Harris' Fundraising Chief: Must Go with Gut Feeling

Kamala Harris is tough, impatient, and disciplined. And a person who loves to work. She is not out to be liked, but wants to be respected for doing a good job, says Catherine Zinn, who was the fundraising chief for the Democrats' future presidential candidate.

» Updated: October 08 2024

» Published: July 28 2024

Harris' Fundraising Chief: Must Go with Gut Feeling
Photo: LM Otero/AP/TT

Kamala Harris is tough, impatient, and disciplined. And a person who loves to work.

She's not out to be liked, but wants to be respected for doing a good job, says Catherine Zinn, who was the fundraising chief for the Democrats' future presidential candidate.

It was like the phone exploded. When President Joe Biden suddenly announced that he wouldn't run for re-election and instead endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris, the messages started pouring in for Catherine Zinn.

I was thrilled in a way I hadn't been in a long time. I thought back to that day in 2019 when we went to Oakland to launch her (first) presidential campaign, she recounts over the phone from her hometown of San Francisco.

Principled

Catherine Zinn is a businesswoman and heavyweight in the Democrats' inner circles and is part of Harris' circle of friends. By day, she works at the law firm Baker Botts, but through her network among Silicon Valley's often wealthy entrepreneurs, she has specialized in raising money for the party's top candidates. Zinn was active in Hillary Clinton's first presidential campaign and in Barack Obama's two bids for the White House. At the same time, she got to know Kamala Harris, who was then the district attorney in San Francisco and later became California's top legal officer.

Even back then, she was tough, well-respected, and effective, Zinn recounts.

The word that best describes her is principled. As a prosecutor, she took on big players in the financial world when she suspected something wasn't right. That didn't always make her popular.

Impatience and departures

Catherine Zinn was involved in raising money for Harris' previous campaigns and expects to work during the fall election campaign. Zinn says she's convinced that the US is ready for a female president with an immigrant background.

We did, after all, welcome Obama with open arms. And Nikki Haley did pretty well against Donald Trump.

What does she want to say about Harris?

First and foremost, that she has an exceptional legal mind. She's smart and disciplined and loves to work.

And she has an introverted side. She'd rather have a deep conversation than mingle. She's careful about lifting people around her.

Despite this, several media outlets have published reports of staff conflicts and that employees in Harris' staff have quit. Zinn says she's not surprised.

She's impatient and wants quick results. And she expects her colleagues to be the same. Impatience is a character trait she needs to work on handling.

Not the first

Harris' previous bid for the White House lasted barely a year but is an important experience. This presidential campaign is not her first.

Her challenge now is to trust her own instincts. At her level, it's easy to get talked over by advisors.

59-year-old Kamala Harris has been Joe Biden's Vice President since January 2021. The two have a close working relationship, and Biden supports Harris as the Democrats' next presidential candidate.

Harris' father is from Jamaica, and her mother was from India, but she was born in Oakland in northern California. After living in Canada and studying at Howard University in Washington DC, she returned to her home state to work as a lawyer and prosecutor. In 2004, she became the district attorney in San Francisco.

In 2011, she was appointed California's top legal officer (attorney general), a post she held until she was elected to the US Senate in 2016. Then, she became the second black woman in the chamber.

Harris ran her own presidential campaign in 2019 before throwing in the towel and backing Joe Biden.

Is married to lawyer Doug Emhoff since 2014. Has no children of her own, but has said that Emhoff's children from a previous marriage call her "Momala". Enjoys cooking and usually gets on the cross-trainer early in the morning.

