Kamala Harris' Transformation Over the Years: Before and After Photos

In 2017, Kamala Harris was sworn into the U.S. Senate by then-Vice President Joe Biden, becoming the first Indian-American senator and California's first Black woman representative.

Throughout her time as a senator, Harris championed legislation addressing different issues such as hunger. She also focused on maternal healthcare and rent relief while improving the country's infrastructure and working on the climate crisis.

"My mother would look at me and she’d say, ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last,’" Harris said in 2019.

That same year, she announced her 2020 presidential candidacy on Good Morning America, though she dropped out a few months later as she did not have "the financial resources" she needed to continue.

Harris said in the December 2019 video, "I've taken stock, and I've looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days, I have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life. As the campaign has gone on, it has become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete.

Harris stole the spotlight again when Biden officially named her as his running mate in August 2020, becoming the first Black and South Asian American woman to be part of a major political party’s presidential ticket.

On January 20, 2021, Harris was sworn in at the inauguration ceremony of Biden at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and she ultimately became the first female vice president.

"In many ways, this moment embodies our character as a nation," said Harris. "It demonstrates who we are. Even in dark times—we not only dream. We do. We not only see what has been, we see what can be."

As the U.S. vice president, Harris has worked on policies related to abortion rights, immigration and voting rights.

In 2023, Harris told CBS' Margaret Brennan that she and Biden would remain in the White House for another term and "win re-election."

"There’s too much at stake and the American people know it," said Harris.

As Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, he quickly endorsed Harris to be the nominee of their party.

"Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this," the president said in a statement.

Harris officially secured the Democratic nomination for president in August.