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One former tech company staffer remembered fretting about getting executives ready for hearings with Kamala Harris when she was in a senator. Jose Luis Magana/AP

Kamala Harris’ Ties to Silicon Valley Have Left Big Tech Hopeful for Change

Harris hasn’t revealed much of a platform on tech, but industry insiders see her candidacy as a possible pathway to having a bigger voice on policy.

One former tech company staffer remembered fretting about getting executives ready for hearings with Kamala Harris when she was in a senator. Jose Luis Magana/AP

Tech companies, who have become something of a bipartisan punching bag in recent years, are hoping a possible Harris administration might be a reset.

Agencies, lawmakers and regulators have become increasingly antagonistic toward their interests on everything from privacy to AI to antitrust and competition issues. Kamala Harris’ record — and her ties to Silicon Valley — has left room for some wishcasting for a new regime.

“I think as a senator, she was seen as having an open door and keeping an open mind,” said Adam Kovacevich, the CEO and founder of the Chamber of Progress, a progressive technology industry group. “That’s huge.”