Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff reintroduced himself to Americans on the second night of the Democratic National Convention as Vice President Kamala Harris launched a historic bid for president. If elected, he would be the first First Gentleman in the White House.
In a personal, down-to-earth speech that drew frequent laughs from the enthusiastic crowd in Chicago, Emhoff said he grew up the son of two Brooklynites and had a “typical suburban childhood.”
“The guys I grew up with are still my best friends. The group chat is active every day – and right now it’s probably absolutely insane,” he said.
He said he worked at McDonald’s during high school when money was tight and worked full-time so he could afford part-time college.
MORE: DNC 2024 Day 2 Live Updates
“Thanks to partial scholarships, student loans and a little help from my dad, I finished law school and got my first job as a lawyer – and that’s where I met the guys in my fantasy football league,” he said. “A lot has changed in our lives since the early ’90s, but my team name is still Nirvana – yes, after the band.”
He said he loved his work as a lawyer, became a father to son Cole and daughter Ella, went through a divorce and then “something unexpected happened” – he got a blind date with Harris. He said Harris saved his first awkward voicemail to her – left at 8:30 a.m. – “and she lets me listen to it on every anniversary,” drawing laughter and cheers from the crowd.
Harris shared a photo on X of herself aboard her plane over Chicago, watching her husband speak.
He told Harris that the vice president “enjoys advocating for justice” and is “ready to take the lead.”
“She stands up to bullies – just like my parents taught me. She likes to see people do well – and hates to see them treated unfairly. She believes this work requires a fundamental curiosity about how people are doing. Her empathy is her strength.”
He spoke of how Harris came to synagogue with him and cooked “a great brisket for Passover.” He said Harris encouraged him – the first Jewish wife of a president or vice president, regardless of gender – to fight against anti-Semitism.
MORE: Possible First Gentleman Doug Emhoff? Who is Kamala Harris’ husband?
Of their blended family, he said Harris has “always been there for our children, and I know she will always be there for yours, too.”
“Kamala is a joyful warrior,” he said. “She does for her country what she has always done for the people she loves. Her passion will benefit us all when she is our president.”
This Thursday, when Harris accepts her party’s nomination for president, will be their 10th wedding anniversary, he noted (adding that that means he’s “about to hear yet another most embarrassing voicemail of my life”).
“Kamala 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,” he said.
Emhoff was one of the prime-time speakers on Tuesday, which also included former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff tells his love story with Harris in DNC speech originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
