Kamala Harris Smiles and waves. Mike Pence smiles and waves

Spencer Platt/Getty Images (Harris); FAZRY ISMAIL/AFP via Getty Images (Pence)

Who Will Be VP?

By now, you know that Donald Trump and Joe Biden are running for president. But neither candidate is in the race alone. They’ve each teamed up with a candidate for vice president.

Biden picked Senator Kamala Harris of California to join him on the Democratic ticket. She is the first Black woman and first Asian American to be chosen by a major party to run on a presidential ticket. Her mother was born in India. Her father is from the island nation of Jamaica.

President Trump’s running mate is current Vice President Mike Pence. They make up the Republican ticket.

The vice president holds the second-highest office in the U.S. government. If the president were to die or leave office for any reason, the vice president would take over as the nation’s leader. That has happened nine times in U.S. history. The vice president has other important duties. For example, Vice President Pence has been one of President Trump’s most trusted advisers since they were elected in 2016.

Pence and Harris are scheduled to face each other in a debate on October 7.

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