Douglas Emhoff, Kamala Harris’ husband who could become first gentleman of the United States

( Spanish) – If Kamala Harris wins the United States elections on November 5, the traditional title of first lady would cease to exist and would be replaced by that of first gentleman, a position that Douglas Emhoff would occupy.

In a few days, voters in the United States will head to the polls to decide who will be their next president, with Democrat Kamala Harris facing Republican Donald Trump. If Harris wins, she will make history as the first woman to occupy the Oval Office of the White House, representing a significant step in the evolution of American politics.

A victory for the Democrats would mean a historic change in the White House, since there would not be a first lady, but a first gentleman: Douglas Emhoff. Regardless of his formal title, Emhoff, being Jewish, is marking a milestone of his own, symbolizing changes in political and gender norms in the nation.

Emhoff, a prominent attorney, was a mostly calm and supportive presence during Harris’ election campaign when she ran for president in the Democratic primary last election. Harris withdrew from the race in December 2019 and joined Biden as his running mate in August 2020.

He often stayed out of the media spotlight and was seen backstage at Harris events wearing a T-shirt with the name “Kamala.” However, he is active on social media where his followers call themselves #DougHive, taking inspiration from Harris’ followers known as #KHive.

Emhoff gained attention last year by going on stage to protect Harris when a protester got close enough to try to take her microphone.

Additionally, he defended Harris when Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, retweeted a false and racist statement that questioned his African-American identity because his parents were immigrants from Jamaica and India.

Their appearances have provided insight into the relationship between Harris and Emhoff: The current second gentleman has a unique opportunity to safely assume a supportive role towards a woman who aspires to become the most powerful person in the country. His figure is taking a more prominent role by establishing himself as Harris’s closest confidant, her best spokesperson and an ally who enhances her message about reproductive rights and their historical importance.

The lawyer made history by becoming the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president. His efforts to combat anti-Semitism have taken on new relevance in the context of the conflict between Hamas and Israel, and he has acted as one of the administration’s most active spokespersons on this issue, holding meetings with key players.

Although Emhoff assured that it is not what “I expected to be doing” as second gentleman, sees his role in amplifying the administration’s strategy to combat anti-Semitism as one of “responsibility” and “accountability.”

“I take it very seriously,” he said during a Yom Kippur conversation last year, urging American Jews to “be proud to be Jewish and just enjoy it and live openly and proudly.”

Douglas Emhoff, born in New York in 1964, is 60 years old and has a bachelor’s degree in law and a doctorate in jurisprudence, both obtained from institutions in California. With more than 30 years of experience, Emhoff has practiced as a lawyer in prominent firms until he retired in 2020 after the election of Harris as vice president to “avoid conflicts of interest,” as reported at the time by the The New York Times.

Like Jill Biden did previously, Emhoff He has acquired knowledge about the structure of the White House, about how to live with constant protection and how to function in a ceremonial role that places him on the international stage.

If Harris wins in November, Emhoff would take on a role which entails a long tradition of protocol with international dignitaries and of welcoming foreign visitors to the presidential residence.

Emhoff and Harris tied the knot in 2014—his second and her first—and love to reminisce about how they met, they say. The New York Times, she still saves the voicemail he left her and plays it every year on their anniversary. Today, Emhoff, who became a strong supporter during his wife’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, is about to be the country’s first gentleman.

This was the first date between Douglas Emhoff and Kamala Harris

In a recent interview on YouTube, The candidate’s husband revealed that he met her on a blind date organized by Reginald Hudlin, who used to give parties. “So he and his wife Chrisette came to see me as a lawyer and I just sat there doing my thing and at one point Chrisette asks me: are you single? and I said: why do you ask? And she said ‘I have a friend that I’ve known for 30 years and I think you guys would be amazing together,'” Emhoff recalled.

His first reaction to the prospect of meeting Harris, who at the time was California’s attorney general, was, “She’s sexy!” he recalled. “It was a little old school, she gave me her number and told me ‘don’t ruin this, it’s confidential and if you do, we might look for another lawyer,’” he said, laughing.

In the conversation, Douglas told that that same night he wrote to Kamala Harris and that in fact she also responded with a call—something she doesn’t usually do because she’s always working—and they decided to go out. “We went on a blind date and we’ve been together ever since.”

After more than a year of dating, Emhoff proposed to her in her apartment, a moment that Kamala Harris described well in her autobiography ‘Our truth‘ which was published in March 2021. “I looked at him kneeling there and I started crying. Mind you, they weren’t elegant Hollywood tears falling down a glowing cheek. I don’t mean sobbing and hiccups with mascara running down my face. Doug took my hand, I held my breath and smiled back. Then he asked me to marry him and I screamed ‘Yes!’ between tears.”

At her wedding, held on August 22, 2014 Kamala she wore a gold dress complemented with a bouquet and a veil. The civil ceremony was private and was conducted by his sister Maya. Also attending the ceremony were Emhoff’s children, Cole and Ella, from his previous marriage to Kerstin, who works in the entertainment industry.

“I think she met the children after three or four months” he said, pointing out that with his ex-wife, Kerstin, the relationship is very good and in fact, when Kamala met her, the relationship flowed very well. “We separated 11 or 12 years ago but we are still very close in fact Kamala and Kerstin get along amazingly and we are a happy family, we do Thanksgiving together so it has been really incredible.”

Regarding why Harris decided not to be a mother, the candidate said: “I firmly believe that each of us has our family by blood and our family by love. And I have both. And I consider it a true blessing.” In response to Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who suggested in September at a forum with the former president donald trump that the vice president has nothing to keep her humble because she has no biological children.

The marriage, which has been going on for 10 years, found a way to relate very well between the children of Emhoff’s first marriage and “Momala”as they refer to their stepmother. “I love those kids to death. Family comes in many forms and I think more and more we all understand that we are not in the ’50s anymore,” Harris said.

At the beginning of October 2024, a statement from Kamala Harris’ husband was released in which he referred to infidelity, which would have occurred in his first marriage and before concluding his relationship with the current presidential candidate.

“During my first marriage Kerstin and I went through difficult times because of my actions. I took responsibility and in the years since, we have overcome things as a family and come out stronger,” Emhoff said in a statement provided exclusively to .

The statement was released after the Daily Mail will report that the lawyer had had an affair with one of his little daughter’s teachers, which led to the end of his first marriage around 2009.

Joe Biden’s investigative committee already knew the details of this relationship four years ago, at the time when Harris was preparing to be a vice presidential candidate, as reported to a source familiar with the matter. This same source also indicated that Emhoff had shared the story of the affair with Harris long before their marriage.

With reporting by ‘s Betsy Klein, Kate Sullivan, Ebony Davis, Jack Forrest Kyung Lah and Veronica Stracqualursi.