Hometown hero Berkeley cheers vice-president's White House run

As Kamala Harris emerged as the Democratic frontrunner to replace Joe Biden, residents of her home town of Berkeley, California, greeted the news of her potentially history-making White House run with enthusiasm - and some trepidation.

- Kari Paul

Those who once knew her as a little girl living above a daycare centre on Bancroft Avenue were proud of their hometown hero and -like many Democratic supporters in the US hopeful that she has a better chance than Joe Biden of beating Donald Trump.

"This was where her story began," said Carole Porter, 60, standing on a corner where she and Harris waited for the school bus starting as first-graders, both participating in a city campaign to desegregate local schools.

"For people of colour and for women, once she breaks that glass ceiling and I'm sure she's going to do it - there's no going back." Days after Biden's historic decision to exit the US presidential race, Democrats have largely coalesced around the vicepresident - raising a record $81m (£62m) in 24 hours for her campaign and gaining the support of top party members including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nancy Pelosi and Biden himself.

Born in Oakland, Harris moved to the neighbouring city of Berkeley where she lived until she was 12 with her single mother, Shyamala, and sister, Maya. She later served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general, before becoming the state's junior senator.