Bay Area native Kamala Harris garners local support in historic presidential race
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Support is growing for Vice President Kamala Harris as she becomes the favorite to win the Democratic nomination.
Experts say the party will unite behind the vice president.
"Support my friend Kamala Harris for District Attorney!" -- This was years ago when the current vice president was starting her political career.
She was the first woman to ever serve as district attorney in San Francisco.
"Well, I have always been a woman. I don't know what to tell you," Harris said.
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Now, the Bay Area native has a chance to become the first women, first Black women and first South Asian women to become president of the United States.
Both President Joe Biden and other top Democrats have endorsed her to become the party's nominee.
"We are living through history right now. As someone who's followed this stuff for a long time, I have never seen anything like these last few weeks," said Jason McDaniel, political science professor as San Francisco State University.
McDaniel said voters of each party just want to win the election. And with Vice President Harris, he said the Democrats see her as their best chance instead of the current president.
"I think Biden's performance at the debate made it clear to a lot of Democrats he was not going to be able to prosecute this campaign against Trump, so to speak, and give the party a chance of winning elections. And it became inevitable at the end of this week, he was going to have to step aside," McDaniel said.
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Now support is growing for the vice president.
"I have nothing but respect and admiration, and her story is America's story," said Rep. Mark DeSaulnier of Walnut Creek.
"I have known this women for more than 30 years, and she is very, very capable," said Rep. John Garamendi of Vallejo.
Supporters and former advisers of hers are already mobilizing efforts to get voters to choose her come November.
"First of all, investing in field organizing. Investing in organizers that'll not just go to the cities, but the rural communities across this county, especially in battleground states," said Harini Krishnan, director of South Asians for Harris.
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This includes members of Emerge, a group cofounded by the vice president designed to get more women elected.
"Her having been a DA, an Attorney General, being a United States senator, being our vice president, it does make sense that she would be the next one we see to be a candidate for president of the United States," said A'shanti Gholar, president of Emerge.
The Democratic Convention is less than a month away. McDaniel envisions the party that was divided over its candidate will unify around the vice president.
"I think you are going to see a lot of fundraising for her. You will see a lot of voters donating to her, because the fear of a Donald Trump will unite Democrats, and I think that is the most important thing," McDaniel said.
Vice President Harris says she plans on winning the nomination.
