Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Take on the US Presidential Election as a Team

WASHINGTON, KOMPAS.com – Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden officially selected Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate in the upcoming US presidential election.

Kamala Harris’s appointment is a historic first for American women of color.

She was a formal rival to Joe Biden in the White House race.

The long-waited announcement capped months of searching for a Democratic partner to challenge President Donald Trump’s re-election in November.

Read also: Joe Biden and His Notes on Kamala Harris: Do Not Hold Grudges

In describing his running mate, the 77-year-old Democratic presidential nominee said that Kamala Harris is a "fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants”.

If Joe Biden and Kamala Harris is elected for the highest seat in US politics, she would be the first female and first black Vice-President in America.

"I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign."

The decision, announced in typical 2020 style on social media, was a crucial moment for Biden as he aims to build a broad coalition of voters to oust Trump from the White House.

Read also: Joe Biden Sets Aside $280 Million for Campaign Ads Through the Fall

Harris, who at 55 is two decades Biden's junior, could appeal to younger voters and women, particularly those in the suburbs who have been fleeing Trump.

The former California attorney general is the first person of Indian descent in the running mate role, and personifies the diversity seen as key to building enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket, particularly in a year marked by a historic reckoning on race.

She is the third female vice-presidential nominee for a major party, after the groundbreaking but unsuccessful runs of Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008.

Hillary Clinton was the first female presidential nominee, losing to Trump in 2016.

Harris, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination against Biden, said she was "honored" to join the ticket and would "do what it takes" to help him win.