It’s official. Kamala Harris is making history by becoming the first-ever woman to be elected as vice president of the United States. Not only that, but she is also the first person of color to serve as an American vice president alongside the now President-elect Joe Biden. The Biden-Harris ticket was named victorious in the presidential race on Saturday (Nov. 7) after a win in Pennsylvania put them over the 270 electoral votes required to win.
Harris took to Twitter to react to the news and shared the moment she spoke to her running-mate following the news. “We did it, @JoeBiden,” she captioned a clip on Twitter of herself speaking to the former vice president on the phone, in which she says: “We did it. You’re going to be the next President of the United States.”
She also shared a statement, tweeting: “This election is about so much more than @JoeBiden or me. It’s about the soul of America and our willingness to fight for it. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let’s get started.”
Harris is making history becoming the first woman, first Black, and first South Asian vice president-elect—representing millions of underrepresented people around the country. Her sister, Maya Harris, reacted to the news by sharing a heartfelt message along with a photo of their late mother. “OMG it’s happening…our next Vice President of the United States…our first-ever MADAM Vice President…my sister, @KamalaHarris,” she wrote on Saturday. “Mommy taught us we could be and do anything. She would be beyond proud today.”
Former First Lady and 2016 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton reacted to the historic news on Twitter. “The voters have spoken, and they have chosen @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris to be our next president and vice president,” she tweeted. “It’s a history-making ticket, a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. Onward, together.”
The California Senator is the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate, and is only the second woman to be in that position. She is now projected to be the highest-ranking woman in politics when she joins Biden in the White House in January.