Doug Emhoff: America’s First Gentleman?

They met on a blind date and now Doug Emhoff could become America’s First Gentleman if his wife Kamala Harris becomes the Democratic presidential candidate and wins the US elections in November.

Emhoff, 59, is a former entertainment and media lawyer who once worked for one of the world’s largest law firms. But when Kamala Harris moved to the White House with Joe Biden, Emhoff took a break from his job to focus on his duties as second gentleman.

Since then, Emhoff has committed to women’s rights, taught law at Georgetown University Law Center, and fought against anti-Semitism. He – himself a practicing Jew – organized discussions and debates with Jewish leaders across America.

Harris found her husband, Doug, relatively late in life. A mutual friend, Chrisette Hudlin, arranged for the two to meet in California in 2013. “Kamala Harris? “How do I know that name?” Hudlin asked aloud as the two singles became a pair. When reminded that Harris was California’s attorney general at the time, Emhoff said, “Oh my God! She’s hot!”

The following year after their marriage, Kamala’s sister Maya married them in Santa Barbara. Emhoff brought two adult children to the marriage from a previous relationship: son Cole, now 30, and daughter Ella, 25.

The blended family worked immediately: Kohli and Ella called their stepmother Momala because the vice president didn’t like the word “stepmother.” In 2019, Kamala Harris dedicated an essay to her husband’s children, in which she described them as “an infinite source of love and pure joy.” “I am so grateful to Doug, Kerstin (Doug’s ex-wife) and especially Ella and Cole. I can say one thing for sure: without her, my heart would not be whole and my life would not be fulfilled,” the text concluded.

While there is no official job description for the role of First Gentleman in the White House – it doesn’t need to be in times of gender equality: historically, the US president’s partner has been a key figure in the country’s political and social life. Earlier first ladies used their office to promote their causes.

In recent months, Doug Emhoff has shown that he’s grown well into his second gentleman role. He travels the country speaking to community leaders, advocates and small business owners. Last weekend, the 59-year-old traveled to Arizona on behalf of the Democratic Party’s election campaign.

The news that his wife might be nominated as a presidential candidate may have surprised Mhope. He abruptly canceled a trip from Arizona to Los Angeles, and the second man returned to his wife in Washington on Monday.