With wife Kamala Harris being elected as the new vice-president of the United States, Doug Emhoff is all set to become the country’s first ‘second husband’ or ‘second gentleman’ come January, 2021. Harris has scripted history by becoming the first woman, first Black person, and first South-Asian to be elected to the role of vice-president, running alongside Joe Biden.
Who is Doug Emhoff
Doug Emhoff was born in 1964, in Brooklyn, New York. Raised in New Jersey, he attended Jewish summer camp as a child and won multiple awards for his athletic capabilities. As per The Hindu, sources close to Emhoff have described him as a less-than-observant Jew but one who has deep faith in Judaism. His father, a woman’s shoe designer, shifted his family from New Jersey to Los Angeles when Emhoff was in high school.
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After graduating from high school, Emhoff pursued law at the University of Southern California. Consequently, he went on to work as a lawyer specialising in media, sports and entertainment law for about 30 years. At the time of Harris’ nomination as the Democrat vice-presidential candidate, he was a partner with a firm called DLA Piper. However, he put his law career on hold to focus on Harris’ election campaign. Notably, the second husband-elect is an avid golfer.
Doug Emhoff And Kamala Harris
Emhoff was previously married to film producer Kerstin Emhoff. The couple also has two children together - Cole, named after John Coltrane, and Ella, named after Ella Fitzgerald. After their divorce, filmmaker Reginald Hudlin, Emhoff’s client, set him up on a blind date with then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris. In 2014, the two got married at a courthouse in Santa Barbara, California. Talking about his relationship with Harris in an interview, Emhoff said, “We went on a blind date, and we've been together ever since.” Harris has also revealed in various interviews that she is friends with Emhoff’s first wife and shares a good relationship with Emhoff’s kids, who call her ‘Momala’.
Emhoff also played a pivotal role in Harris’ election campaign and was termed her ‘secret weapon.’ He led various fundraisers and accompanied her at various events. Talking about the same with Marie Claire, Emhoff said that though he isn’t “overly political”, he is “overly her (Harris’) husband”. Notably, the first second husband has also garnered a huge fan following on social media platforms.
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Doug Emhoff – US’ First ‘Second Husband’ Or ‘Second Gentleman’
Traditionally, the spouses of presidents and vice-presidents have been expected to play the role of support systems for the leaders. Many spouses also choose to continue with their original careers, or put their weight behind a charitable cause. Details of Emhoff’s new role remain unknown as he has been largely vague about his plans so far. However, Emhoff has admitted in certain interviews that he would like to continue with pro-bono legal work as the second gentleman. In an interview with USA Today, he also said that he hopes to promote “access to justice” in his new role.
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Apart from being the first second husband or second gentleman, Emhoff has marked various other milestones as well. He is the first Jew in US history to be a part of the family of the country’s president or vice-president. Furthermore, Emhoff and Harris are also the first mixed-race couple to assume their respective roles.
Picture Credits: The New Indian Express
Tarini Gandhiok is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.
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