Kamala Harris, the California senator whom former Vice President Joe Biden chose as his running mate, is a “tireless fighter for working people who will be a … champion in the Biden administration for public service workers,” according to AFSCME President Lee Saunders.
In a statement Tuesday, Saunders added, “We know Senator Harris will continue her relentless advocacy to ensure that we win for working people in 2020, address deepening inequality and work to unrig the rules of our economy so that everyone, not just the wealthy and privileged, can thrive.”
Harris, whose father is from Jamaica and mother was from India, is the first woman of color to be chosen for the role of vice president by the presidential candidate of a major political party. Before beginning her Senate career in 2017, Harris was a longtime prosecutor who also served as California’s attorney general.
Her choice was hailed by members of the African American and Indian American communities. More information about Harris’ background can be found here, here and here.
Harris tweeted, “.@JoeBiden 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.”
In a tweet on Tuesday announcing Harris as his pick, Biden wrote that she will be a “fearless fighter for the little guy.”
“Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau,” Biden wrote in another tweet, referring to his deceased son who served as Delaware’s attorney general. “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.”