Douglas Emhoff: Who is Kamala Harris' husband ? What role in the presidential campaign ?

Since his wife is the Democratic candidate for the American presidential election and he could become “First Gentleman”, Douglas Emhoff is in the spotlight. An unwavering supporter of his wife, he takes a full part in her campaign.

Will Douglas Emhoff become the “First Gentleman”? of the United States ? He could well make history if Democratic candidate Kamala Harris wins the American presidential election on November 5. Married to the Vice President of the United States, he has already been, since 2021, the very first “second gentleman” in the history of his country.

While his partner entered the campaign, he was present on Tuesday, August 20 on the stage of the Democratic convention in Chicago and made a beautiful declaration to her: “I love you and I am so proud of the way you are committed to all of us.” “She will be a great president that we will all be proud of,” he added. This footage shows that Douglas Emhoff is an unwavering supporter of his partner, for whom he put his career aside when she was nominated as Joe Biden's running mate.

Born in 1964, just 7 days before Kamala Harris, in Brooklyn, Douglas Emhoff was an entertainment lawyer. Having worked for several firms in the 1990s, the man who will turn 60 this fall had created his first company in the early 2000s, which he bought in 2006. Partner at the largest law firm in Los Angeles, Douglas Emhoff has taken a leave of absence with his arrival at the White House where he was trained by Jill Biden, who has long been "second lady" when her husband was Barack Obama's vice president. Douglas Emhoff then committed himself to equality. in access to justice but has always refused the title of politician.

A committed and connected husband

Douglas Emhoff prefers golf to politics, and he is also a member of the Georgetown University Law Center where he can teach and lecture, a way for him not to leave law completely. The “second gentleman” is also very active on social media. On Instagram, he feeds his two accounts, @douglasemhoff and @secondgentleman, and shows all his devotion to his fights for justice and equality, but also to his wife and family. In his bio, we can also read: “Second gentleman of the United States. Devoted father.” Proud husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, or: "Defender of justice and equality".

Hours after Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the race for re-election, Douglas Emhoff hailed “a true patriot who leads our nation with honesty, decency and integrity.” And wanted to recall that the President and the First Lady “have fought tirelessly for families and communities, thus making a contribution to Americans across our country.”

A life before Kamala Harris 

Before marrying the current Vice President of the United States, Douglas Emhoff was married for 16 years to American producer Kerstin Emhoff, with whom he divorced in 2008. Together they had two children: Cole, in 1994, and Ella Emhoff who was born five years later.

Despite this divorce, the “second gentleman” is still close to his ex-wife, who has kept her married name, and so is Kamala Harris. At Joe Biden's inauguration in January 2021, Kerstin Emhoff was there to support America's “second couple.” “Kerstin and I get along great and we're great friends,” Kamala Harris said in an interview with People, adding: “We sometimes joke that our modern family is almost a little too functional.” The couple just celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary.

An asset for the presidential candidate's campaign ?

Since Joe Biden's withdrawal, Doug Emhoff has been much more public. His speech at the Democratic convention positions him as a valuable endorsement for the candidate. His image as a family man and sports fan could resonate with an electorate with whom his wife is less popular: “Voters skeptical of Harris could end up identifying with Emhoff,” Kevin Liao, a Democratic consultant in Los Angeles, told the American media outletNPR. His reputation as a model family man, however, has been slightly tainted by the revelation that he cheated on his first wife, as reported by the New York Post.

Doug Emhoff is Jewish and is also involved in the fight against anti-Semitism and is a staunch defender of Israel. According to theNew York Times, this could allow Kamala Harris to reach out more to Jewish-American voters. This could potentially, in turn, cost her votes among Muslim and Palestinian-Americans.