She could make history by becoming the first woman elected president of the United States. What do you know about her? Test your knowledge with this short, fun quiz.
1. Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, Calif., but she graduated from high school in this city:
A: Los Angeles
B: Phoenix
C: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
D: Kingston, Jamaica
Answer: C. After briefly attending a French language primary school in 1981, Harris graduated from Westmount High School in Quebec.
2. Harris, who celebrated her 60th birthday Oct. 20, was given the name “Kamala” to reflect her mother’s Indian roots. It means …
A: Waterfall
B: Lotus
C: Fire bringer
D: Circle of light
Answer: B. It is also another name for the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.
3. As vice president, Harris has broken the most ties in U.S. Senate history, casting the deciding vote 33 times. The previous record of 31 was set by…
A: John C. Calhoun
B: John Adams
C: Lyndon Johnson
D: Al Gore
Answer: A. Calhoun served as vice president from 1825 to 1832 under Presidents John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.
4. Harris married attorney Douglas Emhoff in 2014 and is stepmother to Ella and Cole Emhoff. Their nickname for their stepmom is ….
A: Mama Mia
B: ‘Cool One’
C: The Vice Parent
D: Momala
Answer: D. “I was already hooked on Doug,” Harris told Elle magazine, “but I believe it was Cole and Ella who reeled me in.”
5. Which of the following is not a “first” for Harris?
A: First woman vice president
B. First Black vice president
C: California’s first woman U.S. senator
D: First Black woman elected a California district attorney
Answer: C. Dianne Feinstein was elected California’s first woman U.S. senator in 1992.
6. As a 13-year-old in Canada, Harris organized a protest. What was the cause?
A: Banning her school from assigning homework
B: Lowering the voting age
C: Allowing pets on city buses
D: Letting kids play on the lawn at their apartment building
Answer: D. Kamala and her sister, Maya, were upset by the apartment’s policy, so they held a protest on the site. It worked, the ban was ended, and Maya remains a close political adviser.
7. If Kamala Harris wins on Nov. 5, she will be the first sitting vice president to be elected president since …
A: Lyndon Johnson
B: Gerald Ford
C: Richard Nixon
D: George H.W. Bush
Answer: D. Only four serving vice presidents have been elected president: John Adams in 1796; Thomas Jefferson in 1800; Martin Van Buren in 1836; and George H.W. Bush in 1988.
