The first Indian-origin senator of the US, Kamala Harris has officially launched her campaign for the US Presidential election in 2020. She is the 4th Democrat to join the battle for the party’s nomination in 2020.
Harris announced her candidature with a tweet and a simultaneous video message to the citizens of America.
Harris has been vocally critical of the Republican government at the White House, especially of President Donald Trump.
Speaking to ABC News she said:
I love my country. This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are.
Explaining the importance of announcing this on Martin Luther King Jr’s Day, she said:
The thing about Dr King that always inspires me is that he was aspirational. He was aspirational like our country is aspirational. We know that we’ve not yet reached those ideals. But our strength is that we fight to reach those ideals.
The senator, whose Indian mother was born in Tamil Nadu and African-American father was from Jamaica said:
So today, the day we celebrate Dr King, is a very special day for all of us as Americans and I’m honoured to be able to make my announcement on the day we commemorate him.
She further added:
The American public wants a fighter, and they want someone that’s going to fight like heck for them and not fight based on self-interest, and I’m prepared to do that…Truth, justice, decency, equality, freedom, democracy… These aren’t just words. These are values we as Americans cherish and they are all on the line now.
Harris had won the election two years ago from California, during which she had risen to fame for standing up against President Donald Trump and his regressive policies.
The other three candidates are Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii. Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro has also announced to enter the 2020 race.
The Democratic party has already won the mid-term elections denying Trump the money he needs for the border wall and closing in on the alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 Presidential elections.
And while the senators are some big names, the Democratic primary only begins next year and it is expected to be a crowded one. The winner shall stand against Trump in the November 2020 elections.