Emhoff offers glimpse into Harris’s personal life at Democrats’ convention

Chicago: Offering a rare glimpse into Kamala Harris’s personal life, and normalising the idea of a “blended family” in the White House, Doug Emhoff, Harris’s husband, charmed Democratic delegates in Chicago on Tuesday with his self deprecatory humour and his decade-old love story with the Democratic nominee for president.

Emhoff, who is the first Second Gentleman in American history and may become the first First Gentleman, in a role that has only known First Ladies, took the stage after a short video made by his son, Cole, and produced by his first wife, Kerstin, introduced him to the audience.

The video showed Emhoff’s roots in Brooklyn and New Jersey, alluded to his Jewish upbringing, his family’s shift to California, his training and career as a lawyer, his first marriage and the birth of his kids, a divorce, a blind date with Kamala Harris, his subsequent marriage to her, and how his kids began calling her “Momala” and her commitment to the family. “We might not look like other families in the White House. But we are ready to represent all families in America,” Cole said, in a recognition of the distinctive nature of their blended family, as he closed the video and introduced his father on stage.

Emhoff was greeted with a sea of signs with his name from the floor. He spoke about his upbringing, life, divorce and then how in 2013 a client had set up him on a blind date. “For generations, people have debated when to call the person you’re being set up with. And never in history has anyone suggested 8:30am. And yet, that’s when I dialled. I got Kamala’s voicemail and I just started rambling. Hey, it’s Doug…. I’m on my way to an early meeting. Again, it’s Doug…Kamala saved that voicemail and she makes me listen to it on every anniversary.”

They spoke on the phone for an hour — “We laughed. Well, you know that laugh. I love that laugh” — went for a date, and got married the following year. Thursday, when Harris will accept the nomination, also marks the couple’s tenth anniversary.

While outlining her qualities, Emhoff spoke about how Harris had connected him more deeply to his Jewish faith, even as she was Christian, and both celebrated festivals together. In a political context that has laid excessive emphasis on a candidate’s family, he said, “Those of you who belong to blended families know that they can be a little complicated. But as soon as our kids started calling her Momala, I knew we would be okay. Ella calls us a three-headed parenting machine. Kamala and Kerstin, thank you both. Thank you both.”

Wrapping up his speech, the Second Gentleman said, “Kamala Harris was exactly the right person for me at an important moment in my life, and at this moment in our nation’s history, she is exactly the right president.”

Harris, who was away at a rally in Milwaukee, posted a picture of watching her husband speak on her laptop on the flight on her way back on X, with a simple message, “Love you, Dougie”.