Kamala Harris's journey to top of Democratic ticket

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/3519/

Kamala Harris was born in the western US state of California to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother.

She worked as a prosecutor in California and became Attorney General of the state in 2011.

Harris was elected to the Senate in 2017. She then entered the 2020 Democratic Party primary but dropped out as she was unable to gain extensive support.

Joe Biden, who was elected as the Democratic nominee, chose Harris as his running mate.

In 2021, Harris was sworn in as Vice President, becoming the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to hold the position.

As Vice President, Harris has been vocal in her opposition to the Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn the 1973 ruling that established abortion as a right. She has traveled across the country, calling for abortion rights.

Harris was also tasked with the immigration issue. Republicans attacked her for not visiting border areas for more than five months after taking office. Critics say she has achieved little progress on the issue as vice president.

Last month, President Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race and endorsed Harris as the Democratic candidate.

Earlier this month, Harris won the Democratic nomination in online voting by Democratic delegates. This makes her the second woman to be nominated for president by a major political party, following former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.

If elected, Harris will be the first woman president in US history.

Harris married lawyer Douglas Emhoff in 2014 and became stepmother to his two children from a previous marriage.

Emhoff resigned from the law firm at which he worked when Harris was sworn in as Vice President. As the first "Second Gentleman," Emhoff has represented the US at various events, including the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021.
Background of Harris's running mate Tim Walz

Tim Walz was born in the Midwestern US state of Nebraska in 1964.


He served in the Army National Guard for 24 years before becoming a high school social studies teacher.

While teaching, Walz helped coach the school's American football team, which won a state championship.

Walz won his first election to the House of Representatives in 2006. He was re-elected for another five terms, serving as a congressman for 12 years.

He was sworn in as governor of Minnesota in 2019 and re-elected for a second term in 2022.

His accomplishments during his tenure as Minnesota governor include providing universal free meals for students at public schools, cutting taxes for the middle class, and expanding paid leave for workers. He has voiced opposition to stricter restrictions on abortion.

On social media, Walz previously posted photos of himself hunting with a gun. He also said that while he is a hunter and gun owner, he is in favor of stricter gun control.

Walz has been criticized by some Republicans for having close ties with China as he participated in a program that had him teaching at a school there for one year.

As a white man with a long career in politics, Walz is expected to help Harris win support from the white working class.