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.

The San Francisco speech is the former vice president's first major public remarks since losing the 2024 U.S. presidential election to President Trump.