Who is Kamala Harris’ husband? Sweet nickname, high-flying job and grown-up children

Kamala Harris’ rise to the top heralded a series of firsts – and now her husband could be the first First Gentleman of the White House.

The US president, who is hoping to be elected in the US Election 2024, would be the country’s first-ever female president. It comes after Kamala became the first female Vice President and the first woman of colour in the position.

Along the way, she has been supported by her husband Douglas Emhoff, whom she married in 2014 as then-Senator. As well as being the first Jewish spouse of an American vice-president, Douglas, 60, carved out a successful career of his own, with a hot shot position as a top US lawyer.

The father-of-two began as an entertainment lawyer before becoming managing director of Venable’s West Coast offices and later a partner at DLA Piper, where he earned $1.2million a year, according to reports. Once it was announced that his wife was backing Joe Biden in the 2020 US presidential election, Douglas took a leave of absence from the firm. He is also a distinguished visiting professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

It appears Douglas has taken on his duties with pride, and even called himself a “wife guy” – a slang term referring to a man who is exceptionally supportive of his wife and her career – on Twitter in 2020. During his role as the first Second Gentleman, he focused on equal access to justice and legal representation.

The couple met after being introduced by a friend and they instantly hit it off. In her 2019 memoir The Truths We Hold, Kamala opened up about the relatable way she and Doug first locked eyes – through a good old-fashioned blind date. And like many singletons, the then-attorney general of California couldn’t resist carrying out a bit of all-important background research beforehand.

Kamala revealed that back in 2013, a friend of hers had told her she was setting her up with a ‘cute’ man who lived in LA – but gave her one strict instruction. Recalling her pal’s word of warning, Kamala shared: “‘His name is Doug Emhoff, but promise me you won’t Google him. Don’t overthink it. Just meet him. I already gave him your number. He’s going to reach out’.”

However, as Kamala later admitted in a 2021 interview, she couldn’t help but find out more about the mystery man. In news that surprised Doug during a couple’s interview with CBS News, Kamala said: “My best friend set us up on a blind date. And she said, ‘Just trust me. Just trust me. Just don’t … You know, she wanted me to just kind of go into it, and she said, ‘Don’t Google him’. I did!”

Although the married duo don’t have children of their own, Kamala is stepmother to Doug’s kids – Cole, 29, and Ella, 24. She is even good friends with their mother, Doug’s ex-wife Kerstin Emhoff, and has said that being ‘Momala’ to her stepchildren is the role ‘that means the most’ to her.

In an interview with Elle in 2019, she explained why she has her own name for being their stepmother. “When Doug and I got married, Cole, Ella, and I agreed that we didn’t like the term ‘stepmom’. Instead they came up with the name ‘Momala'”.

Kamala described the two as “talented and funny” who have now grown to be “remarkable adults.” Writing in an Elle personal essay in 2019, she penned: “I was already hooked on Doug, but I believe it was Cole and Ella who reeled me in.”

Cole, who works for production company Plan B Entertainment, which is co-founded by Brad Pitt, married his long-term girlfriend last October. His stepmum officiated the ceremony, with her telling PEOPLE: “It was so wonderful that the kids asked me to do it.

“For us, we think of marriage as being not just between these two people, but the coming together of families. So it was very much with that spirit that we all participated.” Meanwhile, stepdaughter Ella has moved into the fashion industry.

She started as a model with IMG Models Worldwide in January 2021 and the following year, announced she was creating her own knitwear range. In 2022, Ella, who teaches others how to knit in New York, was named as one of Harper’s Bazaar’s icons of the year for her impact on fashion.