On Tuesday, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced that Sen. Kamala Harris would be his vice presidential running mate. The decision was historic: Harris is the first Black and South Asian-American woman to run for vice president for a major party.
Sharon Navarro, professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told Texas Standard that Harris is the candidate the Democratic Party needs to energize its base of supporters. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges for her and Biden leading up to the November general election.
“Having her on the ticket – a younger, more energized, sharp candidate … signals to the base and perhaps the now majority-minority state of Texas that they are truly committed to representing the true face of America,” Navarro said.
She said Harris could even attract voters who had supported the president but are now “disillusioned with the way Donald Trump is handling the civil unrest.”
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– How Biden didn’t have a Latina on his vice presidential shortlist, and whether Harris can attract Latino voters
– How factors including her moderate political stance, her age and political experience made Harris an attractive running mate for Biden
– Whether Harris will attract more Black female voters to vote Democratic in November
Web story by Caroline Covington.
