KAMALA'S WAY

A look at a talented politician's rise to national prominence.

As longtime journalist at the Los Angeles Times and Sacramento Bee, Morain brings deep familiarity with California politics to an admiring, yet balanced, biography of Harris (b. 1964). As has become well known, Harris is the biracial daughter of immigrants: Her Indian mother became a breast cancer researcher; her Jamaican father was a respected economist. The author traces Harris’ career in California, from Alameda County deputy district attorney to U.S. senator to vice president–elect. From the first, Morain writes, she exhibited traits that he calls “Kamala’s way”—“energetic, willing to take tough cases, laser focused, driven to be successful.” She became increasingly visible in the Bay Area, where “high society and Democratic politics blend.” She drew on generous donors in her run for San Francisco district attorney in 2003 and for California attorney general in 2010, becoming “the first woman, the first Black person, and the first person of Indian descent to become California’s top cop.” Although Harris could demur from taking stands when not politically necessary, she strongly supported same-sex marriage and gun control, consistently opposed the death penalty, defended victims of human trafficking, and pursued predatory lenders and for-profit colleges in a series of civil actions, positions that raised her profile nationally. Many saw Harris as a potential California governor, but in 2015, when Sen. Barbara Boxer announced her decision to retire, Harris decided to run for her seat. She arrived in Washington, D.C., “having been briefed by the best political minds in Washington and California on how to succeed in the Senate.” Assigned to key committees, Harris earned a reputation as a “tough inquisitor”: sharp, informed, and aggressive when questioning the likes of Jeff Sessions, Brett Kavanaugh, and Mike Pompeo. Morain also examines why her bid for the presidency failed and why she became Joe Biden’s historic choice for VP.

A brisk, well-informed narrative of political ascendancy.