Sen. Kamala Harris has officially dropped out of the presidential race. There are seriously mixed reactions to the former prosecutor who had an uphill battle due to her past as a District Attorney and an Attorney General.
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She the People, an advocacy group for women of color in politics, released the following statement, “The Democratic field became much less diverse today, after the only Black woman in the presidential race dropped out. It was evident when Sen. Kamala Harris launched her campaign that she would be a formidable contender for the White House — one who was able to attract a multiracial and enthusiastic base that would fuel her historic bid.”
The statement also added, “Kamala’s presence in the race helped blaze a trail for the next generation of women of color. She ran a competitive campaign that has forced us to re-think what it means to be electable. But, her journey is not over. ”
Activist and writer Sally Kohn pointed out how bizarre it is that Mayor Pete is still in the race but Harris isn’t, “Obviously I’m no centrist but it’s downright effed up that smart, compelling, *very* experienced, centrist Democratic candidates of color are floundering while a smart but wildly inexperienced, centrist white mayor of teeny tiny city is surging. Bad look, Democrats.”
While Harris surged when she announced in February, her past — for better or for worse — haunted her. For example, Harris, the former San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general, made combating truancy a signature issue before she was elected to the U.S. Senate.
In March of 2019, the Huffington Post highlighted the case of an Orange County Black mother who was prosecuted under the truancy law. However, the woman’s daughter was actually out of school because of an illness.
By April of 2019, Harris apologized.
“My regret is that I have now heard stories where in some jurisdictions, DAs have now criminalized the parents. And I regret that that has happened and the thought that anything that I did could have led to that.” Harris told “Pod Save America.”
A Medium.com article from June of 2018 ripped into Harris criminal justice history, “Kamala Harris’ career was built on both the slave labor of black and brown prisoners and also the pettiness of truancy laws that separated poor and mostly black mothers from their children. Harris was so proud of her history with taking mothers from their children that she used it as her signature campaign agenda while running for AG.”
The article resurfaced when she announced she was running.
Nonetheless, it does appear Harris has been held to a different standard then someone like Joe Biden who co-authored the 1994 crime reform bill and he continues to lead in nearly every poll.
See the reactions to Harris exiting the race below:
1.
We know what fearless and unapologetic campaigning looks like in this race, because @KamalaHarris showed us. I'm proud my daughter and my sons are growing up in a world where Kamala is a leader. Let's keep fighting #ForThePeople.
— Andrew Gillum (@AndrewGillum) December 3, 2019
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I would have loved to see Kamala Harris debate a sweating and steaming and stammering Donald Trump. No more hiding from another Black woman he’s denigrating. Oh, it would have been brutal and beautiful to see.
— Ibram X. Kendi (@DrIbram) December 3, 2019
4.
It meant so much to so many people including myself to see @KamalaHarris in this race. Her example encourage so many of us to get up day in and day our and put our best foot forward. I hope the #KHive is proud.
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) December 3, 2019
5.
.@KamalaHarris is a brilliant Sister whose words and policies made people think at a deeper level. Yes, we need to elevate the voice of Black women, and, let's be clear, we simply needed Kamala's voice specifically. Lead our people Senator @KamalaHarris. You are a class act!
— Michael Blake (@MrMikeBlake) December 3, 2019
6.
I've read numerous reports about Kamala Harris' bad management of her campaign. That's a fundamental no one should overlook in assessing why her campaign failed.
— John Stoehr’s Editorial Board (@johnastoehr) December 3, 2019
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8.
I didn’t want Kamala Harris to be the next president. I also did not want her campaign to end this early. This is bad for all of us.
— liik (@MG_2016) December 3, 2019
9.
#KamalaHarris wasn't my first choice but I quite admired a lot of her policies & especially her life story. So it feels so utterly pathetic and pandering to see media organizations falling over themselves to feel bad for her when they spent the entire campaign trying to stop her.
— 🏳️🌈Matt(Necroxis)🏳️🌈 (@Necroxis9) December 3, 2019
10.
I’m actually shocked that so many people were caping for her. Generally, I’m #rootingforeverybodyBlack but not when it’s oppressive AF. @KamalaHarris was not it, y’all. I believe people can grow, but hard to get behind someone who would put parents in jail. https://t.co/enkfOwuMHN
— Femme Teacher (@FemmeTeacher) December 3, 2019
11.
Kamala wasn’t my candidate, BUT: could a Black woman have run on ‘bold’ policy platforms like Medicare for all in a world where the defining conception of Black women in relationship to the state is Reagan’s figure of the ‘welfare queen’? Could Castro or Booker?
— Brittney Cooper (@ProfessorCrunk) December 3, 2019
12.
I’m shocked that Kamala Harris dropped out of the race before Pete Buttigieg and John Delaney. At the beginning of the race, not many people saw that coming #KamalaHarris #TuesdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/IqzP3HB6H9
— The Flu (@_TheFlu10) December 3, 2019
13.
Kamala Harris dropping out today says a lot. It’s all #Trustblackwomen until it’s time to put that into action. Don’t at me. I said it. I meant it. Yes she’s flawed. So are the others. Biden can’t remember the date and Pete is an awful mayor.
— Tami Sawyer (@tamisawyer) December 3, 2019
14.
Black voters can have different politics and still think a Black candidate shouldn’t be the source of a media or billionaire hit job.
— Jessica Byrd (@JessicaLBYRD) December 3, 2019
Some of y’all are just so annoying, didn’t give a damn dollar or take any public risks for the process but got all the talking points. over it.