Kamala Harris is the 49th vice president of the United States and the 2024 Democratic nominee who ran against Donald Trump. This cornerstone biography covers Kamala Harris’s age, husband, education, California record, Senate and vice presidential years, 2024 campaign, policy positions, controversies, timeline, and net worth. For a concise reference entry, see Encyclopaedia Britannica, and for issue stances across the 2024 race review, Reuters’ issue tracker.
Quick facts
- Full name: Kamala Devi Harris
- Born: October 20, 1964, Oakland, California
- Age: 60
- Education: Howard University, B.A. 1986; UC Hastings College of the Law, J.D. 1989
- Career path: Prosecutor, San Francisco District Attorney, California Attorney General, U.S. Senator, U.S. Vice President
- Spouse: Douglas Emhoff, married 2014
- Historic firsts: First woman, first Black American, first Asian American to serve as U.S. vice president
Early life and education of Kamala Harris
Harris was born in Oakland to Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher from India, and Donald J. Harris, an economist from Jamaica. She grew up in the Bay Area, attended Howard University, an HBCU in Washington, and earned her law degree from UC Hastings.
Kamala Harris From San Francisco DA to California attorney general
Kamala Harris joined the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office in 1990. She won the San Francisco district attorney race in 2003, then served as California attorney general from 2011 to 2017. Her record combined truancy diversion and reentry initiatives with positions critics say slowed reforms in some cases. For a document review of major cases and choices, see CalMatters’ examination and The Marshall Project’s retrospective.
Kamala’s U.S. Senate years
California elected Kamala Harris to the U.S. Senate in 2016. She served on the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, pressed tech companies on privacy and competition, and backed health coverage expansions. Her hearing performances elevated her national profile ahead of the 2020 Biden-Harris ticket.
Vice presidency and tie-breaking votes
From 2021 to 2025, Harris presided over a closely divided Senate and set the modern record for tie-breaking votes, shaping judicial confirmations and several economic and administrative measures. The official tie vote list is maintained by the U.S. Senate, and coverage of her record-setting role is available at Reuters.
The 2024 presidential campaign of Kamala Harris
After President Joe Biden exited the race, Harris consolidated delegates and formally accepted the Democratic nomination in August 2024 in Chicago. Her convention speech centered on abortion rights, voting access, the economy, and ending the Gaza war. See Reuters’ report on the speech.
Harris lost the November 2024 election to Donald Trump. Voter concerns about inflation and immigration framed exit polling and post-election analysis.
Kamala Harris’ Policy Positions
Abortion and women’s health
Harris supports restoring a national right to abortion through federal legislation and protecting contraception and IVF. Abortion access was central to her 2024 message. For comparative positions across candidates, see Reuters’ issue guide.
Immigration and the root causes brief
As vice president, Kamala Harris coordinated a long-term initiative on the root causes of migration from Central America, including governance reforms and private investment. The role did not include day-to-day border enforcement. Opponents called the effort ineffective, while the administration pointed to corporate commitments and governance programs.
Economy, tech, and antitrust
Harris aligns with Democratic plans for clean energy jobs, worker protections, and stricter scrutiny of dominant platforms. She supported privacy and competition bills in the Senate and the industrial policy tilt toward semiconductors and clean energy credits in office. For the global finance context shaping any administration, read TEH on BRICS and de-dollarization and TEH’s analysis of the U.S.–China crypto confrontation.
Healthcare and drug pricing
During her Senate years, Harris supported expanding coverage, lowering prescription costs, and negotiating drug prices. She moved toward consensus positions that preserved employer coverage during the 2020 primary recalibration.
Guns, policing, and criminal justice
Harris supports universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault style weapons. Her prosecutor years remain debated. For critical and supportive views, see CalMatters and The Marshall Project.
Foreign policy
Harris emphasizes alliances and multilateral institutions, support for Ukraine, and a diplomatic approach in the Middle East with references to humanitarian protection and international law. Her 2024 convention remarks framed an end to the Gaza war alongside security guarantees.
Controversies and criticisms
Debates around Harris’s California record focus on appeals filed by the attorney general’s office, death penalty stances, and handling of police accountability matters. Supporters cite anti recidivism programs and consumer protection wins. Nuanced reporting across cases appears in CalMatters and The Marshall Project. For Senate performance highlights, refer to the official tie vote archive.
Personal life, husband, and family
Harris married attorney Douglas Emhoff in 2014 and is stepmother to his two children. After Washington, Emhoff returned to private practice as a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, per the firm’s January 2025 announcement.
Kamala Harris Net worth and finances
Public estimates place the couple’s combined net worth in the high single digit millions, driven by real estate, investments, and book income. Background financial reporting appears at Forbes.
Essential timeline of Kamala Harris
- 1990–2003: Alameda County and San Francisco prosecutor
- 2004–2011: San Francisco District Attorney
- 2011–2017: Attorney General of California
- 2017–2021: U.S. Senator from California
- 2021–2025: U.S. Vice President, modern record for Senate tie breaks (official archive)
- Aug 2024: Accepts Democratic nomination in Chicago (Reuters)
- Nov 2024: Loses presidential election to Donald Trump (Reuters takeaways)
Related reading on TEH
- Mollie Hemingway, conservative media influence
- Gunther Eagleman, satire and politics online
- BRICS, Gulf capital, de-dollarization
- America’s crypto war on China and the blowback
FAQ
Kamala Devi Harris is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 49th vice president of the United States and was the Democratic nominee for president in 2024.
She was born on October 20, 1964, which makes her 60 years old.
Douglas Emhoff, an attorney. They married in 2014.
No. Donald Trump won the November 2024 presidential election.
Restoring national abortion protections, expanding health coverage and lowering drug prices, clean energy jobs, stricter tech privacy and competition rules, and gun safety measures such as universal background checks.
Supporters cite diversion and reentry programs and consumer protection wins. Critics point to positions and appeals tied to police accountability, the death penalty, and truancy enforcement.
Public estimates place Harris and Emhoff’s combined net worth in the high single digit millions from real estate, investments, and book income.
She remains a prominent Democratic figure with national fundraising strength, media visibility, and influence on candidate recruitment and party strategy.
