Kamala Harris reveals she’s running for US president against Donald Trump in 2020
Vowing to "bring our voices together," Harris would be the first woman to hold the presidency and the second African-American if she succeeds.
The daughter of immigrant parents who grew up in Oakland, California, she is one of the earliest high-profile Democrats to join what is expected to be a crowded field.
She made her long anticipated announcement on ABC's "Good Morning America," saying: "I am running for president of the United States," she said. "And I'm very excited about it."
The 54-year old portrayed herself as a fighter for justice, decency and equality in a video distributed by her campaign as she announced her bid.
"They're the values we as Americans cherish, and they're all on the line now. The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values."
Harris launched her presidential as the nation observes what would have been the 90th birthday of the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
She abandoned the formality of launching an exploratory committee, instead going all in on a presidential bid.
She plans a formal campaign launch in Oakland on January 27. The campaign will be based in Baltimore, with a second office in Oakland.
Harris joins what is expected to be a wide-open race for the Democratic presidential nomination. There's no apparent front-runner at this early stage and Harris will face off against several Senate colleagues.
Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have both launched exploratory committees.
Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are also looking at the race.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic nomination, is also considering a campaign.
Several other Democrats have already declared their intentions, including former Maryland Representative John Delaney and former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro.
Before her 2016 victory in the Senate race, Harris made her career in law enforcement. She served as the district attorney in San Francisco before she was elected to serve as attorney general.
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