Indian-Origin Kamala Devi Harris Throws Her Hat Into The US Presidential Race

United States’ first Indian-origin Senator, Democrat Kamala Devi Harris officially launched her bid for the country’s presidential election in 2020 on Monday (21 January), reports Economic Times.

Harris, who is a vocal critique of Republican President Donald Trump, said that she was honoured to announce her campaign bid on a day when Americans celebrate Martin Luther King Junior Day.

Harris’ mother hailed from Tamil Nadu while her father was an African-American from Jamaica. Both her parents came to the US to study and then settled there. Her sister Maya Lakshmi Harris was also part of the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign.

"The future of US depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values. That's why I am running for president of the United States," Harris was quoted in the report as saying.

She has selected Baltimore, near Washington DC, in the east coast as her 2020 campaign headquarters. Her second office of choice would reportedly be Oakland which is also her birthplace.

Harris, who is also the first Indian-origin former attorney general and first black Senator from California, is the fourth Democratic woman leader to enter the presidential race. The other three women leaders from Democratic party, announcing their bids for the 2020 election, are Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachussetts, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York.