Kamala Harris' husband has been unabashed in his support of his wife during the 2020
presidential campaign. And given that he's set to become the country's first second gentleman
after a historic Biden/Harris win, all eyes may soon turn to him. So just who is Doug
Emhoff?
Harris might represent the state of California in the Senate, but her husband Doug represents
the East Coast in their marriage. Emhoff was born in Manhattan, but lived in New Jersey
from 1969 until 1981, according to Asbury Park Press, and he points to his childhood
as a big component of his life.
After a Harris supporter posted a photo of a teddy bear named "Dougie" on route to New
Jersey on Twitter, Emhoff tweeted back and shared his family history, pointing to his
time in the Garden State. He wrote,
"I approve of this wholesome content and Happy [Thanksgiving]! [...] [New Jersey] is still
very much in my veins!"
Emhoff's family has remained in the mix as well. When asked about her in-laws, Harris
told Asbury Park Press that their home state was still very much a part of their lives,
saying,
"They are in California now, but New Jersey is very much in them. In a very big way. Unedited."
After getting his undergraduate degree at California State University, Northridge, Harris'
husband graduated from the University of Southern California before jumping into the arena of
entertainment law. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Emhoff started the bulk of his entertainment
litigation at a law firm on the westside of Los Angeles. He explained,
"That was my shot to not only build my own practicea but also to break into the field."
One of his first breakout cases was representing Hollywood Video as the company had an accounting
dispute with Fox.
Emhoff went on to represent a significant amount of production and entertainment companies
in the 1990s and made a name for himself fighting for industry-wide late payments before branching
out on his own. Emhoff opened his own firm in 2000, and it quickly rose in prominence.
He spoke about his career as a lawyer in 2019 with The Hollywood Reporter, saying,
"With all this other stuff that's happening in my life right now, it's great to have [my
practice], because it's something that I love and I'm good at."
He and Harris reaally are a power couple.
There was one legal case in particular that put Emhoff on the map. In the late 1990s to
early 2000s, the Taco Bell Chihuahua was a tool for the food chain and was used in advertisements
along with the saying:
"Yo Quiero Taco Bell."
Emhoff's client, ad agency TBWA, was sued by Michigan company Wrench, which claimed
that it had in fact been the brains behind the so-called "Psycho Chihuahua" used in the
advertising campaign.
"Yeah. Drop the chalupa."
Wrench ended up suing on the grounds of breach of contract - the ruling went in their favor,
and they were given $42 million as a result. Here's where Emhoff came in. After many appeals
to the 9th Circuit, Harris' husband was able to keep TBWA out of the drama, and Taco Bell
ended up having to pay the money. Looks like he knows what he's doing.
The story of how Emhoff and Harris met is pretty cute. As noted by Asbury Park Press,
they were set up on a blind date while Harris was the attorney general of California. The
then-future couple was set up by a mutual friend.
As noted by NBC News, Emhoff got Harris' phone number, texted her, and then called her the
next day. Harris recalled in her memoir The Truths We Hold that Emhoff was intentional
with his time, making sure they had the opportunity to continue meeting. She wrote,
"The morning after our first date, Doug emailed me with a list of his available dates for
the next couple of months."
She later revealed that they dated for six months before she brought him to a work function
with her. She admitted,
"I knew that if I brought a man with me to an event, people would immediately start to
speculate about our relationship."
Before Emhoff met Harris, he was married and divorced. He and his first wife, Kerstin,
got married in 1992 and had two children, Cole and Ella. Kerstin herself is a total
boss, much like Harris, so it's clear that Emhoff admires strong women. She is the co-founder
of Prettybird, a production company based in Culver City, California
Emhoff and Kerstin got divorced after 16 years, and Harris was aware of her role coming into
their children's lives when she and Emhoff started dating. In an article she penned for
Elle, Harris pointed to how careful she and Emhoff were when introducing her to them.
She wrote,
"As a child of divorce, I knew how hard it could be when your parents start to date other
people. I was determined not to insert myself in their lives until Doug and I had established
we were in this for the long haul. Children need consistency; I didn't want to insert
myself into their lives as a temporary fixture because I didn't want to disappoint them."
Divorce and remarriage can be tough on kids, but Harris and Emhoff were careful with how
they approached his children, and the four of them have bonded in a beautiful way. Harris
wrote for Elle magazine,
"Cole and Ella could not have been more welcoming. They are brilliant, talented, funny kids who
have grown to-- be remarkable adults. I was already hooked on Doug, but I believe it was
Cole and Ella who reeled me in."
When Harris and her husband got married, the four had realized that the label of "stepmom"
didn't sit well with them, given how close they all became. Instead, Cole and Ella agreed
that the best way to refer to Harris was with the enduring nickname "Momala."
"Certainly Vice President will be great, but Momala will always be the one that means the
most."
Harris went on to describe a Sunday evening with her step-kids, saying that the weekend
dinner time has allowed them all to fit into their roles as a family. She explained,
"Cole sets the table and picks the music, Ella makes beautiful desserts, Doug acts as
my sous-chef, and I cook."
