California Attorney General Kamala Harris launches bid for US Senate seat

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Attorney General Kamala Harris on Tuesday officially announced her intention to run for the United States Senate in 2016.

She will be seeking the seat currently held by Barbara Boxer, who said she will not be seeking re-election for a fifth term.

Harris just began her second term as California attorney general. In her announcement, Harris, the first woman and the first minority to serve as California's top prosecutor, described herself as a fighter.

"I will be a fighter for middle class families who are feeling the pinch of stagnant wages and diminishing opportunity," Harris said on a campaign website. "I will be a fighter for our children who deserve a world-class education, and for students burdened by predatory lenders and skyrocketing tuition. And I will fight relentlessly to protect our coast, our immigrant communities and our seniors."

She also posted her announcement on Twitter.

Harris, 50, a Democrat and former two-term San Francisco district attorney, is a friend of President Barack Obama's and attracted national attention when she helped negotiate a settlement with major mortgage lenders and secured extra funding for California. She has been widely viewed as an eventual candidate for governor or U.S. senator.

As the state's chief law enforcement officer, Harris has focused her crime-fighting efforts on cross-border gangs that she says are increasingly engaged in high-tech crimes such as digital piracy and computer hacking to target businesses and financial institutions.

Harris, the daughter of an Indian mother and black father, was elected California attorney general in 2010.

Her announcement comes a day after California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, announced via Facebook that he would not be running for the seat.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) posted on Facebook Tuesday that she is seriously considering a bid for the U.S. Senate seat.

"From immigration reform to affordable health care to funding quality education, I have advocated for policies that give all families the same access to the American Dream," she wrote. "Californians deserve a strong voice in Washington and I have never been afraid to speak up, which is why I am seriously considering running for the United States Senate in 2016."

Sanchez, 55, has served in Congress since 1997.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and retired San Francisco hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer have also noted their interest in running.

So far, no Republicans have announced that that they would be running for the seat.

Political experts say the next two years will be a chess game as a number of potential candidates position themselves to move up to other offices.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.