A WOMAN who shares the same name as Kamala Harris has admitted the serendipitous likeness isn’t enough to secure her vote in this year’s presidential election.
Single mom of three Kamala Harris, 32, opened up about the trials and perks of having one of the most famous names in America.
Vice President Kamala Harris, seen at the Democratic National Convention in August, has become one of the most popular names in America[/caption]
A New Hampshire mom who shares the exact same name said the vice president’s fame has actually made her life pretty quiet[/caption]
Harris, a 32-year-old mom of three, has gotten fan mail from people asking whether she will vote on Election Day[/caption]
Harris is a landscaper who lives in Seabrook, New Hampshire, about an hour north of Boston, Massachusetts.
Though her name has been on everyone’s lips for several months, Harris said the phenomenon has actually made her more anonymous.
“I will say I’m pretty happy,” she told ABC affiliate WMUR.
“If you Google my name, she comes up instead of me.
“It’s like you can’t really find me anywhere.”
Harris and the vice president have the exact same name, but the pronunciation is slightly different.
The New Hampshire native pronounces it Cam-uh-luh while the presidential candidate goes by Kahm-ah-lah – a topic that has sparked debate in the political world.
Harris lives a relatively normal life as a single mom and says she really just has to smile through amused reactions whenever her ID is checked at stores.
“People are like, ‘Oh my God, no way,’” Harris said.
“And it’s like this whole big thing.”
However, having the name has some perks. Sometimes, she accidentally receives PayPal transactions from people who think they’re contributing to the campaign.
She’s also gotten some fan mail for her name, including a letter from a child in Hawaii asking the mom who she’s planning to vote for on Tuesday.
The truth is that Harris is undecided about Election Day as she’s still researching the pros and cons of each candidate.
“I’m still doing a lot of research,” she said while acknowledging she indeed will be casting her ballot on Tuesday.
For now, Harris said her biggest issues are abortion rights and economic policies.
Kamala’s legal background
Kamala’s background in law and politics spans decades.
Kamala Harris first began her career as a San Francisco District Attorney in 1998, when District Attorney Terence Hallin recruited her. Since then, she’s faced several controversial cases.
In 2004, Harris dealt with the shooting of Officer Isaac Espinoza. The 29-year-old San Francisco officer was in his unmarked car with his partner when he flashed his lights at a man named David Hill, Calm Matters reported.
Hill fired several rounds from his AK-47 at the officers, killing Espinoza. When Hill was being prosecuted, Harris refused to charge him with the death penalty. A decision she faced major backlash for. Harris’ decision to decline the death penalty immediately painted her as an anti-police prosecutor.
Since that case, Harris has positioned herself as a “progressive prosecutor.” However, many on the left have argued she was too tough.
“I don’t know what Harris could possibly do to regain the trust of those who are intimately familiar with the ways she, like any other prosecutor, has sent people to prison and made a career off of appearing to be tough on crime,” Wanda Bertram, a communication strategist at the Prison Policy Initiative told Vox.
KAMALAS COME TOGETHER
Kamala isn’t a name you hear every day, and it’s now forever affiliated with the candidate who wishes to be America’s first female president.
It comes from a Sanskrit word that means lotus flower, making it popular with Indian Americans like the vice president’s late mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris.
At its peak in 1964, only 105 babies were given the name, and its popularity has died down ever since.
However, it found a slight resurgence in 2020 after Biden’s presidential win, when 18 babies got the name. In 2021, 25 babies were named Kamala.
Speaking to Politico, several other Kamalas described what it was like sharing her name.
One woman, Kamala Mohammad, a 62-year-old living in Ohio, said she was, at first, concerned about Harris’s being taken seriously but was happy to see her gain traction.
“It took me a few days to realize that she was being taken seriously and that many people were enthusiastic and accepting of her as a candidate,” she said.
“I am heartened.”
“I think it is significant on a lot of different fronts,” said Kamala Avila-Salmon, a producer and founder of a film production company.
“It happens to be mine, but also it is a name that isn’t one of the quote, unquote, names that are typically associated with white, Anglo-Saxon politicians and leaders.”
What are Trump and Harris’ platforms?
A look at what issues matter most to the candidates.
Harris’ talking points:
- The importance of democracy after the January 6 attack on the Capitol
- Advocate for abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with a 6-3 judgment in 2022
- Lowering costs for consumers, including rent control, capping prescription drug prices, and banning food and grocery price gouging
- Support for Ukraine and Israel while they are at war
- Highlight the strong US economy and low unemployment rates during Biden’s presidency
Trump’s talking points:
- Slam issues at the US-Mexico border, which was a critical talking point for his 2016 win
- Criticize the slew of criminal and civil lawsuits filed against him
- Applaud the Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Discuss a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, although he hasn’t said which country he wants to win
- Advocate for parents’ rights to regulate and restrict discussion of gender, sexuality, and race in schools
