California Attorney General Kamala Harris said Tuesday that she is running for the 2016 Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer.
"I will be a fighter for middle class families who are feeling the pinch of stagnant wages and diminishing opportunity," Harris said on a campaign website. "I will be a fighter for our children who deserve a world-class education, and for students burdened by predatory lenders and skyrocketing tuition. And I will fight relentlessly to protect our coast, our immigrant communities and our seniors."
Harris declared her bid a day after California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a presumptive candidate, said he won't run to succeed Boxer. The field is still expected to be crowded. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Francisco hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer are also said to be interested in running.
Is it a shoo-in for Harris, who's been called a "rising star" in the Democratic Party?
Guests:
Joe Garofoli, Reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle covering the intersection of politics and technology
Raphael Sonenshein, executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at CSU Los Angeles