Kamala Harris’s early political career got a boost from her then-boyfriend, Willie Brown, a powerful California politician three decades her senior. In 1994, he appointed her to well-paying state commissions, sparking controversy due to her lack of experience and their romantic relationship. This intriguing start to her career included missing many meetings, a high-profile breakup, and continued support from Brown, who helped her win the district attorney race years later. Despite their split, Harris distanced herself from Brown, who later acknowledged his role in her rise.

Appointing her influential then-boyfriend Willie Brown, who was three decades her senior, to a California medical board that has been condemned for serving as a launching pad for patronage positions and bribes, was Kamala Harris's first notable political role.

In 1994, Harris was thirty years old and in a relationship with Willie Brown, sixty years old, who was the Democratic speaker of the California Sta...