According to The Washington Post, Emhoff had plans to ask Harris to marry him while they
were on a trip to Florence. But he ended up blurting out a proposal while she was packing
for the trip as they were deciding what food to order in.
When Harris realized that Emhoff said he wanted to spend his life with her, she went into
full-on ugly tears. She recalled,
"These were not graceful Hollywood tears streaming down a glistening cheek. No, I'm talking about
snorting and grunting, with mascara smudging my face."
The couple got married soon after at the Santa Barbara courthouse in California, in a ceremony
performed by Harris' sister, Maya.
When Harris announced her candidacy for president, Emhoff was extremely supportive, but he stayed
in the background. That was until he literally leapt onto the scene and into the spotlight.
Harris was on stage in June 2019, when an activist ran onto the stage and grabbed the
microphone from her. Emhoff inserted himself in the situation and helped get the activist
off stage. He later tweeted that everyone was fine and thanked supporters for the well
wishes, saying,
"I love ⁦[Kamala] and would do anything for her."
The incident grabbed attention and put Harris' husband more in the spotlight than ever before,
and he didn't return to the background. Just a few days later, he gave his first solo speech
at the Democratic Party's Leadership Blue Gala in Florida, and he continued to prove
that Harris' historic candidacy meant a historic role for himself too. One operative who worked
for Hillary Clinton told the publication,
"I think we're rewriting the rules on presidential spouses. Historic candidates also mean we
have spouses who can play a historic role."
It's always great to hear about divorced parents who are still good friends, and Emhoff and
his ex-wife are no exception. According to Marie Claire, Kerstin was supportive of Emhoff
and has rooted for him and Harris. She admitted,
"When [Doug and Kamala] first started dating and [Kamala] was [attorney general of California],
I just thought, 'Wow, that's cool. Don't mess this up!'"
Harris and Kerstin's relationship did not stop there. In her article for Elle magazine,
Harris wrote about their special bond with Emhoff's kids, saying,
"To know Cole and Ella is to know that their mother Kerstin is an incredible mother. Kerstin
and I hit it off ourselves and are dear friends. She and I became a duo of cheerleaders in
the bleachers at Ella's swim meets and basketball games, often to Ella's embarrassment. We sometimes
joke that our modern family is almost a little too functional."
To top off a really great relationship, Kerstin offered her "creative expertise and connections"
to Harris and her presidential bid.
When Harris announced her bid for the presidential nomination, Emhoff announced his leave of
absence from law firm DLA Piper. As noted by The New York Times, Emhoff was admitted
to the Washington, D.C. bar in 2017, prompting speculation that he would dedicate more time
on the East Coast. His leave of absence came when the ethics of DLA Piper and Emhoff's
affiliation was worrying some legal experts - especially if Harris was going to win the
vice-presidency.
But Bob Shrum, a Democratic adviser, told the publication that the Biden/Harris campaign
most likely reviewed Emhoff's choice to take a step back from his firm. Shrum explained,
"I have no doubt that a Biden-Harris administration would look at this issue very carefully and
would impose rules that would ensure that there was no conflict of interest."
Emhoff's leave of absence is, of course, all under the guise that he continues to be Harris'
biggest fan.
Emhoff has spoken about Harris' bid for office and the joys of the trail. Harris was a historic
candidate, and the couple has gotten to travel the country. In 2019, before she dropped out
and became Joe Biden's vice-presidential pick, he told the Associated Press,
"This is a new experience for Kamala and me, but our family is having so much fun crossing
the country and meeting people from every walk of life. It's amazing to see so many
people get to know the Kamala I love, and I can't wait for every American to get that
chance when she's president."
When it was announced that Harris would be joining Joe Biden's ticket, Emhoff was ecstatic
for his wife and went to social media to express his support. Along with a video posted on
Instagram of himself with Harris and the Bidens, he wrote,
"Elbow bumping to victory! We can't wait to see Joe & Jill again at the convention. We
are going to do this! [Hashtag] Biden Harris 2020."
Emhoff has been out on the campaign trail promoting the Biden/Harris ticket with unwavering
support ever since.
"I really just want to focus on winning this election."
Per all major media outlets, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ended up winning the White House
in the 2020 election.
"The President-elect of the United States of America, Joe Biden."
And Emhoff will become the first second gentleman. No woman has ever occupied the highest political
positions in the executive branch, and Emhoff will essentially write the rules for every
man to follow.
Chasten Buttigieg, former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's husband, befriended
Emhoff while on the trail and told The Washington Post about what the role might look like for
Harris' husband as he enters the White House. Chasten said,
"There's so much pressure on you to try to meet everyone's standard."
When asked to give Emhoff advice, Chasten put it simply - all he has to do is be himself.
It seems like Emhoff will have no trouble continuing his support for Harris - he's already
set the husband bar pretty high. Chasten added,
"You have to be there to take the weight of the day and make it go away. That's a really
big service when you're the husband of the vice president of the United States. That's
a job in and of itself."
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