Harris turns to her favorite foods in effort to show a more private side and connect with voters

One of the biggest challenges for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the final stretch of the campaign is introducing herself to voters before her Republican rival, Donald Trump, has a chance to define her.

Until her sudden election to the top of the Democratic ticket this summer, Harris was still a somewhat unknown figure in national politics, driven in part by her aversion to opening up and embracing the spotlight. And since she's become the nominee, Republicans have criticized Harris for not doing many interviews or giving enough specifics on her policy plans.

But the vice president is sharing personal details about her childhood, cooking and food to show her more private side.

It is known that Harris is a foodie and likes to cook. In fact, she had just made a pancakes-and-bacon breakfast for her niece’s 6- and 8-year-old daughters on the July morning when Biden called with the news that he was dropping out of the race.

From talking about nacho cheese Doritos as her snack of choice to washing collard greens in the bathtub, Harris is aiming to connect with voters on a more personal level. While learning that she likes to munch tortilla chips at snack time likely isn't enough on its own to sway anyone to vote for her, the small — and sometimes amusing — details could help Harris show she can relate to people and their concerns.

“She is trying to show that she is a full person beyond just her policy proposals,” Dana Brown, executive director of the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics at Chatham University, said in an email.

Caramel is a favorite

Stopping at Dottie's Market in Savannah during a campaign bus tour of southeastern Georgia last week, Harris became excited by what she saw on the