Sen. Kamala Harris holds rally at Los Angeles Southwest College

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- California Sen. Kamala Harris held a rally in South Los Angeles Sunday in her race for the presidency.

Harris is hoping to stir up support in her home state as the presidential race heats up.

Harris received an enthusiastic greeting during her first campaign event in LA since announcing her bid for the Democratic nomination.

The former California attorney general and Oakland native spoke to a crowd of several hundred at Los Angeles Southwest College, laying out a number of issues that she believes are important to voters,

including middle class tax relief, raising teacher pay and justice for all.

"If what recently happened in our backyard in Poway did not make it clear, racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia -- these issues are real in our country," Harris said.

A heckler briefly interrupted Harris' remarks, but was quickly escorted from the auditorium.

Harris drew some of the loudest applause when she condemned the Alabama decision banning abortion.