SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The spotlight is now on Vice President Kamala Harris’ legislative priorities as she steps in for President Joe Biden as the Democratic presumptive presidential nominee.
An Oakland native, Harris spent much of her career as a prosecutor in California where she pushed for both criminal justice reform and reproductive rights.
Longtime reproductive rights advocate and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Jodi Hicks, said she couldn’t be more thrilled to have Vice President Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket.
“As a Californian, we have known her record as a champion for a very long time,” said Hicks. “We’re also just extremely proud of our party and the direction that it’s going in.”
Hicks notes Harris is the first vice president to visit an abortion clinic and has been traveling the country speaking to providers, many of whom have faced violence threats since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
“She’s been talking directly to people working on the ground and giving them assurances that she will continue to fight for them,” Hicks explained.
According to a KFF poll, two-thirds of voters described abortion as the most important issue.
“We are confident that the people will rally behind a ticket committed to a path forward where reproductive freedom — and abortion — is an undeniable right,” Hicks adds.
Another poll, by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found 6 in 10 Americans believe their state should allow a person to get an abortion if they choose.
“This election has never been more important when it comes to reproductive freedom and having Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket is [an] assurance for everyone,” Hicks said.
Harris has also been a longtime advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She officiated the first same-sex marriage in San Francisco when she was the District Attorney.
“Vice President Harris has been a rock solid, staunch ally to the LGBTQ community,” said California State Senator Scott Wiener, who represents San Francisco.
Wiener is an openly gay man who served as a volunteer for Harris’ San Francisco District Attorney campaign in the early 2000s.
“She’s also helped LGBTQ people get elected to office - she helped me get elected to the state senate. She really gets it. She’ll be a great ally in the White House,” he said.
Another issue Wiener said Harris prioritizes is criminal justice reform, an issue she has championed since her time as a district attorney.
“She is someone who is very thoughtful about criminal justice policy. She does not want to go back to mass incarceration, but she also believes in holding people accountable when they violate the law and harm other people,” Wiener said.
Though Republicans in the state take issue with Harris’ handling of Proposition 47 when she was the California attorney general.
Proposition 47 is the 2014 ballot measure that reclassified certain non-violent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors.
While Harris did not take a public stance on Proposition 47 when she was Attorney General, she was in charge of writing the title and summary.
Assemblymember Tom Lackey from Palmdale feels Harris misled voters by titling Proposition 47 as the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act.
“Who doesn’t want safe schools, safe neighborhoods? Obviously, everybody’s going to be for that, but is that what that proposal did? I could make an argument that it didn’t even touch those,” Lackey said.
Lackey added he has concerns about Harris’ leadership capabilities, but said no matter which candidate is elected in November, the president needs to focus on unifying the country.
“I don’t care whether you’re a left thinker or right thinker, middle thinker. We all admit we got to do better,” Lackey said.
As for Wiener, he believes Harris’ background as a prosecutor will be key to defeating former President Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump is not just a convicted felon, he is a corrupt crook, and she’s an upstanding career prosecutor who has a long track record of holding people accountable.”
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to include the correct title of Proposition 47. (July 23, 2024)