Joe Biden Names Kamala Harris as His Vice Presidential Running Mate

Joe Biden has officially named his running mate for the presidential election. According to the New York Times, Biden has named California Senator Kamala Harris as his choice for Vice President. This pick marks the first time that a Black woman has been nominated for national office by a major political party.

Biden announced his decision on Tuesday, first telling his supporters via email and text. He wrote in his email to supporters, “Joe Biden here. Big news: I’ve chosen Kamala Harris as my running mate. Together, with you, we’re going to beat Trump.” Harris, who is 55 years old, is the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to be nominated for national office by a major political party in the United States. She is also only the fourth woman in history to be included on a presidential ticket with the first three being Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, Sarah Palin in 2008, and Hilary Clinton in 2016.

On Twitter, Biden told his followers that he had chosen Harris as his running mate. He wrote that she actually worked closely with his late son Beau Biden when she served as the Attorney General of California, a position which she held from 2011 to 2017. “Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau,” he wrote. “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.”

Harris was previously in the race for the presidency. But, in December, she announced that she would be dropping out of the race due to a lack of funds, per NPR. “I’ve taken stock, and I’ve looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days, I have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life,” Harris said in a video when she announced her decision. “As the campaign has gone on, it has become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete.” During her time on the campaign trail, the California Senator frequently criticized Biden. However, after she dropped out of the race, she went on to become a vocal supporter of the former Delaware Senator for the presidency.