‘I’ve got two daughters who are half Indian like she is’—Virginians react to Harris’ candidacy

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del., Monday, July 22, 2024. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

By Ava Edwards

July 23, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy for the presidency spells hope and progress for many Americans throughout the country.

The United States is facing a historic moment, as not only a woman, but a woman of color, will likely be the Democratic nominee in the 2024 presidential election. That means a lot, said Suhas Subramanyam, Democratic Senator representing Virginia’s 32nd district.

“Seeing a woman get elected president would be really inspiring for my family,” Subramanyam said. “I’ve got two daughters who are half Indian like she is, and I would love to be able to tell them that there’s proof that they can become president of the United States one day, too.”

As the daughter of a Black man and an Indian woman, Harris has already made history many times over. She was the first woman elected as San Francisco’s district attorney, the first woman elected as California’s attorney general, the first person of color elected to the US Senate from California, and the first woman elected as vice president of the United States.

“You look around and you see all these other women who have been prime ministers and leaders of other countries, and I think that the United States is well beyond time for that. Having her be the first woman to be president will be an incredible moment for a lot of people and for the country,” said Matt Royer, president of the group Virginia Young Democrats.

Royer pointed to Harris’ career as a prosecutor as an indication of how she might approach a presidency.

“It’s not only the historic nature of it, but also the accountability that she will hold people to, I think is also incredible. I know [Harris] will bring her own spin on the presidency and administration, which I think will be incredibly fruitful for the country in general,” he said.

Harris’ potential presidency brings increased representation for women, along with Black and Indian communities, to the US government, and many people around the country will now find that someone a little more like them is in charge of prioritizing the issues they face every day.

Ava Edwards

Ava is an up-and-coming journalist who recently graduated from William & Mary with a degree in English. She's written for news publications such as her school's newspaper, The Flat Hat, and Hampton Roads' WAVY-TV 10. As a lifelong Virginia resident, she looks forward to informing her community on the latest information and events.

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