'Hometown pride': Bay Area gets emotional on eve of Kamala Harris' historic inauguration
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The excitement for Wednesday's inauguration isn't just being seen in Washington D.C., those here in the Bay Area are gearing up for a day that is likely to be very emotional.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was born in Oakland and has ties that run deep here in Northern California and across the state.
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"I suspect, although I don't cry much, tears will come to my eyes," says former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, as he described what is to come - That moment the Bay Area's Kamala Harris takes the oath of office as vice president of the United States with President-elect Joe Biden during Wednesday's inauguration.
"One Donald Trump is gone, and number two, the first woman, and the first Black woman will be made the vice president of these United States," says Brown.
Wednesday will be a historic and likely emotional day for those who have been with Kamala since her days in Alameda County, San Francisco, and then representing all of California.
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"I'll be thinking about some of the earlier days back in 2003 when she was running for San Francisco District Attorney," says Debbie Mesloh who has been a friend, staffer, and advisor to Harris over the past 20 years.
"There were a lot of hard days on that campaign where we didn't know if we'd make it over the finish line," she said.
"It's that much more special because I know how committed she is, how smart she is, what a big heart she has," says criminal rights advocate Sunny Schwartz, who is a friend of Harris.
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"The Bay Area, the people here, the people who supported Kamala, we're all part of this history! I just feel a sense of hometown pride," says Mesloh.
And it's that pride that makes it so special, according to Willie Brown.
"The first two positions below the president are held by Californians. That means there is something about us that makes us distinctive, selective, and electable," says Brown.
