Kamala Harris and 5 Other History-Making Vice Presidential Picks

Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign made a historic announcement on Aug. 11, 2020, tweeting that Harris will be his running mate for the 2020 presidential election.

"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.

"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," he continued. "I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign."

Harris, 55, is the first Black woman and first person of Indian descent on either major party's presidential ticket.

She is the fourth woman on a major presidential ticket, after Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin in 2008 and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Biden's choice was long in the making: He announced in March, early in the Democratic primary, that his running mate would be a woman if he won the nomination and he said in June that the potential picks included four Black women.

Harris — a former prosecutor who challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination with her own presidential bid last year, including a viral bit of debate face-off — remained high on the prospective shortlist of running mates.