Kamala Harris is a former district attorney.
Kamala Devi Harris ( [ ˈkɑːmələ ] born October 20 , 1964 ) is an American attorney and politician who is the junior United States Senator from California . She served as Managing Attorney of the Career Criminal Unit in the San Francisco District Attorney 's Office ( 1998-2000 ) and as Chief of the Community and Neighborhood Division in the office of San Francisco City Attorney ( 2000 -- 03 ) . In 2003 , she was elected as California 's first African American female District Attorney of San Francisco , defeating incumbent Terence Hallinan . She was re-elected in 2007 and served from 2004 to 2011 .