Doug Emhoff could become America's first First Gentleman
Douglas Emhoff could soon become America's first First Gentleman. But how much do you know about Vice President Kamala Harris' husband?
Emhoff, age 59, previously broke barriers when he became the first Second Gentleman (the title used to refer to the husband of the Vice President) when Kamala was sworn in as Joe Biden's Vice President back in 2020.
But how much do you know about Douglas Emhoff? What is the story behind America's potential First Gentleman, and what potential contributions could he bring to the White House?
As reported in a bio on Emhoff by The New York Times, Doug was born fifty-nine years ago in Brooklyn and raised in Matawan, New Jersey, until he was a teenager when his family moved across the country to California.
According to People magazine, Emhoff eventually completed his studies, including law school in Los Angeles. Following his graduation, Emhoff landed gigs with important law firms and eventually ended up working as an entertainment lawyer at DLA Piper, one of the biggest law firms in the world.
At DLA Piper, Emhoff made partner and the big bucks: per The New York Times, Kamala's husband was up to $1.2 million a year.
However, in 2020, Emhoff stepped down from his role at the firm, taking a leave of absence so as to avoid potential conflicts of interest when he became the Second Gentleman of the White House.
As highlighted by the BBC, since Harris entered the White House in 2020, Emhoff has played an essential role in advocating for women's rights.
Emhoff has also brought attention to the issue of antisemitism in the United States by hosting a roundtable with Jewish leaders from across the country.
In addition, Doug Emhoff has kept busy teaching law classes at the Georgetown University Law Center. Emhoff has also been vocal about the importance of men supporting women since Kamala became Vice President.
According to the NYT, in 2022, Emhoff told a South Korean newspaper, "Lifting women up so that they can carry out important roles is a very manly thing. That is not taking away opportunities from men."
As for his personal life, Douglas Emhoff and Kamala Harris began dating in 2013 after, according to USA Today, one of his clients, who is Kamala's best friend, set the two up for a date. The duo hit it off, and in 2014, Harris and Emhoff married in Santa Barbara, California.
Kamala Harris has only ever been married to Emhoff, but Doug was previously married to film producer Kerstin Emhoff, with whom he had two children, Cole and Ella Emhoff, pictured here during the 59th presidential inauguration in 2021.
Doug Emhoff has recently faced some controversy after he was forced to admit that during his first marriage, he committed infidelity when he had an affair with his daughter's teacher.
In a statement to CNN, Emhoff said, "During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions. I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side."
Since Harris announced her intentions to run for President, Doug Emhoff has supported his wife in her newest endeavor. Though Emhoff has not released an official statement on Harris' bid for the presidency, on July 23, he posted on Instagram, "Time to make history, @KamalaHarris," sharing a photo of himself smiling and holding up a "Harris for President" campaign sign.