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Since her entrance into the 2020 presidential race last year, Kamala Harris has become a household name. Whether she is debating bills in the Senate, questioning nominees for the Supreme Court or campaigning for Joe Biden, Kamala has proven that she is a fighter, and her next battle is taking back the White House as the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

With the 2020 election right around the corner, we compiled a list of *everything* you should know about Kamala Harris.

1. Kamala Harris is the first Black and Asian American woman to run on a major political party's presidential ticket. Harris entered the 2020 presidential race in January of 2019. She dropped out of the race nearly a year later, citing financial and organizational issues. In August, Joe Biden named Harris as his running mate.

2. Elected for the first time in 2016, Harris has made a name for herself as the junior senator from California. Harris is an excellent debater, and her questioning of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh attracted national attention in 2018.

3. Harris, a career prosector, served as the district attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. Following her work in San Francisco, she served as the state's attorney general until 2016. 

4. She received her B.A. in political science and economics from Howard University in 1986. In 1989, she earned her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.

5. Harris married Douglas Emhoff in 2014, after meeting him on a blind date. Her younger sister, Maya Harris, officiated the wedding. She has two step-children, Cole and Ella, who call her Momala. 

6. Her parents both immigrated to the United States. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a renowned biologist whose work stimulated breast cancer research. She came to the United States from India in 1958. Her father, Donald J. Harris, is originally from Jamaica. He taught economics at the collegiate level for many years before taking an early retirement in 1998. 

7. Kamala *loves* to cook. "I'm something of a gourmet cook—I love to eat—and we have fun making meals," she told Essence in 2016. Harris often posts pictures of her dishes on social media—and I must say, they look quite tasty.

8. Harris is an author. She wrote one children's book and two non-fiction books. One of her non-fiction books was about her experiences as a career prosecutor, and one was more of a soft-edged autobiographical piece. Her children's book, Superheroes are Everywhere, aims to teach kids that superheroes are everywhere, and that they can be one too.

9. Her name means "lotus" in Sanskrit. Harris is also another name for the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. 

10. Harris mentors young women in her spare time. One of her mentees, Iyahna Smith, said that Harris has helped her with her college essays, connected her with internships and encouraged her throughout the years. Harris says she is merely following the example set by her late mother, who mentored her graduate students.

Harris' strength of character and dedication have served her well as she is looked to as a role model and a champion for justice. Regardless of the outcome of the 2020 election, Harris has undoubtedly made a name for herself nationwide. 

by Claire Hutto | 11/3/2020