Tags

TTT
By TT - Translated and adapted by Sweden Herald under license from TT

More news

Vance Expresses Cautious Optimism on
2 MIN READ

Vance Expresses Cautious Optimism on Ukraine Peace Talks in Europe

Ukraine Receives Remains of Over
1 MIN READ

Ukraine Receives Remains of Over 900 Fallen Soldiers

Veterans and Reservists Rally to
2 MIN READ

Veterans and Reservists Rally to End Gaza Conflict

Genre image
2 MIN READ

Norway's Largest Robbery Figure Found Dead in Oslo Forest

EU Expansion: Hungary's Block Delays
3 MIN READ

EU Expansion: Hungary's Block Delays Ukraine and Moldova Membership

New Russian Attacks on Ukraine
2 MIN READ

New Russian Attacks on Ukraine Leave 11 Dead, Over 100 Injured

China Refutes Claims of Supplying
1 MIN READ

China Refutes Claims of Supplying Weapons to Russia

Severe Weather in Italy Claims
2 MIN READ

Severe Weather in Italy Claims Three Lives, Triggers State of Emergency

USA May Exit Ukraine Peace
3 MIN READ

USA May Exit Ukraine Peace Talks Without Clear Progress, Rubio Warns

EU Officials Use Disposable Phones
1 MIN READ

EU Officials Use Disposable Phones for US Trips Over Spy Concerns

Israel's Blockade Leaves Gaza Residents
3 MIN READ

Israel's Blockade Leaves Gaza Residents Facing Severe Hunger Crisis

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Leave
1 MIN READ

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Leave 15 Dead, Including Family in Khan Yunis

US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill
2 MIN READ

US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill 74, Injure 171, Houthi Movement Reports

Trump Plans UK Visit to
1 MIN READ

Trump Plans UK Visit to Meet King Charles This Autumn

Luigi Mangione Faces Federal Murder
1 MIN READ

Luigi Mangione Faces Federal Murder Charges in CEO's Death

Red Cross Building in Gaza
1 MIN READ

Red Cross Building in Gaza Damaged by Explosion, ICRC Expresses Outrage

Ukraine Talks to Continue in
2 MIN READ

Ukraine Talks to Continue in London Next Week Following Paris Meeting

Myanmar Seeks Regional Aid After
1 MIN READ

Myanmar Seeks Regional Aid After Devastating Earthquake

Cable Car Accident in Italy
1 MIN READ

Cable Car Accident in Italy Claims Four Lives Near Naples

Trump Seeks to Narrow Species
1 MIN READ

Trump Seeks to Narrow Species Protection Law, Sparking Criticism

Aid Groups Warn of Imminent
1 MIN READ

Aid Groups Warn of Imminent Collapse in Gaza Due to Blockade

Russia Cautions Germany on Sending
1 MIN READ

Russia Cautions Germany on Sending Taurus Robots to Ukraine

Haiti's Security Crisis Worsens as
1 MIN READ

Haiti's Security Crisis Worsens as Violence Spreads, Warns HRW

Russia Removes Terrorist Label from
1 MIN READ

Russia Removes Terrorist Label from Taliban

Genre image
1 MIN READ

57 Civilians Killed in al-Fashir Clashes Between Army and Paramilitaries

Russian Military Officer Sentenced to
1 MIN READ

Russian Military Officer Sentenced to Prison for Corruption

IAEA Warns Time is Running
1 MIN READ

IAEA Warns Time is Running Out for Iran-US Nuclear Agreement

Israeli Strikes Hit Southern Lebanon,
1 MIN READ

Israeli Strikes Hit Southern Lebanon, Targeting Suspected Hezbollah Sites

Trump Confident of Fair Customs
1 MIN READ

Trump Confident of Fair Customs Deal with EU, Says Meloni

Wrongfully Deported Man Remains in
3 MIN READ

Wrongfully Deported Man Remains in El Salvador Prison Despite Court Ruling

Turkey's Largest Drug Bust: Over
1 MIN READ

Turkey's Largest Drug Bust: Over 520 Arrested in Ankara Raids

Myanmar Releases 5,000 Prisoners for
1 MIN READ

Myanmar Releases 5,000 Prisoners for New Year Celebrations

Macron Hosts Key Talks in
2 MIN READ

Macron Hosts Key Talks in Paris on Ukraine's Future with Global Leaders

Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill
1 MIN READ

Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill 37, Including Entire Family

Colombia Declares Emergency as Yellow
1 MIN READ

Colombia Declares Emergency as Yellow Fever Outbreak Spreads

Trump Threatens Harvard's Foreign Student
1 MIN READ

Trump Threatens Harvard's Foreign Student Program Over Document Dispute