Vice President Kamala Harris ’89 Launches Presidential Campaign 

After a decades-long career as a prosecutor, state attorney general, U.S. senator and vice president, Kamala Harris ’89 is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for president in 2024.

Vice President Kamala Harris, a 1989 graduate of UC Law San Francisco, announced her campaign for president on July 21, 2024.  

Harris’ career since graduating from UC Law SF (then known as UC Hastings), includes working with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office as deputy district attorney and in 1998, joining the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, where, among other posts, she led the Career Criminal Unit. She was elected district attorney in 2003, defeating two-term incumbent Terence Hallinan and won an unopposed second term in 2007. 

In 2010, Harris was elected as California’s 32nd attorney general. She ran for U.S. Senate in 2016, winning the seat Barbara Boxer held for more than 20 years. Harris was then elected vice president as Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020. 

Discussing her agenda as California’s attorney general in the Spring 2013 issue of the UC Hastings magazine, Harris said, “It’s incumbent on everyone to consider the moment and decide what side of history they want to be on.” 

Harris delivered the 2005 keynote commencement address to UC Law SF graduates.