Not long after Vice President Kamala Harris announced her presidential bid, her husband, Douglas Emhoff, showed his support for her on social media.
“Time to make history, @KamalaHarris,” Emhoff wrote in a July 23 Instagram post, sharing a photo of himself smiling and holding up a “Harris for President” campaign sign.
Emhoff and Harris, both 59, met on a blind date in 2013, back when Harris was the attorney general of California, and they tied the knot the following year.
When Harris became the first woman, and the first woman of color, to be elected vice president in 2020, Emhoff also made history by becoming the nation’s first second gentleman.
Emhoff, who was a lawyer prior to entering the White House, has been vocal about how he supports his wife, both as her husband and as second gentleman.
“She’s the Vice President of the United States, first woman to ever hold this role, and I’m her husband. So, how can I be a better husband?” he told Esquire in January.
“How can I help her get through her day so she can do her job, which is 24/7, 365? A lot of what she does is public, but a lot of what she does is also very hard work behind the scenes,” he continued. “So, again, it’s how can I be helpful to her, make her day easier, take things off her plate around the house so she can fulfill these intense duties that she has?”
Read on to learn more about Harris’ husband of 10 years, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
He was a successful lawyer before becoming second gentleman
Before Harris was elected, Emhoff was a lawyer for about three decades. As a partner at the corporate firm Venable, his clients included the pharmaceutical company Merck and the arms dealer Dolorian Capital, according to The New York Times.
At Venable, Emhoff also notably represented Taco Bell’s former advertising agency in a long-running dispute involving the fast food company’s iconic chihuahua mascot.
He became a partner at the leading law firm DLA Piper in 2017. In one case at DLA Piper, he represented Mauricio Umansky of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” fame in a real estate dispute, according to The New York Times.
Emhoff took a leave of absence from DLA Piper when Harris became Biden’s running mate, and he left the firm altogether after his wife became vice president, Reuters reported in 2020.
Soon after becoming second gentleman, Emhoff began teaching law courses as a Distinguished Visitor from Practice at the Georgetown University Law Center.
According to his Georgetown Law bio, Emhoff was known throughout his career “for tackling and resolving the toughest problems — whether by litigating high-stakes cases or acting as a trusted advisor in complex disputes with an emphasis on media, entertainment, and Intellectual Property matters.”
As second gentleman, Emhoff has advocated for equality in the legal system, women’s rights, and other causes
In his role as second gentleman, Emhoff has focused on a number of causes, including advocating for “access to legal aid and removing barriers — legal, social, and financial — to ensure that every person can get the help they need to arrive at justice,” according to this official White House biography.
He has also spoken out about gender equity and reproductive rights.
In a recent Instagram post, Emhoff called the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade “an assault on women’s reproductive rights and our democracy.”
“It’s wrong, it’s immoral, and it’s on all of us to stand up and defend our freedoms,” he wrote in the caption.
Emhoff has also supported LGBTQIA+ causes, and recently shared Instagram photos of himself marching in the DC Pride parade.
Emhoff has traveled widely since becoming second gentleman, meeting with families, business owners and community leaders around the U.S. and in several countries, according to his White House bio.
Speaking to Esquire in January, Emhoff opened up about his dual roles of supporting Harris both as a husband, and as second gentleman.
“That can take various forms, whether it’s speaking out against antisemitism and hate, speaking in favor of gender equity, access to legal justice and some of the other more substantive areas that I’ve taken on” he said.
“Otherwise it’s just doing what’s asked,” he continued. “I’m traveling to Davos tomorrow, for instance, so it’s a mixed bag. But it’s all geared towards one, supporting her as her husband and then, supporting her and the administration as second gentleman.”
Emhoff has a special focus on fighting antisemitism
Emhoff is the first Jewish spouse of a U.S. vice president or president, and he often speaks out against antisemitism and hosts events and discussions related to the topic.
“No one should have to live in fear because of who they are,” he said in a May 2023 address at the White House, as the Biden-Harris administration launched the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.
“As the first Jewish spouse of a United States President or Vice President, let me say this: we cannot stay silent," he continued. "I will not remain silent. I will not stand idly by and allow antisemitism to poison our society.”
He noted that his great-grandparents had “escaped persecution from what is now Poland around 120 years ago,” and reflected on the personal significance of traveling to Poland for Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Emhoff has hosted numerous events focused on Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism.
In May, he invited college students who are descendants of Holocaust survivors to share their stories at the White House, and later met with Holocaust survivors.
Emhoff also shared excerpts on Instagram of his November 2023 meeting with Jewish community leaders in the United Kingdom.
“Since October 7, there has been a worldwide increase in antisemitic incidents, including in the United Kingdom. I know people are afraid,” he captioned his Nov. 2 post.
“My message to Jewish community leaders, at home and abroad, is this: Don’t be afraid. We must continue to celebrate our Judaism and push back with joy,” he wrote.
Emhoff has two children from a previous marriage
Emhoff has two children, Cole, 29, and Ella, 25, from his previous marriage to film producer Kerstin Emhoff, née Mackin.
Harris opened up in a 2019 essay for Elle about how she and Emhoff have shaped their blended family, saying they “took it slow” when it came to her meeting his children.
“As a child of divorce, I knew how hard it could be when your parents start to date other people,” Harris wrote. “And I was determined not to insert myself in their lives until Doug and I had established we were in this for the long haul.”
Harris and Emhoff’s kids ended up hitting it off, and rather than calling her “stepmom,” Cole and Ella affectionately refer to her “Momala.”
“They are brilliant, talented, funny kids who have grown to be remarkable adults,” Harris wrote in her 2019 essay. “I was already hooked on Doug, but I believe it was Cole and Ella who reeled me in.”
Emhoff has shouted out his son and daughter on social media over the years.
“Nothing like a game of pickleball with Cole during Father’s Day weekend,” he wrote on Instagram in June.
Emhoff also celebrated his daughter when she graduated from Parsons School of Design in 2021.
“My darling Ella, we are such proud parents!” he wrote in the caption. “We love you so much, and are very much looking forward to all you do in the future.”
