SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Joe Biden has chosen California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, making history by selecting a Black woman for a major party's presidential ticket for the first time in history.
It's a move that fulfills the wish of Democrats clamoring to see a woman of color on the ticket. The 55-year-old Harris was elected to the Senate in 2016 after serving as California’s attorney general. She competed against Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, but left the race before voting began as she struggled to raise money. One of notable moments of her presidential campaign came at the expense of Biden, when she slammed his past opposition to school busing.
Elected officials, community leads and organizations throughout Northern California reacted to the news of Biden's selection Tuesday.
Mahan said there is a stark contrast between Vice President Mike Pence and presumptive democratic VP nominee Kalama Harris.
"He [Mike Pence] is certainly, personality wise, very different than Kamala Harris. He has a pretty calm demeanor. But at the same time, is certainly able to talk about any issue. Kamala Harris has a very confrontational personality. She likes to pretend like she's in trial whenever she talks to someone... and I think seeing the two of them on stage is going to be very interesting," Mahan said.
Mahan also told ABC10, Harris has a controversial past in regards to past criminal justice reform and public safety issues.
"One of the most important issues today is public safety and Kamala Harris has a checkered past, which could be a problem with the base. And now she’s comparing law enforcement to the KKK to overcome the distrust that progressives have of her record in San Francisco."
"It's a testament to this country that it's always looking to do better. It's always looking to redeem itself and for those of us who have that chance to be the first, simply what it means is we want to keep that door open so no longer do we have to talk about firsts."
"This is not going to be easy. People are going to swing at her. People are going to say things about her, and that's why you see this movement of women on social media saying we need to have her back."
"You know my daughters see themselves in her, and I think for women of color around the country today they feel seen and heard."
A'shanti F. Gholar, president of EMERGE America, an organization providing a network for Democratic women to run for office
"I am so excited about this pick. I am still on cloud nine and it is historic. We know that women are the base of the Democratic Party. Black women are the base of the Democratic Party. It's going to galvanize so many people, but it also shows how serious Vice President Biden is about having Black, Brown and Indigenous people in decision making roles."
Assemblymember Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin)
In 2019, Kiley introduced a bill that would require a special election in the event a congressional seat is vacated in California. He pointed to nine instances from 1933 - 1977 throughout the US where governors resigned the governorship and appointed themselves to fill the seat.
"I just think when you have, what's one of the most important offices in the country, a United States Senator from California, someone who could very well serve for decades, then people in California must not be disenfranchised," Kiley said.
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