How long has Kamala Harris been in politics?

After the disastrous June 27 debate that destroyed the argument that President Joe Biden could perform adequately as commander-in-chief for another 4 years, many Democrats turned their eyes to Vice President Kamala Harris in the hopes that she would step up as the President’s successor.

These hopes proved to have real merit when Biden announced he was dropping out of the race and endorsing Harris to be the presidential nominee in his stead. In a post on X, the President wrote:

Kamala Harris is irrefutably qualified, and at 59 years old has the required stamina to handle the job’s mounting pressures. When asked about it before announcing his consequential decision, Biden assured he would not have picked her as his running mate had he thought she was not up to the task of taking up the presidential mantle herself – unfortunately, in one of his now infamous gaffes, the President referred to Harris as “Vice President Trump” before going on to say she “was a hell of a prosecutor” in the past.

According to a recent poll, not only were Biden and Donald Trump statistically tied, but Harris would not fall far behind. Another poll showed that 6 in 10 Democrats think Harris would make a good President.

In response to the President’s endorsement, Harris wrote on X:

Many people are well aware of how Harris broke through the glass ceiling upon being elected the first female Vice President of Jamaican and Indian descent, and many more now hope that she will shatter an even higher ceiling by being elected to the Oval Office. Some, however, may not be fully aware of the incredible professional path she has trod, both as a prosecutor and as a politician.

Kamala Harris’ professional career timeline

In her 2019 memoir, Harris recounts how she first stepped into Alameda County Superior Courthouse as an employee in 1988. She was around 25 years old and had been offered a summer internship. At the time, her path in life was becoming clearer: to climb the ladder and become a prosecutor, to reach a position that permitted her to meaningfully impact the lives of the most vulnerable in her state.

After working as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County for 9 years, she was hired in 1998 to run the career criminal unit at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. Although the job would prove to be challenging, it was an undeniable promotion that provided her with an opportunity to grow. Eighteen months later, she was recruited to handle the Child and Family Services division. This was when Harris finally got the opportunity to have a hand in influencing policy that could improve people’s lives, such as establishing a safety net and protection for sexually exploited youth. In her words:

“The work was meaningful, empowering, and proof that I could do serious policy work without being a legislator. It also boosted my confidence that when I saw problems, I could be the one to help devise the solutions.”

But soon, she realized there was only so much she could achieve in her current position. It was during this time that she began to see a career as a district attorney as the natural next step in her career. She wanted to improve and empower the DA’s office, which struggled with more than its fair share of issues. She was inaugurated District Attorney of San Francisco in 2004. That same year, she was successful in passing a bill that extended the criminal sentences for men who paid to have sexual relations with minors.

In 2010, she emerged victorious from the race for Attorney General of California, winning “by the equivalent of three votes per precinct.” She remained in this position until 2016 when she was elected as a Senator from California. “Becoming a U.S. senator would be a natural extension of the work I was already doing […]” Kamala explained in her memoir. She was sworn in by Vice President Biden in January 2017.

Harris entered the 2020 presidential race, announcing her candidacy in January 2019. However, she withdrew in December due to lack of funds. Afterward, Joe Biden picked her as his running mate, and she ascended to the role of Vice President of the United States upon their victory.

Time will tell where Kamala Harris’ extraordinary career will take her next, whether the prosecutor has what it takes to once again make history on Nov. 5.