While Harris has been in the public eye for many years, her recent vice presidential candidacy has prompted interest in her family, and specifically her husband, Douglas Emhoff, who could become the first-ever second gentleman if Biden and Harris were to be elected.
From the sweet story of how the two met to his two children, here’s what you need to know about Emhoff.
Though Sen. Kamala Harris was announced as Joe Biden’s running mate just yesterday, her historic nomination has already sparked renewed public interest in the politician’s personal life. Harris, who’s the first Black and Asian American woman to become the vice presidential nominee of a major party, initially entered the political scene back in 2003 as district attorney of San Francisco.
Since then, she served as attorney general of California and has been a US senator for the past three years. Harris was a top contender for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, but ended her campaign last December. Over the years, she’s become a household name due to her impressive political record, as well as her refusal to be silenced or interrupted by her male colleagues.
He’s also a lawyer.
Emhoff is currently a partner at DLA Piper, specializing in media, sports, and entertainment. Based in Century City, CA, and Washington DC, he represents large corporations in business, real estate, and intellectual property disputes. Previously, he was the West Coast managing director at Venable LLP.
He met Harris on a blind date.
Emhoff met Harris on a blind date that was set up by a “close friend of Harris’s,” according to SFGate. The two were married in August 2014 at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Harris’s sister, who’s also a lawyer, officiated the ceremony.
He has two children from a previous marriage.
His son and daughter, Cole and Ella Emhoff, adorably refer to Harris as “Momala,” the senator shared in an essay for Elle. Cole currently works in the Los Angeles area, while Ella is studying design in New York. Harris also mentioned in the essay that she was actually close friends with Emhoff’s ex-wife, Kerstin.
Emhoff and Harris’s federal tax return show they earned more than $2 million in 2018.
During Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign, she released 15 years worth of tax returns in April 2019, revealing that the couple jointly reported more than $2 million in income the previous year and paid nearly $700,000 in taxes.
Emhoff took the bar again to work in DC.
Though Emhoff is based in LA, he’s licensed to practice law in both California and Washington DC. He took the bar exam again in Washington DC and was sworn in on March 10, 2017.
If you’re interested in following Harris’s life from her husband’s viewpoint, you can follow Emhoff on Twitter, where he keeps an active presence and frequently posts photos of the couple together.
