Former Vice President Joe Biden reached into the U.S. Senate on Tuesday for a running mate, choosing Sen. Kamala Harris of California to complete the Democratic ticket in 2020, the first time a woman of color has been chosen by a major party for VP.
"I have the great honor to announce that I've picked Kamala Harris - a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants - as my running mate," Biden said in a statement.
The Biden campaign announced the two would make their first joint appearance on Wednesday in Biden’s home state of Delaware.
Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020
A former state attorney general - like Biden’s son Beau in Delaware - Harris had seemed like the top possible pick for Biden for months.
Before the Coronavirus scrapped much of the 2020 campaign, Harris had stumped with Biden in Detroit on the eve of the Michigan Primary.
“I believe in Joe,” Harris said in the last big rally Biden held on March 9.
“I am extraordinarily proud to support Kamala Harris and Joe Biden,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who had been talked about as a possible choice for Biden.
“They will be a fierce team to Build America Back Better,” Whitmer said on Twitter.
The initial GOP response was to release a video calling Harris a ‘phony.'
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2020