Kamala Harris's relationship with a much older Democratic kingpin significantly boosted her career, accompanied by his prophetic warning about her future White House prospects.
After her presidential campaign flamed out in late 2019, her California power player, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, advised her against accepting any offer to be the vice-presidential candidate. He warned that the vice presidency could be the nail in the coffin for her White House ambitions.
Brown, now 90, wrote an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle advising his former lover to decline Joe Biden's summer 2020 offer because historically, the vice presidency has often been a dead end. He pointed out that for every George H.W. Bush who ascended to the presidency from the vice-presidency, there was an Al Gore who never got there.
Despite Brown's warning, Democrats are now reconsidering Harris as a potential replacement for Biden at the top of the 2024 ticket, especially following Biden's underwhelming presidential debate performance. This turn of events suggests that Brown might have been wrong, or at least didn't foresee the opportunity her role as Vice President could present. Although Harris's polling numbers and behind-the-scenes popularity are less than stellar, her position as VP now makes her a prominent candidate to replace Biden. While Biden insists he is fit to continue the race and govern if re-elected, Democratic operatives are reportedly discussing Harris as the frontrunner and are even contemplating who her running mate should be. Names like Governors Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, and Tim Walz of Minnesota are being considered.
Additionally, Democratic operatives are circulating an anonymously written Google Document titled "Unburdened by What Has Been the Case for Kamala," which outlines a plan for a Harris presidential campaign. The document argues that Harris is the best path forward, stating, "There's one path out of this mess, and it's Kamala."
As Harris's presidential hopes become more plausible, presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has already targeted her, referencing her romance with Brown. In his July 4th message, Trump mocked Harris's performance in the Democratic nominating process but acknowledged her political talent, urging people to ask her "mentor," Willie Brown.
Throughout her career, Harris has repeatedly denied that her relationship with Brown was the defining factor in her political rise. Despite the fling ending decades ago, she has struggled to distance herself from Brown, who she later described as "an albatross hanging around my neck." Their relationship, often described as an affair, occurred while Brown was separated from his wife, Blanche Vitero, for over a decade. When Brown and Harris dated in the mid-1990s, Brown was San Francisco's first Black mayor, and Harris was a diligent prosecutor on the rise in the Alameda County District Attorney's office.
Brown's influence extended beyond personal gifts, such as a BMW for Harris. He appointed her to influential positions, including the California Medical Assistance Commission, which paid $72,000 annually, and the state's Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, adding another lucrative post. His support helped Harris get elected as San Francisco's first Black District Attorney in 2004, despite facing an FBI corruption investigation for allegedly handing out lucrative city contracts and appointments to friends and political allies. During her campaign for San Francisco Attorney General, Harris emphasized her independence from Brown, stating she refused to design her campaign around criticizing him for the sake of appearing independent, asserting that she owed him nothing.
Harris was elected California's Attorney General in 2010 and later ran for the Senate in 2016. During her Senate campaign, Brown called on her likely opponent, Antonio Villaraigosa, to stay out of the race. Brown, despite never divorcing his legal wife, Vitero, had a baby with his chief fundraiser, Carolyn Carpeneti, in 2001. Harris, meanwhile, has been married to entertainment lawyer Doug Emhoff since 2014.
