Biden Selects California Sen. Kamala Harris As Running Mate
Joe Biden elige a Kamala Harris como su candidata a vicepresidenta
WILMINGTON, DE (AP) — Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, making history by selecting the first Black woman to compete on a major party’s presidential ticket and acknowledging the vital role Black voters will play in his bid to defeat President Donald Trump.
“I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate,” Biden tweeted. In a text message to supporters, Biden said, “Together, with you, we’re going to beat Trump”
In choosing Harris, Biden is embracing a former rival from the Democratic primary who is familiar with the unique rigor of a national campaign. Harris, a 55-year-old first-term senator, is also one of the party’s most prominent figures and quickly became a top contender for the No. 2 spot after her own White House campaign ended.
Harris joins Biden in the 2020 race at a moment of unprecedented national crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people in the U.S., far more than the toll experienced in other countries. Business closures and disruptions resulting from the pandemic have caused an economic collapse. Unrest, meanwhile, has emerged across the country as Americans protest racism and police brutality.
Trump’s uneven handling of the crises has given Biden an opening, and he enters the fall campaign in strong position against the president. In adding Harris to the ticket, he can point to her relatively centrist record on issues such as health care and her background in law enforcement in the nation’s largest state.
Harris’ record as California attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco was heavily scrutinized during the Democratic primary and turned off some liberals and younger Black voters who saw her as out of step on issues of systemic racism in the legal system and police brutality. She tried to strike a balance on these issues, declaring herself a “progressive prosecutor” who backs law enforcement reforms.
Español:
WILMINGTON, DE (El País) — El candidato demócrata a la presidencia de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, ha elegido a su exrival en las primarias Kamala Harris para completar su ticket. Así, la senadora por California, de 55 años, de padre jamaicano y madre india, se ha convertido en la tercera mujer en la historia, y la primera mujer afroamericana, en ser nominada para un ticket presidencial. Si los demócratas ganan las elecciones de noviembre, será la primera mujer vicepresidenta de la historia. Además de una historia personal inspiradora, la senadora proporcionará al ticket demócrata un estilo de campaña más combativo que el que caracteriza al candidato a presidente.
No es el primer techo de cristal que rompería Harris, que ya en 2011 se convirtió en la primera mujer fiscal general de California. Seis años después se convirtió en la segunda mujer afroamericana en ser elegida para la Cámara alta, y sus duras intervenciones en los primeros compases de la Administración Trump no tardaron en hacer de ella una figura conocida a nivel nacional.
Harris entró en enero del año pasado en las primarias presidenciales demócratas. Partió como uno de los nombres más conocidos. Senadora, procedente de un bastión demócrata como California, portaba un sólido bagaje para una carrera presidencial. Trató de mantener una delicada equidistancia entre el sector centrista y el izquierdista.
