Democratic Senator Kamala Harris from California was a guest on the ABC television show Good Morning America today and made a huge announcement which surprised nobody: “I am running for President of the United States” she told host George Stephanopoulos.
The former attorney general of California will join several other Democrats who have already announced they are seeking the presidency in 2020. Many more within her party are expected to announce their candidacies also in coming weeks.
Harris’ announcement comes following many months of speculation about her joining the race. She is considered a rising star in the party and is known for seriousness and also her excellent political skills.
If she wins Harris would be the first woman and woman of color to be elected to the nation’s highest office.
Just two weeks ago, Harris, 54, said she was not yet ready to make an announcement about a possible campaign. Since then three other Democratic contenders have declared their candidacies or interest in running, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., had earlier announced that she was forming a presidential exploratory committee.
Harris had gone on a book tour and media blitz earlier this month after the release of her memoir. In her book she said that she was empowered at a young age with the disposition to take personal responsibility to address the hardships she encountered.
“I was raised that, when you see a problem, you don’t complain about it, you go and do something about it,” she wrote.