Douglas Emhoff: 5 Things About Kamala Harris’ Husband

Douglas Emhoff became America’s first second gentleman when his wife, Kamala Harris, was sworn in as Vice President on January 20, 2021. Learn more about the supportive partner as he advocates for his wife’s presidential campaign.

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October 7, 2024 3:56PM EDT
UNITED STATES - AUGUST 22: Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic presidential nominee, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff celebrate on the final night of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Thursday, August 22, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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United States Senator Kamala Harris (Democrat of California) speaks during a television interview at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Credit: Stefani Reynolds / CNP. 24 Jun 2020 Pictured: United States Senator Kamala Harris (Democrat of California) speaks during a television interview at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Credit: Stefani Reynolds / CNP. Photo credit: Stefani Reynolds - CNP / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA683531_004.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]
July 28, 2022 New York, NY, USA - American Vice President Kamala Harris deplanes at New York's LaGuardia Airport.The Vice President is greeted by NYS Lt. Governor, Antonio Delgado. She is in New York City to announce new private and public sector efforts to align tens of billions in investments in underserved communities. This will include the formation of a new Economic Opportunity Coalition (EOC) to address economic disparities and accelerate economic opportunity in communities of color and other underserved communities. VP Harris Visits New York City, New York, New York, USA - 28 Jul 2022
US Vice President Kamala Harris (C) during her meeting with Polish and US soldiers at the 1st Airlift Base in Warsaw, Poland, 11 March 2022. The visit of the US vice president is a demonstration of the United States' support for NATO's eastern flank allies in the face of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. US Vice Psocieresident Kamala Harris visits Poland, Warsaw - 11 Mar 2022

Lawyer Douglas Emhoff has made history as the first second gentleman of the United States. He was there for his wife Kamala Harris, 59, as the former California senator was sworn in as Vice President of the United States at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021, as Joe Biden, 77, became our 46th president. Shortly after Biden and Harris’ victory was announced, Douglas took to Twitter to share a sweet photo of himself giving his lady love a big hug after she found out the wonderful news. “So proud of you,” he wrote in the caption along with two red heart and two American flag emojis.

His support is unwavering as the 59-year-old continues to stand by his wife, who is running for president as the Democratic candidate and awaiting her interview on 60 Minutes on October 7, 2024. This comes after President Biden endorsed her following his withdrawal from the November 2024 election. Kamala, who made history as America’s first female, Black, and South Asian vice president, is campaigning alongside her running mate,Tim Walz, as they prepare to face Donald Trump and J.D. Vance in the 2024 presidential election.

 

Ever since Joe revealed Kamala was his VP pick in August, Douglas vowed to be “ready to work” as the Nov. 3 Election Day drew closer and closer, and that’s exactly what he did. So, who’s the lucky man that gets to be Kamala’s husband? Here’s the answer to that question below:

Kamala’s Husband Has Worked in Law for More Than 25 Years

Douglas shares a love for law with Kamala. He attended University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law, and is now a partner at DLA Piper (a global law firm). “He represents large domestic and international corporations and some of today’s highest profile individuals and influencers in complex business, real estate and intellectual property litigation disputes,” Douglas’s bio reads on the law firm’s website.

Kamala Harris, Douglas Emhoff
AP Images

Douglas Also Specializes in Entertainment Law

One of his clients included TBWA, the ad agency which developed the Taco Bell Chihuahua. This led Wrench, a company based in Michigan, to sue Taco Bell over breach of contract because it claimed to have created the “Psycho Chihuahua,” according to Douglas’s profile in The Hollywood Reporter. Douglas kept TBWA from taking on the financial burden of this lawsuit bill.

Douglas Met Kamala Through A Blind Date

Before Kamala entered his life, Douglas was married to a woman named Kerstin whom he welcomed two children with (a son named Cole, who graduated from Colorado College in 2017, and their daughter Ella, who is studying at Parsons School of Design, according to a 2018 Vogue article).

After Douglas divorced from Kerstin, he was a single dad who was eventually set up on a blind date with Kamala by PR consultant Chrisette Hudlin in 2013, according to his aforementioned profile in THR. It was a great idea, because Douglas and Kamala were married by 2014. Kamala now even has a close relationship with Douglas’s children, as well as her husband’s ex-wife!

“They [Douglas’s kids] are my endless source of love and pure joy. I am so thankful to Doug, to Kerstin, and most of all, to Ella and Cole,” the senator wrote in an Elle essay for Mother’s Day 2019. Douglas and his two children even posed for a sweet photo to share on Kamala’s 54th birthday in Oct. 2018, which you can see above.

Douglas is Kamala’s Number One Cheerleader  

He is often seen by the senator’s side at events, repping her “Kamala” T-shirt and his Twitter page is basically a fan account for Kamala, where he often retweets her posts and television appearances. He also shares sneak peeks into their married life, such as this fireworks date. His presence in her and Joe’s presidential campaign didn’t go unnoticed and he proved he would go above and beyond to support his wife and her opportunity to become vice president.

From spending his 56th birthday asking for votes in Virginia parking lots to greeting potential voters in his Biden-Harris gear in such a low-key way that most people didn’t realize who he was, he has been there for Kamala when she was running for president and then vice president, and his dedication has never wavered. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), who has campaigned with Emhoff, even called him an election-year “sensation”, the Washington Post reported.

Now in 2024, as Kamala runs for the chance to become the first female president of the United States, Douglas has been working to draw attention to the campaign for her and Tim. He accompanies her to rallies and promotes the campaign on social media. On July 23, 2024, he shared on X, “My wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, is running for president. She needs your support. We need you to register, we need you to vote, and we need you to help elect her the next President of the United States.”

The lawyer Considers Himself An “Advocate for Justice and Equality.”

Douglas has lived up to his Twitter bio by being a champion for multiple causes, like the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBTQ rights. He even attended San Francisco Pride in 2019, where he jumped up on the backseat of a car with Kamala and busted out his best dance moves for the crowd (which you can enjoy above).