Biden VP pick: Kamala Harris chosen as running mate

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has named Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. She is the first black woman to serve in the role.

Once a rival for the top job, the California senator of Indian-Jamaican heritage had long been considered the front-runner for the position.

The former California attorney-general has been urging police reform amid anti-racism protests.

Mr Biden will face President Donald Trump in the election on 3 November.

Vice-President Mike Pence remains the Republican incumbent's running mate.

Only two other women have been nominated as vice-presidential candidates - Sarah Palin by the Republican party in 2008 and Geraldine Ferraro by the Democrats in 1984. Neither made it to the White House.

A woman of colour has never been appointed to a presidential ticket by either of the two main American political parties. No woman has won the US presidency either.

What did Biden and Harris say?
Mr Biden tweeted that he had "the great honour" to name Ms Harris as his number two.

All the latest reaction
Profile: Who is Kamala Harris?
He described her as "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants".

He noted how she had worked closely with his late son, Beau, when she was California's attorney general.

"I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse," he tweeted.

"I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign."

Ms Harris later tweeted that Mr Biden "can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals.

"I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief."

The campaign announced that Mr Biden and Ms Harris will deliver remarks in Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday afternoon on "working together to restore the soul of the nation and fight for working families to move the country forward".


Media captionHarris and Biden clash over his race record
Who is Kamala Harris?
Ms Harris, 55, dropped out of the presidential race in December.

She repeatedly clashed with Mr Biden during the primary election debates, most notably criticising his praise for the "civil" working relationship he had with former senators who favoured racial segregation.

The Democrat was born in Oakland, California to two immigrant parents: an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father.

She went on to attend Howard University, one of the nation's preeminent historically black colleges and universities. She has described her time there as among the most formative experiences of her life.


Media captionBiden VP pick: Who is Kamala Harris?
Ms Harris says she's always been comfortable with her identity and simply describes herself as "an American".

In 2019, she told the Washington Post that politicians should not have to fit into compartments because of their colour or background. "My point was: I am who I am. I'm good with it. You might need to figure it out, but I'm fine with it," she said.

Why Kamala Harris embraces her biracial roots
The obvious pick
Sometimes the obvious pick is obvious for a reason. Kamala Harris was the front-runner to be Joe Biden's running mate pretty much since the moment the presumptive Democratic nominee announced in March that he would pick a woman to be his ticket.

She's relatively young and telegenic, and as the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants reflects the growing diversity of the Democratic Party.

What's more, she's been in the spotlight of the national media, having campaigned for president in 2019 and, for a while last summer, risen to near the top of some polls. Many of her rivals for the number-two spot had never faced such scrutiny, so there was no proof that they could hold up under fire.

Another underrated advantage for Ms Harris was her friendship with Mr Biden's late son, Beau, formed when they were both attorneys general. Mr Biden places a high value on family - and that connection may have made choosing her easier.

Now Ms Harris will have a chance to hit the campaign trail again and prove that she deserves this historic pick. If she succeeds, she'll be in prime position to seek the presidency again, perhaps as early as 2024. Today has made her a force in the Democratic Party for years to come.

What is her record?
After four years at Howard, Ms Harris went on to earn her law degree at the University of California, Hastings, and began her career in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

She became the district attorney - the top prosecutor - for San Francisco in 2003, before being elected the first woman and the first African American to serve as California's attorney general, the top lawyer and law enforcement official in America's most populous state.

In her nearly two terms in office as attorney general, Ms Harris gained a reputation as one of the Democratic party's rising stars, using this momentum to propel her election as California's junior US senator in 2017.

She launched her candidacy for president to a crowd of more than 20,000 in Oakland at the beginning of last year.

But the senator failed to articulate a clear rationale for her campaign, and gave muddled answers to questions in key policy areas like healthcare.

She was also unable to capitalise on the clear high point of her candidacy: debate performances that showed off her prosecutorial skills, often placing Mr Biden in the line of attack.

When Harris could draw a crowd of 20,000
Where did it go wrong for Kamala Harris?
The self-described "progressive prosecutor" tried to emphasise more left-leaning parts of her legacy - requiring body cameras for some special agents at the California Department of Justice, the first state agency to adopt them, and launching a database that provided public access to crime statistics, though she failed to gain traction.

"Kamala is a cop" became a common refrain on the campaign trail, spoiling her attempts to win over the more liberal Democratic base during the primaries. Those same law enforcement credentials could, however, prove beneficial in the general election when Democrats need to win over more moderate voters and independents.

What's the reaction?
The Trump campaign said the choice of running mate was proof that Mr Biden is "an empty shell being filled with the extreme agenda of the radicals on the left".

