How Did Kamala Harris & Barack Obama Meet?
After Kamala Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee, many big names in the party endorsed her as a candidate, none more notable than former President Barack Obama. What many aren't aware of is that Obama and Harris have a 20-plus-year history despite never working together formally. According to CNN, the two met while Harris was the District Attorney in San Francisco and Barack Obama was running for the Senate in Illinois. Obama aides relayed to CNN that the two formally met each other at a California fundraiser for Obama's Senate campaign.
When it came time for Barack Obama to run for the presidency, Harris was firmly behind him. She endorsed him in the Democratic primary over Hillary Clinton and traveled to Iowa to assist in a door-knocking campaign for him. Obama then returned the favor when Harris ran for the Attorney General position in California, calling her a "dear, dear friend of mine" in his remarks. The two continued on upward tracks, endorsing each other at each step but never working together in government roles. Just as Joe Biden turned to Barack Obama for advice, so too would Kamala Harris.
Harris has modeled her political career after Obama
In many ways, Kamala Harris' political career beyond her home state may not have been possible without Barack Obama. When she campaigned for his presidential candidacy, she was relatively unknown on a national level. His endorsements from the White House in her A.G. and Senate candidacies brought her a new level of attention. While he may not be Kamala Harris' best friend, he's been an ardent supporter for years.
It was Harris' first presidential bid that began in 2019 that demonstrated her beginning to model her career after Obama. She was one of many hopefuls to seek advice from the former president, meeting with him on a couple of occasions to sharpen her strategy and message. She then used his grassroots playbook in Iowa, though she ultimately failed to secure the nomination. But when she was tapped as the pick to be Obama's Vice President's Vice President, she further intertwined her political career with the Obamas.
Her 2024 presidential campaign after Joe Biden dropped out of the race again brought her relationship with Barack Obama to the fore. He formally endorsed her, she hired several former Obama campaign staffers, and he allegedly advised her throughout the campaign. She even picked a running mate who she thought could help bring those grassroots voters in her VP pick Tim Walz.