Stephanie GuerilusSen. Kamala Harris (D. Cali) announced she will run for president in 2020 on Monday morning.
Harris appeared on Good Morning America to declare her candidacy for the Democratic nomination on the Martin Luther King Jr. day. The prominent Democratic senator, elected in 2016 after 20 years as a federal prosecutor, said that she is ready for the highest office in the land.
“I love my country. I love my country,” she said. “This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are.”
Harris highlighted her leadership skills and felt very confident that she would be able to lead the polarized country.
“I feel very confident about my ability to listen and to work on behalf of the American public. The American public wants a fighter, and they want someone that is going to fight like heck for them and not fight based on self-interests. I’m prepared to do that.”
After much speculation, Harris specifically chose to announce on the national holiday for King and wanted to make his life’s work as a civil rights champion central to her campaign.
“The thing about Dr. King that always inspires me is that he was aspirational. He was aspirational like our country is aspirational. We know that we’ve not yet reached those ideals. But our strength is that we fight to reach those ideals,” the senator said. “So today, the day we celebrate Dr. King, is a very special day for all of us as Americans and I’m honored to be able to make my announcement on the day we commemorate him.
Before the much anticipated declaration, Harris’ past as a prosecutor has been under scrutiny. The New York Times published an op-ed that questioned her claim as a “progressive” since she allegedly upheld wrongful convictions and suppression. Harris took to social media and posted the video, Kamala Harris: For the People” asking others to join in on a campaign that would focus on “lifting our voices to fight for our American values.”
