The life of a senator: What does Kamala Harris’s net worth look like?

With the Inauguration Ceremony just hours away, Joe Biden & Kamala Harris are the talk of the town. Naturally, people are hoping to get the whole inside scoop on the pair before they’re slated to take their oaths of office tomorrow. One question people are asking is: what’s Harris’s net worth? Does it pay to be a U.S. senator? Obviously, but how much?

Kamala’s current net worth

Recently, Forbes reported that Kamala Harris’s net worth, which she combines with her husband, Doug Emhoff, is around $6 million. The net worth includes homes in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. They also have a retirement fund that’s reported to be worth at least $1.4 million. In addition, the couple has accounts tied to Emhoff’s law firm, worth at least $1 million.

How did Kamala get her start?

Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California on October 20th, 1964. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, an Indian immigrant, was a biologist whose work advanced breast cancer research. Harris’s father, a Jamaican immigrant, was an economics Ph.D. candidate at UC Berkeley. 

At a young age, Harris was exposed to racism & prejudice. When she was seven, her parents got divorced and her father moved to Palo Alto. There, Harris recalled that other children in the neighborhood were forbidden to play with her and her sister, Maya, because they were black. 

Harris attended high school in Westmount, Quebec, and, in 1982, went on to Howard University. While still a student, Harris interned as a mailroom clerk for the California senator Alan Cranston. She also led the debate team, and chaired the economics society. She graduated in 1986 with a degree in political science & economics.

An affinity for politics

Harris’s political career got its headstart when she attended law school at the University of California, Hastings College of Law. There, she served as the president of the Black Law Students Association and graduated with flying colors. 

In 1990, Harris became a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. Four years later, she was hired at the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, and then to the California Medical Assistance Commission, after which she resumed her duties as a prosecutor. 

In 1998, San Francisco district attorney Terence Hallinan hired Harris as an assistant district attorney. Her career with Hallinan quickly took off, and she became the chief of the Career Criminal Division. In 2000, Harris set aside her duties as assistant district attorney to work at the San Francisco City Hall for Louise Renne, representing cases of child abuse & neglect.

District Attorney of San Francisco

In 2002, Harris took a leap of faith and decided to run for the District Attorney of San Francisco. After seeing all the good Hallinan had done in office, she wanted to give it a try herself. She ran against Hallinan, slamming him for having an office that was “technologically inept”, and his low conviction rate. Ultimately, Harris won 56 percent of the vote, and became the first ever black person to be elected as DA in San Francisco.

Attorney General

After serving two terms as the District Attorney of San Francisco, Kamala Harris decided she wanted to run for the California Attorney General. She was endorsed by California senators Dianne Feinstein & Barbara Boxer, as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In 2010, she won the vote against her opponents, Alberto Torrico & Chris Kelly. 

Senate

When California Senator Barbara Boxer announced her retirement after twenty years in office, Kamala Harris immediately announced her plans to run for the spot. Already popular in California, it was no surprise when Harris won the election. In 2016, she was endorsed by former President Barack Obama & Vice President Joe Biden, and remained senator throughout Donald Trump’s presidency. 

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Although Kamala Harris didn’t win her bid to become the Democratic nominee for President in 2020, are you glad she was picked as Joe Biden’s running mate? Given her track record, do you believe she can help the U.S. as Vice President? Let us know in the comments!