Kamala Harris Takes Oath as 1st Woman, African American, and South Asian American Attorney General of California Today

This afternoon, Kamala D. Harris became an elected official of many firsts as she took her oath and assumed to office of California Attorney General. "I am deeply humbled by the trust you have placed in me and I will never forget it is you, the People of California, whom I serve," Harris said in her post-oath speech.Harris' journey to the AG's office included a nail-biter see-saw of an election returns count, as her rival declared his victory prematurely, then held on without conceding until nearly the last possible moment. Though Harris and her opponent, Los Angeles County DA Steve Cooley, could have gone until early December before a winner was declared, the decision was madejust before the Thanksgiving holiday. Now Harris is the first woman, the first African American, and the first South Asian American to be the Attorney General of California.

"As chief law enforcement officer for the state, Harris plans to focus on reducing recidivism and on reforming the state's revolving door prison system," the AG's office reported today. "A major priority of her office will be to lead a renewed collaborative effort against transnational gangs and organized crime." Other priorities for Harris is to combat mortgage fraud, and preserving the state's natural resources.

Said the former San Francisco DA: "In the coming four years, and in the continuing work of the Attorney General's Office, we are going to do whatever it takes in the cause of protecting and defending the lives and livelihoods of all Californians, by moving beyond the status quo."