutralize Republican attacks on the president’s age.
According to an August 4 CBS/YouGov poll, Harris leads Trump by 1 percentage point, with their support rates “neck and neck.” Harris’s campaign has received enthusiastic support from Democrats, raising $81 million within 24 hours, breaking the record for the largest single-day fundraising.
Although Harris has smoothly become the Democratic presidential candidate, the challenges she faces remain apparent. The Wall Street Journal website noted on July 24 that Harris’s biggest hurdle might be overcoming Americans’ negative perceptions of the current administration’s economic legacy. Inflation rates under Biden’s administration reached a 40-year high in 2022.
“November’s election will still be a fierce competition, reflecting the deep partisan divide in American politics and many voters’ disdain for Trump as a candidate,” BBC wrote on July 23. “Harris’s main challenge is how to leverage voters’ disdain for Trump to attract centrist voters in key swing states.”
With only about three months left until the U.S. election, can Harris leave a new impression on the American public? She has secured her ticket to the largest stage in American politics, but now she must prove her ability to compete.
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