Kamala Harris made history when she was elected California’s attorney general. On the job since January, she says “one of her number one priorities is bringing an end to gun violence.”

When she was elected in January, Harris became the first woman and the first minority to hold the office. She has since been called the rising star of the Democratic Party. Her rise in politics is rooted in the state she grew up in. She is the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father and was born in Oakland, California. Her single mom raised her.

“I had a wonderful childhood,” said Harris.

Harris lost her mother in 2007. She grew up during the Civil Rights Movement and was one of the first students to integrate her public school. The justice system became her calling and she served two terms as San Francisco district attorney.

From district attorney to attorney general, it’s been a rapid rise. Harris has been compared to the President.

“I’m very humbled. There are many similar aspects between my and the President’s life. I’m just trying to be attorney general,” she said.

She is also Obama’s friend. She went door to door during a snowstorm campaigning for a then senator Obama. As President, he has campaigned for her.

For now, Harris is focused on her current job. At 46, she has come a long way and is determined to go even further.