Who is US Vice President Kamala Harris — and can she beat Donald Trump?

In a one-two upheaval in US politics, President Joe Biden has said he will not run for re-election in November and instead endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris already made history by becoming the first Black and female vice president in US history, but has faced concerns over whether she can defeat Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump.

The coming days will show if Harris will indeed be embraced by the party and chosen as their candidate at the Democratic National Convention next month.

On Sunday, Biden called the decision to pick former prosecutor Harris for his 2020 ticket “the best decision I’ve made”, while calling on Democrats to support her.

“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden said in a post on X.

Here’s what we know about Harris:

Who is she?

Harris, 59, was born in Oakland, California, the daughter of an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father.

She attended Howard University in Washington, DC before getting her law degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.

She began working in the Alameda County district attorney’s office, before shifting to the San Francisco district attorney’s office.

She became San Francisco’s district attorney in 2003. She was then elected California’s attorney general, the state’s top law enforcement role, in 2010 and was re-elected four years later.

She was elected to the US Senate in 2016 and became a leading critic of Trump, particularly when it came to his immigration policies.

Her aggressive questioning of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 helped solidify her credentials as one of the Democratic Party’s top rising stars.

Harris is married to lawyer Doug Emhoff, who became the first “second gentleman” in US history following the 2020 election. Harris and Emhoff have no children.

How did she become vice president?

Harris initially mounted a run for the White House in the 2020 election, but quickly faded in the primary season after lacklustre debate performances.

As Biden solidified his lead in 2020, he vowed he would select a woman as his running mate. The selection of Harris was seen as an effort to appeal to Black voters, and to energise the party’s base.

Harris’s law enforcement credentials and centrist approach were also seen as assets that could draw undecided voters away from Trump, although her history also roiled the progressive wing of the party.

In a 2019 debate, Harris had also challenged Biden on race, a viral moment that many thought may have ended her chances of becoming the vice president once he became the party’s nominee.

How has she made history?

Harris has collected several superlatives in her career, becoming the first Black woman to hold almost every role she’s had: the district attorney of San Francisco, California’s attorney general, senator from California and vice president.

How has she been as a vice president?

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Jennifer Victor, a professor at George Mason University, described Harris as a “very typical vice president”.

Harris has largely cheerled signature policies of the Biden administration, including infrastructure legislation, immigration, gun control and efforts to protect abortion rights.

In particular, Harris has been tasked with spearheading efforts to stem migration from Central America.

“Her popularity numbers haven’t been too high, but she also hasn’t had a lot of press coverage,” Victor said. “She has not been in the big spotlight of political discourse over the last few years … but I think what we’re going to see is a massive ramping up.”