Kamala Harris AMNA.. Vice President Harris' record and how# she arrived at this pivotal moment.

William Brangham has a look at# her path, from the daughter of## immigrants to the favorite for the# Democratic presidential nominee.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: In the blink of an eye,## Vice President Kamala Harris went from# being President Biden's biggest defe.. KAMALA HARRIS, Vice President of the United States# (D) and U.S. Presidential Candidate: One thing## we know about our .. WILLIAM BRANGHAM: ... to the person most likely## to replace him on the presidential# ballot four months from now.

Harris securing the nomination would be# historic, the first time a Black woman## leads a major-party ticket.

But it would be just# the latest in a career of firsts for Harris,## a politician who rose from district attorney# to state attorney general to U.S. senator.

In 2021, she became the first woman and## first Black American and South# Asian American vice president.

KAMALA HARRIS: While I may be the first# woman in this office, I will not be the last.

(CHEERING) sees that this is a country of possibilities.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Harris is the# daughter of immigrants from Oakland,## California.

Her mother was a scientist# who emigrated from India to study at U.C.## Berkeley.

Her father was from Jamaica and# became a prominent economist at Stanford.

In elementary school, Harris was bused from her# predominantly Black neighborhood to a white one,## part of an effort to desegregate local public# schools.

She lived in California until she was 12,## when Harris moved with her mother and# sister to Canada.

Harris later enrolled## at Howard University, a historically# Black college in Washington, D.C.,## where she studied political science and economics.

She then returned to the Bay Area for law# school.

And it was in San Francisco where## Harris' political career began.

In 2003, she# was elected the city's district attorney.

KAMALA HARRIS: To be a prosecutor# is to really be engaged in one of## the most -- noblest professions# that anyone could do and have.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Her career in# law enforcement helped propel## her to higher office, but also has# earned her a good deal of criticism.

California's police unions were livid when# she didn't press for the death penalty for## a man who killed a police officer.

She also# championed providing a path for some nonviolent## first-time drug offenders to get education and# job training to prevent them from re-offending.

KAMALA HARRIS: When we're talking about serious# and violent crime, lock them up.

But when we're## talking about nonviolent crime, that is# actually the crime that is occupying the## bulk of our public resources and beds in our# state prison system.

And we need to have a## meaningful system to reduce the likelihood# that that revolving door will continue.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: In 2010, Harris was# elected attorney general of California,## overseeing the largest state# Justice Department in the U.S. Harris' office took on predatory# for-profit colleges and also secured a## nearly $20 billion settlement with banks# following the 2008 foreclosure crisis.

KAMALA HARRIS: It was imperative that we not## give a blank check of immunity to# the banks for their wrongdoing.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Harris' tenure as attorney# general also coincided with the rise of the## Black Lives Matter movement and the emergence# of criminal justice reform as a major issue.

In 2015, Harris didn't take a position# a state law that would have required## independent investigations when police# killed civilians.

Harris' office also## tried to prevent nonviolent prisoners from# being released after the U.S. Supreme Court## ruled that California's overcrowded prisons# violated inmate's constitutional rights.

At the same time, her office launched## implicit bias training for law# enforcement officers in 2015.

KAMALA HARRIS: We have developed and implemented# a policy on implicit bias and racial profiling.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: In 2016, Harris was# elected to the U.S. Senate in a landslide,## becoming only the second Black# woman to serve as a U.S. senator.

KAMALA HARRIS: I intend to fight for# truth and transparency and trust.

(CHEERING) Harris shined in hearings with her .. including Brett Kavanaugh, after he'd# been nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court.

KAMALA HARRIS: Can you think of# any laws that give the government## the power to make decisions about the male body?

BRETT KAVANAUGH, U.S. Supreme# Court Associate Justice: I'm## happy to answer a more specific question.

KAMALA HARRIS: Male versus female?

BRETT KAVANAUGH: There are medical procedures.

KAMALA HARRIS: That the government has the# power to make a decision about a man's body?

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: In 2019, with# a growing national profile,## Harris joined the wide field of Democrats who# lined up to challenge President Donald Trump.

KAMALA HARRIS: I stand before you today## to announce my candidacy for# president of the United States.

(CHEERING) especially as she faced questions# about her record as a prosecutor.

FMR.

REP. TULSI GABBARD (HI): She put# over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana## violations and then laughed about it when# she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.

(CHEERING) an innocent man from death row until# the courts forced her to do so.

And she## fought to keep cash bail system in place.

That# impacts poor people in the worst kind of way.

KAMALA HARRIS: As the elected attorney# general of California, I did the work of## significantly reforming the criminal justice# system of a state of 40 million people,## which became a national model for the work that# needs to be done.

And I am proud of that work.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Harris dropped out of# the race before a single ballot was cast.

KAMALA HARRIS: And I will keep fighting every day## for what this campaign has been# about, justice for the people.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Harris eventually endorsed Joe## Biden and was then chosen by# him to be his running mate.

KAMALA HARRIS: In this election, we have# a chance to change the course of history.## We're all in this fight,# you, me, and Joe, together.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: In 2020, Biden and# Harris won a contentious election.

KAMALA HARRIS: We did it.

We did it,## Joe.

You're going to be the next# president of the United States.

(LAUGHTER) After being tasked with stemming the# root causes of migration to the U.S.,## Harris' first trip abroad as# V.P.

was to Mexico and Guatemala.

KAMALA HARRIS: I want to be clear to# folks in this region who are thinking## about making that dangerous trek to the United# States-Mexico border.

Do not come.

Do not come.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: With increasing numbers of# migrants coming to the U.S.-Mexico border,## Harris was criticized for not visiting the region.

QUESTION: You haven't been to the border.

KAMALA HARRIS: And I haven't been to Europe.## I mean, I don't understand# the point that you're making.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Although Harris later visited# the border, it fed into the perception that## the Biden administration was not doing# enough to curb illegal border crossings.

In 2022, Texas' governor, Republican Greg Abbott## bused migrants literally to her# front door in Washington, D.C. GOV.

GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): Kamala Harris was# saying there's no problem on the border.

So,## she said the border was secure.

And so I felt# the need to be involved in the education process.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: In the summer of# 2022, the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision## overturning the right to abortion# marked a turning point for Harris.

She emerged as a fierce advocate for the## administration on abortion rights# and women's rights more broadly.

KAMALA HARRIS: Do you not trust women to know# what isn't their own best interest?

You, some## legislator in some state capital, the majority# of whom are not women, are in a better position## to tell her what she should do?

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: And with the Senate evenly# split between Democrats and Republicans... KAMALA HARRIS: The Senate being equally divided,## the vice president votes in the affirmative,# and the bill, as amended, is passed.

(CHEERING) legislative victories, including the# sweeping Inflation Reduction Act,## which was America's most ambitious# effort yet to tackle climate change.

Harris also took a leading role in efforts to# reduce gun violence, overseeing the first ever## Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

She# spoke with Geoff Bennett last September.

GEOFF BENNETT: Absent congressional action,# how will that effort make a significant change?

KAMALA HARRIS: Well, congressional action is very# important.

There's no question about that.

But,## sadly, a lot of folks there just# don't have the courage to do it.## The work that we are doing is to# make sure that we are implementing## all of the executive orders that have# already been implemented and passed.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: With President Biden now out# of the race, the 59-year-old Kamala Harris will## again see her career and record closely# examined as she tries to both unify the## Democratic Party behind her bid and then turn# her sights on defeating the former president.

For the PBS "News Hour," I'm William Brangham.