US: Joe Biden picks Indian-origin Kamala Harris as running mate

Born to Chennai's Shyamala Gopalan Harris and Donald Harris, a Jamaican man who teaches at Stanford University, Harris grew up in Oakland.

She got an undergraduate degree from Howard University and went on to obtain a law degree from the University of California.

In 2003, she became San Francisco's District Attorney. Years later, in 2017, she took oath as a senator from California.

Harris's selection is unusual, if not totally surprising. Biden's camp had inhibitions about her more so after she ambushed him on stage during primaries.

She reminded Biden of his alleged opposition to school busing, a practice followed in the US to transport kids together in a bus to minimize racial discrimination.

Harris said Biden's actions in the 1970s hurt her.

Political watchers believe it was Harris's familiarity with the national campaign and her fierce attitude that helped her case. Biden, who himself has served as Vice President to former President Barack Obama for eight years, had announced in March that he would select a woman as his running mate.

Notably, never has any woman served as US' President or Vice-President.

Now, Harris was chosen after much deliberation. Names of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Florida Rep. Val Demings, California Rep. Karen Bass, Susan Rice, who was the national security adviser in the Obama regime, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms did the rounds.

Reportedly, Biden spoke to all contenders before taking a pick. He and Harris are set to appear at Wilmington together on Wednesday.

Biden informed his supporters of his decision via a text message that read "Joe Biden here. Big news: I've chosen Kamala Harris as my running mate. Together, with you, we're going to beat Trump."

Separately, in a tweet, he called Harris "a fearless fighter."

Thereafter, Harris wrote that Biden will "unify America." "I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President," she added.

Trump also reacted to the news and didn't have good things to say about Harris. He said he was a little taken aback that Biden picked her considering that she was "nasty" to him during debates.

Remembering Harris's stand during the Brett Kavanaugh episode, Trump added, "I thought she was the meanest, the most horrible, the most disrespectful of anybody in the US Senate."