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With Kamala Harris set to become vice president early next year, she is making history as the first woman, first black person, and first Asian American to take on the role.
Meanwhile, her husband, Doug Emhoff, 56, is also making headlines as the first “second gentleman” and the first Jewish person married to a vice president.
While many, especially in the Bay Area, know a lot about Harris from Oakland, they may not know as much about her husband. Here are some facts about Doug Emhoff:
He made his debut on the East Coast. Emhoff was born in New York. Her father was a shoe designer who moved his family from Brooklyn to New Jersey.
He ended up on the west coast. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was in high school.
He graduated from colleges in California. Emhoff received his undergraduate degree from Cal State Northridge and his law degree from the University of Southern California.
He’s an entertainment advocate. Emhoff formed his own law firm after studying law. His legal career spanned nearly three decades, and he was the last partner of the global law firm DLA Piper.
He met Harris on a blind date. A friend put Emhoff and Harris on a blind date while she was California attorney general. Emhoff asked the question in 2014 and they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Santa Barbara five months later. Harris’s sister, Maya, presided over the ceremony.
He is divorced and the father of two children. Emhoff was previously married to Kerstin Emhoff. They had two children, Cole and Ella, who call Harris “Momala”. Harris has spoken publicly about his friendship with Emhoff’s ex-wife and their “very modern family.”
He did everything for Harris. He took a leave of absence from his law firm in August and had become a staple of Harris’ election campaign. His position within the DLA Piper could be a conflict of interest as he has a lobbying presence in Washington, according to the Washington Post. It’s unclear what Emhoff will do now that Harris is the vice president-elect, but he has mentioned his interest in doing pro bono work.
He has gathered his own fan base. Emhoff’s social media posts garnered admiration from viewers and even led to Emhoff’s own hashtag: #Doughive. Last summer, while Harris was on stage at MoveOn’s Big Ideas Forum in San Francisco, an animal rights activist jumped on stage and grabbed the microphone from him. Security intervened and Emhoff also took the stage, managing to move the microphone away from the protester. Another prime example: He melted a lot of hearts with his sweet message on Saturday morning after Harris was declared Vice President-elect.
So proud of you. ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Orb1ISe0dU
– Doug Emhoff (@DouglasEmhoff) November 7, 2020
How to call his new role: No, as the vice-president’s partner, he will be neither the “second guy”, nor the “second husband”, nor the “second spouse”. He would apparently be the “second gentleman”.
Kellie Hwang is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @KellieHwang
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