Harris has close ties with Emerge America, which sprouted in part from her first successful campaign in 2002 for San Francisco district attorney. The group has helped elect 1,200 Emerge alums to office nationally, according to its website, including U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon of Oakland and a slew of other members of Congress.

We are living in a moment when the checks and balances upon which we have historically relied have begun to buckle,’ Harris said.