Who is kamala harris married to

There are many groups who see themselves and their struggles in Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris: women; women of color; Black women; people of South Asian descent; children of immigrants; women in positions of power or those who aspire to such heights; stepmoms. Anyone who has ever had to tell a man to stop interrupting them.

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Douglas Emhoff left his law firm when his wife was sworn in.
Emhoff now works for Georgetown University.
He earned his law degree from USC.
He met Harris on a blind date.
Emhoff is close with his family.
It’s no surprise, Harris says he’s “a really great guy.”
He’s one week older than Harris.

Allow me to add a few other groups to that list: anyone who has ever doubted they’ll find a loving, lasting partner. Anyone who struggles to find a partner who will support their ambitions. Anyone who has found that person well past their 20s or early 30s, the artificial deadline our culture still holds up for falling in love, and anyone who’s still looking in middle age or beyond.

I don’t know much about Harris’s mind-set surrounding her love life before she met her husband, Doug Emhoff. In her memoir, she briefly mentions the difficulties of dating while in the public eye. But I do know that they met and tied the knot when she was in her late 40s. It was her first marriage and his second. To anyone who finds themselves frustrated by their own search for their Doug or their Kamala, the second couple’s courtship offers hope, inspiration and a little instruction.

There are three small steps they took in the beginning of their relationship that stand out. And they’re things that any of us can emulate.

Harris writes in her memoir that, the morning after their first date, Emhoff wasted no time in arranging a second one. “I’m too old to play games or hide the ball,” he said in an email, which included his schedule for the next couple of months. “I really like you, and I want to see if we can make this work.”

The momentum of a good first date could have easily fizzled. It happens all the time. Instead, Emhoff followed through appropriately, offering a little vulnerability. He put his feelings out there but didn’t come on too strong. He also got down to the logistics, which can be complex for two busy professionals who live hundreds of miles apart. (He lived in Los Angeles at the time, and she in San Francisco.) This is a man who recognized that a good connection is rare and wanted to explore it together. Note his use of “we” from the very beginning. It’s the language of someone who recognizes that a relationship is a dual pursuit, not one person driving the train with the other along for the ride.

After their second date, Harris writes, Emhoff wanted her to meet his teenage kids, Cole and Ella. While Harris was “eager to meet them, too,” she felt this was too soon. “As a child of divorce, I knew how hard it can be when your parents start to date other people,” she writes. “So I slowed things down.” Okay, so now he was coming on too strong. Still, she didn’t cut things off while deciding: This guy is overeager — next! Instead, she took it as a sign of enthusiasm and put on the brakes.

Yet in that decision not to rush, they still found a way to commit. After their third date, Harris writes, “We agreed to commit to each other for six months, and to reevaluate our relationship at the end of it.” The opposite of an ultimatum, it’s an agreement to give their budding connection the time and space to spark, grow (and maybe even founder a bit) before casting a judgment on it.

It’s easy in the early days of dating to get ahead of yourself. Just recently, we saw what that kind of love haste looks like, with a Bachelorette who squee’d, “I just met my husband!” on first sight. After they had a single one-on-one date, he proposed marriage and she accepted.

When you’re still building something, it’s just as easy to cut things off prematurely. Someone has a busy stretch, and they declare: “I don’t have time to date right now. Buh-bye.” Or there’s an argument that turns to indictments of: “You don’t understand me! I’m out.” Setting a realistic time frame to get to know one another gives both people the peace of mind to know they won’t be judged by one wrong move or one lackluster date. It’s an acknowledgment that, even in the honeymoon stage, everything’s not going to be perfect. We might need some parameters and some leeway to keep us focused. It’s a decision that shows wisdom and maturity — and sounds like something two lawyers would devise.

In those first six months, Harris did meet Emhoff’s kids. After that initial period, she brought him into her professional world by inviting him to a speech she was giving. After about a year of dating, Emhoff proposed, and Harris said yes.

Emhoff, who probably never thought he would be on this public a stage, is preparing for a White House role that has been occupied only by women. Emhoff has already shown confidence in a supporting role. He was active on the campaign trail. In August, he took a leave of absence from his job as a partner at the law firm DLA Piper to avoid any potential conflict of interest with his wife’s work in the White House. On social media, he’s effusive about the love and pride he has for his wife — and Biden-Harris supporters eat it up. Emhoff fans refer to themselves as the #DougHive, a play on Beyoncé's BeyHive.

The admiration is mutual. Six years into their marriage, Harris beams whenever she mentions “my husband, Doug.”

For those of us still looking for a relationship that makes us smile that wide, their bond has a way of signaling: Keep looking. Your Doug is out there.

Doug Emhoff, husband of Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), spoke at a drive-in rally on Sept. 26 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Video: Joe Biden/YouTube)

As soon as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his running mate, she was all anyone could talk about. When they won the election, Harris made history as the first Black woman and Asian American woman Vice President.

Harris' husband Douglas Emhoff also embarked on uncharted territory as the country's first Second Gentleman. He's a former entertainment lawyer and has been supporting her political career along the way.

