Kamala Harris

  Senator Kamala Harris is the junior senator from California and the Democratic nominee for vice president. Harris is attempting to become the first woman and first person of color to become vice president of the United States.

  She previously served as attorney general of California from 2011-2017 and the district attorney of San Francisco from 2004-2011.

  The senator was initially a presidential candidate in the 2020 election. During her run, she had a contentious exchange with her now running mate Joe Biden during a June 2019 Democratic primary debate.

  During the debate, she questioned Biden’s record on race and his opposition to bussing as a form of desegregating American schools, which she said personally affected her. 

  “There was a little girl who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day,” Harris said. “That little girl was me.” 

  Harris has proposed making four-year public colleges debt-free, supports a ban on assault weapons and supports legalizing marijuana at the national level. Critics have pointed out that despite her current position on marijuana, her San Francisco office oversaw over 1,900 cannabis convictions.

  She has received criticism for her record as a prosecutor. The record includes cases where she has been accused of defending wrongful convictions, such as George Gage and Kevin Cooper. The senator has referred to herself as a “progressive prosecutor.”

  Harris has been critical of President Trump’s handling of COVID-19. She accused President Trump of caving to the Chinese government when he needed to be tough over its refusal to share COVID-19 information.

  Harris claimed Trump’s inability to be tough with the Chinese government endangered Americans.

  “Donald Trump has failed at the most basic and important job of a president of the United States,” she said. “It’s his obligation to protect us. Yet, he has failed miserably.”

Mike Pence

  Mike Pence is the 48th and current vice president of the United States. Prior to his current post, Pence served as the governor of Indiana from 2013-2017 and hosted a talk radio show for eight years before getting into politics.

  Pence is pro-life and has an A rating for the National Rifle Association. Pence is known for his calm demeanor, particularly compared to the more outspoken  President Trump.

  He has received criticism from the LGBTQ community. He was the subject of controversy in 2015 when he signed the Religious Freedom Restriction Act, which , which states the government cannot infringe on a person’s ability to practice his or her religion unless the government can prove it has a compelling reason to do so.

  Critics say the bill makes it easier for anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the name of religion. Pence has also frequently spoken about his own Christian faith.

During the 2016 Republican National Convention, Pence said “I’m a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican—in that order.”

  His political future has been a source of speculation, as it is widely believed he will eventually run for president in 2024.

  Pence, like President Trump, has focused on law-and-order during his 2020 campaign. He recently warned the supporters of his competitors in the 2020 election.

  “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” Pence said.

  The vice president recently stated he “couldn’t be more proud” of President Trump’s leadership during COVID-19, a stark contrast to his opponent.