18 Things You Might Not Know About Kamala Harris

In a 2004 profile of Kamala Harris, her mother shared why she chose Indian names for her daughters, saying, "A culture that worships goddesses produces strong women."

Brown appointed Harris for roles with the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the Medical Assistance Commission. They broke up in 1995. 

In 2003, while running for San Francisco district attorney, Harris responded to insinuations that the relationship helped her get ahead, saying, "Whether you agree or disagree with the system, I did the work." She went on to share that she wouldn't "design my campaign around criticizing Willie Brown for the sake of appearing to be independent when I have no doubt that I am independent of him — and that he would probably right now express some fright about the fact that he cannot control me.”

Harris stirred controversy by refusing to seek the death penalty in a case where a police officer was killed. A colleague of hers has shared that Harris was progressive for the time on marijuana cases, regularly downgrading charges of selling marijuana to misdemeanors. 

Harris also cofounded the Coalition to End the Exploitation of Kids, and she changed the way minors involved in sex work were treated. Instead of prosecuting them as criminals, she saw them as victims of sexual exploitation and helped them access treatment for trauma.

When the relationship came under fresh scrutiny in 2019, Williams tweeted, "@KamalaHarris and I briefly dated about 20 years ago when we were both single. So what? I have great respect for Sen. Harris. I have to wonder if the same stories about her dating history would have been written if she were a male candidate?"

That same year, Gavin Newsom was elected as the mayor of San Francisco. Newsom and Harris became friends during this time, and they still remain close in 2024. Newsom has endorsed Harris for president, describing her as "Tough. Fearless. Tenacious."

In her memoir, Harris described their wedding, writing, "In keeping with our respective Indian and Jewish heritage, I put a flower garland around Doug’s neck, and he stomped on a glass." 

Emhoff and Harris reportedly love watching "90-minute rom-coms" together, and Harris has shared that she still has the first voicemail message he left for her over 10 years later. 

According to attacks from the right, Biden went on to name Harris "border czar," and she failed to address immigration at the Southern border. But that narrative is not factual. As vice president, Harris never held that title, but she has worked with foreign governments to address the root causes of mass migration from countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Border crossings in the US are currently at a three-year low.  

She likes to accessorize with pearls (a nod to her AKA sorority sisters) and sometimes swaps out her heels for Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers. She even wore her Chucks when she was on the cover of Vogue in 2021.