Emhoff has been by Harris’ side throughout the campaign and, now, in her role as vice-president. There's been no reason to ask if Kamala Harris is married, because Emhoff is never far away.

So, it's time to get to know Harris' husband Douglas Emhoff and their sweet love story.

Douglas Emhoff left his law firm when his wife was sworn in.

Emhoff was a partner at the law firm DLA Piper, but quietly left his job in late 2020 after his wife was sworn into office, according to The New York Times. He has 25 years of experience in law and specialized in media, sports, and entertainment, according to his LinkedIn profile.

"He maintains a very visible public presence in California and DC. Doug is known for tackling and resolving the toughest problems—whether by aggressively litigating high-stakes cases in the public glare or acting as a trusted advisor behind the scenes," his bio reads.

Emhoff previously worked for Venable LLP, Whitwell Jacoby Emhoff LLP, Belin Rawlings & Badal, and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

Emhoff now works for Georgetown University.

In December, Emhoff shared that he is joining the Georgetown University Law Center to teach a spring course called "Entertainment Law Disputes." Emhoff also serves as a Distinguished Fellow of Georgetown Law’s Institute for Technology Law and Policy, as part of a new entertainment and media law initiative for the school that includes a speaker series and other projects, Georgetown University announced.

"I am delighted that Douglas Emhoff will be joining our faculty," said Georgetown Law Dean William M. Treanor in a press release. "Doug is one of the nation’s leading intellectual property and business litigators, and he has a strong commitment to social justice. I know our students will greatly benefit from his experience and insight, and I am eagerly looking forward to his arrival."

He earned his law degree from USC.

Emhoff graduated from the Gould School of Law in 1990. He majored in Communication and Media Studies at California State University-Northridge.

He knew he wanted to be an attorney since he was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, NY, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Harris and her husband were set up by one of her close friends, PR consultant Chrisette Hudlin, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

They dated for about a year before he popped the question in her apartment, per The San Francisco Chronicle. On March 27, 2014, he got down on one knee, and Harris said yes to his diamond and platinum engagement ring.

They married in a courthouse ceremony in Santa Barbara on Aug. 22, 2014. Harris and Emhoff wrote their own vows, The San Francisco Chronicle reported, and their first dance was to Corinne Bailey Rae's "Like a Star." They didn't jet off on a honeymoon.

For more romantic anecdotes, check out Harris' book The Truths We Hold.

Emhoff is close with his family.

He has two children from his previous marriage. When he and Harris married, she become "Momala" to Ella and Cole. Harris and Emhoff's ex-wife Kerstin "are dear friends," according to her essay for Elle. She added, "our modern family is almost a little too functional."

Kerstin later opened up in a profile in Marie Claire about Harris' relationship. When she learned her ex-husband, Doug, was dating her, she remembers, "I just thought, 'Wow, that’s cool. Don’t mess this up!'" Kerstin also volunteered her services to Harris' presidential bid before it ended in 2019.

During an interview with Dana Bash, Harris also shared that Kerstin was "key" to her relationship with Cole and Ella. "One of the keys to my relationship with Cole and Ella is their mom," she said. "We are friends... The thing about blended families—if everyone approaches it in the way that there's plenty of love to share, then it works."

Emhoff’s parents have been married for 62 years, and are also big supporters of his wife, as he shared in a sweet 2019 tweet:

John also has a brother, Andy, and sister, Jamie, who he seems to be close with.

He tweets adoringly about his wife—a lot. She also earned a spot in his Twitter bio, which reads: "dad, @kamalaharris hubby, lawyer, wannabe golfer, advocate for justice and equality."

Emhoff supported his wife during her swearing-in ceremony by holding the Bible. Since then, he's been taking on engagements in his role as second gentleman. He's joined First Lady Dr. Jill Biden on travels to support key issues, like encouraging vaccinations around the country, according to AZ Central.

And, if Harris makes a point on Capitol Hill, you better believe Emhoff is tweeting out a clip.

He represented her in campaign events in 2019 and is keeping up the trend with her new nomination.

Emhoff told Today in June that it can be tough to see his wife criticized. "No one wants to see anyone they love attacked or criticized but that's part of what she signed up for in this life of public service," he said. "It's part of the territory, and for her—if you could see what I see, behind the scenes — she's just focused on the work, working hard and getting it done for the American people."

Emhoff said that his wife has “faced challenges as a ground-breaker her whole career. I think she said at times, when you're breaking barriers, there's breaking involved. And breaking means you might get cut sometimes. But that's okay, it's worth it. Because she's leaving a path for others."

It’s no surprise, Harris says he’s “a really great guy.”

"I love my husband," Harris told NowThis. "He is funny. He is kind. He is patient. He loves my cooking. He's just a really great guy."

She also describes him as "incredibly smart," and "he has the best sense of humor," per The San Francisco Chronicle.

He’s one week older than Harris.

Emhoff turns 56 on Oct. 13, 2020 and Harris on Oct. 20. His birthday and special occasion tributes are absolutely adorable on Instagram. (Cue the awww!)

Alongside photos, he adds the sweetest captions: "@kamalaharris you are my one and only! Happy VDay ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️."