Kamala Harris held public office.
Kamala Devi Harris ( [ ˈkɑːmələ ] born October 20 , 1964 ) is an American attorney and politician who is the junior United States Senator from California . In 2003 , she was elected as California 's first African American female District Attorney of San Francisco , defeating incumbent Terence Hallinan . Harris was elected California 's Attorney General in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 .