"Not long ago, Kamala Harris called Joe Biden a racist and asked for an apology she never received," the campaign said.

"Clearly, Phony Kamala will abandon her own morals, as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the Democrat Party.

"In her failed attempt at running for president, Kamala Harris gleefully embraced the left's radical manifesto, calling for trillions of dollars in new taxes and backing Bernie Sanders' government takeover of healthcare."

Image Copyright @realDonaldTrump@REALDONALDTRUMP
Report
Earlier on Tuesday, President Trump said in an interview with Fox Sports Radio that some men might feel "insulted" by Mr Biden's commitment to pick a woman as his vice-presidential candidate.

Mr Biden pledged in March to name a woman on the ticket.

Susan Rice, the Obama-era White House national security adviser who was also on the vice-presidential shortlist, was among the first to congratulate Ms Harris.

"Senator Harris is a tenacious and trailblazing leader who will make a great partner on the campaign trail," said the former diplomat.

"I am confident that Biden-Harris will prove to be a winning ticket."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53739323

Best of lucky to them,winning team.

ojobek:
Best of lucky to them,winning team.

Yes o. Solid pick.

Kamala, my baby girl.

shegzhkn:
Kamala, my baby girl.

Hahaha. Na her beauty caught your attention and not her rich resume

Who saw this coming? I feel like I should have especially when he hinted at it being a woman but somehow I didnt.

May the better candidate win.

Hahahahahaha, daftus Biden.

Effectively, it is safe to say that Trump has no opponent for 2020 elections.

sweettease:
Who saw this coming? I feel like I should have especially when he hinted at it being a woman but somehow I didnt.

A lot of people actually did. She has been on many people lips for some time now. She seems to be the most qualified with a lot of flavour like ethnic and gender diversity, plus her rich resume. No doubt she will energize the democratic base.

deji17:

Hahaha. Na her beauty caught your attention and not her rich resume

obama said sumtin like that too in 2013, well i will say both

shegzhkn:


obama said sumtin like that too in 2013, well i will say both

She is definitely easy on the eye, no doubt.

This is the beginning of his downfall.

Abegi..... nothing will still come out..

Trump we know others are counterfeit..
.
#MAGA...

Biden doesn't even have the look to be POTUS

The wining team. This will definitely bring more enthusiasm to the Biden campaign especially among people of color. This nomination is one of the product of black lives matter movement of this year for long black people especially black women have been overlooked in american politics. As the first black woman to be in a major party ticket she would bring black people issues to the fore-front, hopeful in a couple of years time Americans can make her the first female potus. #blacklivesmatters

sidieladaniel:
The wining team. This will definitely bring more enthusiasm to the Biden campaign especially among people of color. This nomination is one of the product of black lives matter movement of this year for long black people especially black women have been overlooked in american politics. As the first black woman to be in a major party ticket she would bring black people issues to the fore-front, hopeful in a couple of years time Americans can make her the first female potus. #blacklivesmatters

how many people in the electoral college are black

He would snif the woman by the time he got to know who his running mate is....but for now c'mon men,Joe is hiding in his basement...

https://twitter.com/brewjersey/status/1293281171799863296?s=19

Perfect, she will be the first black VP....Fix America Again

ednut1:
how many people in the electoral college are black

Sometimes it is not the quantity but the quality. Black has significant population in battleground states that could tilt the election in favour of the democratic candidate.These are states that Trump won narrowly in 2016, due to the low turnout among black voters.

deji17:

Sometimes it is not the quantity but the quality. Black has significant population in battleground states that could tilt the election in favour of the democratic candidate.These are states that Trump won narrowly in 2016, due to the low turnout among black voters.

clearly you dont know about American elections. Trump lost the popular vote but won electoral college. Electoral college determines the winner of USA election not individual voter. Una go just dey put mouth for wetin una no understand lmao. Trump will still lose popular vote but will win electoral college. And remain president

Same woman that called Biden a racist

Worse, picked cos they think she's African and a woman of colour, isn't that sexist and racist?

Btw, how can she be African when her dad is Indian

ednut1:
clearly you dont know about American elections. Trump lost the popular vote but won electoral college. Electoral college determines the winner of USA election not individual voter. Una go just dey put mouth for wetin una no understand lmao. Trump will still lose popular vote but will win electoral college. And remain president

Electoral college votes are awarded to the winner of the states. Pay attention to details. What do you know about battleground states? Which states are considered battleground states ? If a democrat wins California by wide margins, he or she does not get more than 55 electoral votes. Ditto a Republican winning Teaxs by wide margin. You can learn. if only you are humble enough.

Doesn't change anything. Trump has done more for black Americans than Obama did. Trump will be re-elected by a landslide .