'Second Gentleman', a lawyer, a Jew from Brooklyn: what is known about Kamala Harris's husband

Doug Emhoff put his career on hold due to the political aspirations of his wife Kamala Harris and became the campaign's "secret weapon". Who he is and what he does, says The Washington Post.

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One evening in 2017, Doug Emhoff met his ex-wife, a Los Angeles film producer, and his wife of three years, a newly elected U.S. senator from California, at a restaurant table at the luxury NoMad hotel in Manhattan.

Contrary to stereotypes, the two women - Kerstin Emhoff and Kamala Harris - became good friends. Harris, now the vice president-elect of the United States, began that evening talking about how she had recently heard her husband's surprise announcement that they were going on a trip.

According to Kerstin Emhoff, she almost choked on wine when she heard this. She lived for 20 years with a dedicated attorney whose idea of ​​a good pastime was reduced to playing golf or watching sports. Stunned, Ehmhoff smiled and turned to Harris.

“I don’t know what you did to that man,” she said. “But it’s great.”

And three years later, Kamala's husband Harris became one of the unexpected figures in the 2020 campaign, headlining an unusual, pandemic-ridden race for the White House. Harris is about to become the first female vice president, the first black vice president, the first vice president born to immigrants from India and Jamaica.

Her husband would also be an innovative history maker, potentially changing gender roles. He's a high-profile professional who gave up his career to support his wife's aspirations—even though his work life could pose a possible conflict of interest once Harris takes office.

Not only will he be the first male vice president's spouse (the "first second husband"), but he will also be the Great Jewish Hope - WP definition. The winning Democratic ticket would make him the first Jew in a quartet of presidents, vice presidents and their spouses.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), also Jewish, sees Emhoff as an antidote to “the poison plaguing the country.”

On the road to victory

On a bright fall day in mid-October, Doug Emhoff spent his 56th birthday canvassing in parking lots throughout Virginia. At Laudoff County Park, Emhoff jumped out of a huge SUV to greet supporters who drove past him in honking cars after collecting election materials. In a Biden-Harris T-shirt and jeans, he almost lost the appearance of a prestigious lawyer. But not quite like that. A nicely tailored jacket gave a hint as to who he was.

During the campaign, someone banged a drum at an ear-splitting volume, and Emhoff jumped up and down to the beat. His penchant for spontaneous dancing has gone viral—a 2019 video of him dancing in a convertible with Harris in San Francisco went viral. In his tweet, Emhoff repurposed the video as a low-key fundraising campaign. In the year and a half since then, Emhoff has become popular for posting candid moments from the campaign and images of his affectionate relationship with his wife.

Rep. Ted Deutsch (Florida Democrat), who campaigned with Ehmhoff, called the humble lawyer a "sensation" for an election year. However, Emhoff is still relatively unknown to the average voter.

“What are we going to call him? said Mary Alexander, a 73-year-old retired naturalist. - SHOUS! Second husband of the United States!

In fact, as the vice president's husband, he will not be a “second boyfriend,” “second husband,” or “second spouse.” It is reported that he will be "the second gentleman", writes SF Gate.

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Emhoff biography

Doug Emhoff was born in Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey. He has fond memories of a Jewish summer camp where he won several sports awards. When he was in high school, he moved to the suburbs of Los Angeles because his father got a new job.

Ehmhoff graduated from the University of California, Northridge, whose reputation is far inferior to the prestigious universities in the country. He later earned a law degree from the University of Southern California and then began a legal career. He started out with a large firm and later established his own practice in Beverly Hills. The firm flourished, with Emhoff being considered a rising star but never overly visible. He also joined Hillcrest, a Jewish country club founded when Jews were rarely accepted elsewhere.

Emhoff and his teammate later joined the law firm Venable. While working there, he ended up on a blind date with then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris. Emhoff texted her from the Los Angeles Lakers game: a long, rambling voicemail about himself—it was awkward, but she liked it. She flew to Los Angeles for their first date. The next morning, Emhoff emailed her: “I'm too old to play games. I really like you and I want to see if we can work this out.”

As soon as Emhoff's partners found out who he was dating, they began to make fun of him - they say, develop a relationship, or you will end up in prison. Harris and Emhoff had a small wedding in Santa Barbara in 2014, where they broke a glass according to Jewish tradition.

Soon, Kerstin Emhoff invited Harris and her ex to celebrate Christmas Eve. Harris communicated with Ehmoff's children from his first marriage: Cole and Ella.

“We sometimes joke that our modern family is too functional,” Harris wrote in her memoir.

When Harris ran for the Senate in 2016, Ehmhoff was mostly an outside observer, occasionally showing up at events to compliment his wife. He now travels the country as one of the main attractions of the campaign. At the vice presidential debate, he walked over to congratulate his wife.

“On the campaign trail,” says Los Angeles mayor and Biden-Harris national co-chair Eric Garcetti, “he’s our secret weapon.”

Doug also has his own fan club, writes SF Gate... Emhoff's endlessly supportive social media posts have garnered the admiration of the public and even led to the creation of his own hashtag: #Doughive. Last summer, while Harris was onstage at the MoveOn Big Ideas Forum in San Francisco, an animal rights activist jumped onto the stage and grabbed her microphone. Security intervened, and Emhoff also took the stage, managing to take the microphone from the protester. Another example: he melted many hearts with his sweet post the morning after Harris was named vice president-elect.

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“Is he really a Jew?”

In August, Emhoff announced his resignation from his legal practice. He continued to work as an attorney while Harris was California's attorney general, as well as during her campaign for the U.S. Senator and the Democratic presidential nomination. This time it was different.

A spouse's political views rarely cause excitement, but they can sometimes become a hindrance. For many years, in addition to standard corporate and real estate work, Emhoff sometimes represented highly regulated companies or firms that could be frowned upon by the left. The problem is that his current firm, DLA Piper, is lobbying in Washington. Even if he could find a way to build a wall between his legal work and the firm's lobbying and government work, it is likely that his wife's political opponents would have declared real or perceived conflicts of interest.

While Emhoff's future as a lawyer is worrisome, the possibility of him becoming a second gentleman has sparked curiosity among members of the Jewish community.

“They ask me if he’s really Jewish—whatever that means,” said Jacoby, Emhoff’s former partner. “And you say: “There is a whole list of things. He is pro-Israel. They broke a glass at a wedding." All this proves his level of Jewishness.”

Friends say that Ehmhoff is not religious, although he deeply identifies with Judaism and grew up on its values.

Uncertain Future

Ehmhoff did not reveal his plans after his wife took office. He mentioned his interest in free legal work and warned his fellow lawyers in the audience to expect a call asking him to "help people get access to legal services." He also indirectly referred to helping his wife and Joe and Jill Biden unite a country torn apart by "such pain" and troubled by a government that is mistrusted at home and abroad.

“I’m doing what I always do: supporting Kamala, being there for her, loving her,” Emhoff said.

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