Douglas Emhoff: Five things to know about Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s husband

One of the tightest races to the White House in US history has yielded a number of firsts: Jill Biden will be the first Italian-American first lady and Kamala Harris the only woman to serve as vice president.

As Ms Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff will also be a milestone in many ways:

1. How will we refer to him?

While Ms Harris has become not only the first woman to be elected vice president but also the first Jamaican-American woman and the first person of South Asian descent to do so, Mr Emhoff’s position is also one never seen before.

He will be now known as “second gentleman”, although on his Twitter biography he still describes himself as “Kamala Harris’s Hubby”.

2. OK, but who is he?

Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden, U.S. Senator and Democratic candidate for Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff celebrate after Joe Biden accepted the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination during the 4th and final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, as participants from across the country are hosted over video links from the originally planned site of the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 20, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1964, Mr Emhoff is an entertainment lawyer in California. In yet another landmark, he will also be the first Jewish spouse of a vice president.

His father was a women’s shoe designer who moved his family to California when Mr Emhoff was a teenager.

Currently, he works at DLA Piper, an international law firm which has offices in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.

3. Relationship with Kamala Harris

In an interview earlier this year, Mr Emhoff said he met his future wife on a blind date.

After getting her number, he left his now wife a voicemail introducing himself, which she now plays every year on their anniversary.

They married in 2014 and although they have not had children, Mr Emhoff has two from a previous marriage.

In the past seven years or so, he has strongly supported his wife, even calling her a "warrior" in the interview.

4. Extended family

Mr Emhoff's’ former wife, Kersten, is a staunch supporter of Ms Harris, even going on the campaign trail for her.

The feeling seems mutual, as Ms Harris dedicated a poem to Kirsten for Mother’s Day.

The two families have a close relationship and spend the Thanksgiving holiday together, Mr Emhoff said in the interview.

5. Online profile

Mr Emhoff has recently established a large Twitter following with more than 530,000 followers.

Here, he constantly and consistently publishes pro-Harris content, including a photo of the pair hugging after the announcement was made that Joe Biden won the election.

So proud of you. ❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Orb1ISe0dU
— Doug Emhoff (@DouglasEmhoff) November 7, 2020

It is unclear whether he will continue to practise law, or take on other responsibilities as Ms Harris’ spouse in the White House.