WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden named California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.
Biden, 78, revealed his choice for his deputy through Twitter.
'I have the great honor to announce that I've picked @KamalaHarris - a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants - as my running mate,' the former vice-president wrote.
'Kamala will be ready to tackle the work that is needed to heal our country on Day One of the Biden-Harris Administration,' Joe Biden's campaign said in a statement later.
Both the candidates will appear in Delaware on Wednesday afternoon to deliver remarks. They are also scheduled to attend a virtual grass-roots fund-raiser later in the day.
Harris responded to her selection as Vice President candidate on Twitter, saying, 'JoeBiden can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals'.
'I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief,' she added.
Harris, 55, is the first black woman and Asian American to be chosen as a running mate.
She is only the third woman to be nominated as U.S. vice-presidential candidate for a major party. Sarah Palin ran as running mate of Republican Party presidential candidate John McCain in 2008, and Geraldine Ferraro was the VP candidate of the Democrats in 1984.
Harris, who is the first Indian-origin member of the U.S. Senate, dropped out of the race in a crowded field of Democratic presidential aspirants in December last year unable to raise sufficient funds.
However, Harris vowed that although she is no longer running for President, she will do everything in her power to defeat Donald Trump and fight for the future of the country.
Harris, who is the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, later became the Attorney General of California.
She advocated strongly for racial-justice legislation after the brutal killing of George Floyd in police custody.
No woman has won the US presidency, but in her memoir, 'The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,' Harris says she thinks that the country is ready for a president who is a woman of color.
Responding to the news, President Donald Trump referred to her as a 'nasty' woman, a term he also used against his 2016 presidential rival Hilary Clinton.
Vice President Mike Pence, who is seeking re-election, said he is looking forward to debating Harris in VP debate this October.
'I'll see you in Salt Lake City', he told a rally in Mesa, Arizona.
Bernie Sanders, who also fought for Democratic presidential ticket, extended his support for his Senate colleague.
'Congratulations to @KamalaHarris, who will make history as our next Vice President. She understands what it takes to stand up for working people, fight for health care for all, and take down the most corrupt administration in history. Let's get to work and win,' the Vermont senator tweeted.
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