Her book “The Truths We Hold” defends her record by pointing to her record in obtaining a huge settlement from banks after the financial crisis, establishing a program (“Back on Track”) to reintroduce young, low-level drug offenders into society after they served their sentences, sponsoring a bill to outlaw the “gay panic” defense and requiring anti-bias training for police.

During the campaign, Harris tends not to speak about her record as a prosecutor, a reasonable tactic for someone whose candidacy depends on gaining the support of progressives and African Americans. That might have been a miscalculation.

Here’s a snippet from her remarks to the Service Employees International Union in California:

Hey, that’s a pretty good story, and what’s more, no one in the race has done anything comparable.

When you think about it, who among the top candidates is really going to challenge her record as a prosecutor? Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted for the 1994 crime bill and has a shaky record on gun safety measures. Former vice president Joe Biden helped write that 1994 crime bill. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has an issue arising from his firing of an African American police chief, and really has very little support among African Americans.

In sum, Harris’s record as a prosecutor might not be as much of a negative as she thought, and it could be an asset if used strategically. Sure, it’s a risk, but she is already stressing her prosecutorial skills, arguing that she’s the candidate best equipped to shred President Trump in the general election. (Trump seems to agree. He calls her “nasty” — the all-purpose insult he directs at women who challenge him.)

Voters can understand that as a prosecutor she enforced the laws and defended her office; a legislative role or chief executive position allows her to crusade against the system. Moreover, who better to champion criminal-justice reforms such as elimination of the death penalty, legalizing marijuana, pardoning nonviolent drug offenders and rooting out implicit bias than a former prosecutor who has seen the system from the inside?

In addition, unlike other Senate Democrats, Harris has actual executive experience heading the office of attorney general in California (and more than 4,000 attorneys).

Harris has rolled out other proposals on taxes (a $500-per-month credit for couples making less than $60,000 and singles making less than $30,000), a boost in teachers’ salaries, a rent subsidy and equal pay. Based on her position on the Senate Intelligence Committee, she can speak with authority on cybersecurity. However, her position on Medicare-for-all has been muddled and her overall message less than clear.

Harris might find a crisper message if she took seriously her slogan (“Kamala D. Harris for the People”). She actually has a record of going after abuse of power and financial crimes. What better theme could there be when going up against Trump?