Sen. Kamala Harris stopped by Penn Station to nosh on a breakfast sandwich after announcing that she was running for president in 2020. Announcing her bid, Ms Harris, Senator for California, told ABC's Good Morning America, she said: "I have the unique experience of having been a leader in local government, state government and federal government".

Kamala Harris, the Democratic senator from California, announced Monday her 2020 White House bid, becoming the first Indian-American woman to run for United States presidency and only the second African-American woman to do so. She's portraying herself in a campaign video as a fighter for justice, decency and equality - values she says are "all on the line".

"The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values", she continues, the word "FIGHT" highlighted on the screen. Day, and her campaign logo was inspired by Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to run for president almost four decades ago.

Vowing to "bring our voices together", Harris would be the first woman to hold the presidency if she succeeds.

Harris launches her campaign fresh off of a tour to promote her latest memoir, "The Truths We Hold", which was widely seen as a stage-setter for a presidential bid.

Harris is the third female Democratic senator to announce her candidacy following Massachusetts' Sen.

Juan Rodriguez, the strategist who managed Harris' successful campaign for Senate in 2016 and advised California Gov. Gavin Newsom in his recent campaign, will be her campaign manager.

Harris also cited her years as a prosecutor in asserting: "My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe".

Zbur also noted Harris, as attorney general, appointed a trans woman of color, Mariana Marroquin, to the California Racial & Identity Profiling Advisory Board a year ago.

First elected to the Senate in 2016, she received national attention for her aggressive questioning of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in the Senate Judiciary Committee, earning plaudits from the left and criticism from the right. "You can't be the Democratic nominee without them", Symone Sanders said, adding that the black community's overwhelming support for Clinton was "definitely a big barrier" between the Bernie Sanders and the 2016 nomination. She gained attention past year for her tough questioning of the Trump administration's appointments, including Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual harassment.

As she weighed whether to enter the race, Harris spoke about the challenges of running a campaign that would attempt to break several barriers.

Democratic Senator Kamala Harris says she will run for president in the 2020 election, the eighth person to join the battle for the party's nomination.

She said the White House prevented the FBI from investigating critical aspects of the allegations or interviewing key witnesses.

Her mother Shyamala was only 19 when she came to the United States in 1960 to pursue her studies in California, eventually becoming a renowned cancer researcher.

The kickoff state of Iowa has a strong base of liberal activists and the race will move quickly to more diverse states such as Nevada and SC.

During Monday's press conference, Harris was also asked about her office's handling of sex crimes. "The strength and confidence she exudes and her formidable record as a prosecutor are exactly what the Democrats need in a nominee".

From the Palmetto State, Harris hopes to notch another win because of her neighboring state advantage in Nevada, where she has campaigned extensively for other candidates.