Biden-Harris Ticket Sends Shock Waves Through California

LOS ANGELES — A celebratory mood washed over California’s Democratic Party on Tuesday as the historic implications of Sen. Kamala Harris’ inclusion on the presidential ticket settled in. Never has a Black woman been elevated so potentially close to the seat of power in the United States. No matter the outcome of the Nov. 3 election, the doors of power have been wedged open for a woman of color, many believe.

The decision by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is expected to have a ripple effect across the nation and especially in California. Harris’ inclusion on the ticket has already energized Black voters, a bedrock of the party, and a voting bloc that did not come out in strong numbers for Hillary Clinton in her 2016 presidential campaign loss to Donald Trump.

Also, if Biden wins, Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint Harris' replacement in the Senate, opening up the possibility that California could get its first Latino senator.

It is also lost on no one in California politics that the last Golden State native to serve as vice president went on to take the White House — Richard Nixon. Harris, who ran her own unsuccessful campaign for the presidency until earlier this year, would be positioned as the party’s leader if a President Biden chose not to run for re-election in 2024 at at 82.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the national co-chair of the Biden for President Campaign and co-chair of the campaign's vice presidential selection committee, heaped praise on Harris.

"She is passionate. She is powerful. She is brilliant. She is compassionate," Garcetti said. "Kamala Harris will help Joe Biden unite the American people, restore our nation's soul, and rebuild our country so it's even stronger than it was before.

"I'm proud that our vice presidential selection process vetted and elevated so many women, each of whom is qualified to lead our country," Garcetti said. "This was not a political process. We worked to build a team — one that puts women at the table, one that looks like America, and one with the patriotism, qualifications and unity to help Joe Biden conquer this virus and build back better."

Not surprisingly, one of Harris’ chief critics is the commander in chief. Though he claimed to be surprised by the choice, he tweeted a campaign video attacking Harris, saying she launched her failed presidential bid by "rushing to the radical left, embracing Bernie's plan for socialized medicine, calling for trillions in new taxes, attacking Joe Biden for racist policies." The ad concludes, "Sloe Joe and Phony Kamala: perfect together, wrong for America."

Trump repeatedly called Harris “nasty” Wednesday for comments she made during confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The Trump campaign issued a statement saying Harris is willing to "abandon her own morals, as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the Democrat Party."

Harris, who grew up in the Berkeley area and rose to prominence as San Francisco’s district attorney before becoming California’s attorney general, is a junior senator who now lives in Los Angeles. Her selection ended hopes of fellow Angeleno Rep. Karen Bass, who was also under consideration by Biden. CNN reported that Biden personally called Bass to inform her of his decision.

Bass, leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, took to Twitter to hail the selection of Harris.

"Her tenacious pursuit of justice and relentless advocacy for the people is what is needed right now," Bass wrote. "I worked closely with her when I was in Sacramento and she was the District Attorney in San Francisco. I continue to work closely with her here in Washington, D.C., as we push to reform our nation's policing system. California is better because of her work as attorney general and stronger because of her work as senator. Now all Americans will benefit from her work as vice president."

Harris’ rise to prominence has largely been tied to law enforcement because of her career as a prosecutor and California attorney general. Her stances on police reform have been criticized as overly cautious by activists, many of whom lobbied Biden to choose a woman with more progressive chops.

Melina Abdullah, one of the founders and leaders of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, wrote, "As much as I wanted it to be (Bass), I told y'all from the beginning that (Biden) was gonna pick (Harris). Somebody owes me a dollar."

Black leaders within the party establishment have offered unreserved enthusiasm for the Harris-Biden ticket, however. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) wrote on Twitter that Biden had made a historic selection.

"I believe that the two of them together will respect and honor our constitution, strengthen our democracy and economy and work for a good quality of life for our children and families," Waters wrote.

Harris is well-liked by LGBTQ activists in California. Rick Chavez, executive director of the Los Angeles-based LGBTQ advocacy group Equality California, called Harris an "exceptional choice."

"Throughout her career, Senator Harris has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to civil rights and social justice for all LGBTQ+ people," Chavez said in a statement. "As vice president, we are confident she will continue Vice President Biden's tradition of using the office to champion and advance full, lived LGBTQ+ equality — and equality for the diverse communities to which LGBTQ+ people belong."

And in California, home to the nation’s largest immigrant population, many are celebrating the chance to vote for a first-generation American. Harris is the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants who met as graduate students at Berkeley.

Mark Gonzalez, chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, hailed the selection of a first-generation American.

"The daughter of immigrants, Senator Harris' long, distinguished career not only as a public servant fighting for justice, but her continuous fight for working families all across our country is exactly what our nation needs in this crucial time," Gonzalez said.

With immigrants playing such an important role in the state, many are looking to see if Newsom will choose another history-making child of immigrants to fulfill Harris’ Senate term.

Among the names being discussed is California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, the Stanford-educated son of Mexican immigrants. Another frequently discussed name is California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, an MIT graduate whose parents also emigrated from Mexico.

According to CalMatters, Nearly 40 percent of Californians are Latino, but the state has never sent a Latino to the U.S. Senate.

However, Newsom may feel pressure to appoint another woman to the seat due to the dearth of women in the upper chamber. Toward that end, some suggest Bass as a candidate or Los Angeles state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, who is the child of Mexican immigrant farmworkers, according to CalMatters.

City News Service contributed to this report.