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CHICAGO — When President Biden dropped out of his race for a second term, Vice President Harris was hunkered down at her residence in Washington, D.C., with her closest advisers and some family members.
But her husband — second gentleman Doug Emhoff — was running down the street in Los Angeles, with his Secret Service agents close behind. A friend had just told Emhoff the news, but he had left his own phone in the car.
“[I] got into the car, pulled out my phone and my phone was literally self-immolated and of course it was a series of messages: ‘Call Kamala, call Kamala,’” Emhoff recounted to Preet Bharara in his Stay Tuned podcast.
Eventually, Emhoff did manage to speak with his wife, who was in the middle of launching her second presidential campaign. The first time he got to see her was the next day at the campaign’s headquarters in Wilmington, Del.
Emhoff speaks about reproductive rights, and antisemitism
The second gentleman had been caught by flight delays that kept him on the West Coast after a series of events he held on reproductive rights — an issue he’s been vocal about since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade.
Emhoff spoke about the court’s decision last month in Virginia while visiting a medical clinic that provides abortions.
“What we’ve seen is a full-blown crisis,” he said. “We’ve seen the stories of women who had to literally be on death’s door before they got treatment. It’s barbaric, it’s immoral and it must change.”
Another issue Emhoff has taken on is combating the rise in antisemitism. He’s the first Jewish spouse of any president or vice president. After the Hamas attacks on October 7, Emhoff was a passionate voice for Israel for the administration.
“We witnessed a mass murder of innocent civilians. It was a terrorist assault. There is never any justification for terrorism,” Emhoff said, pounding his fists on a lectern while giving remarks at the White House just four days after the attack.
There are fun assignments, too
Emhoff does his fair share of campaign travel, both with Harris and solo. He speaks at a lot of fundraisers. But he gets the occasional fun assignment, too. He’s a massive sports fan, and can talk extensively about his fantasy football league.
His love of sports has ended up sending Emhoff all over the world: he attended the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and the closing ceremony of the Olympics.
Stateside, he’s gone to WNBA games, attended the NFL draft and shared his takes on the Los Angeles Rams in several interviews. He has said sports are a tangible demonstration that Americans have more in common than they think.
“It’s something I love like millions of other people, but I do it to show that we can all come together,” Emhoff said on the Rich Eisen Show last month.
Emhoff’s personality — and love of sports — could be a benefit on the campaign trail
Sports could end up being more than just a fun assignment for Emhoff, though.
Kevin Liao, a democratic consultant in Los Angeles, said voters who are skeptical of Harris could end up connecting with Emhoff.
“If someone hears, ‘Oh, Kamala Harris’ husband is really into fantasy football. So am I,’ the next time they see her on TV, the next time they see a TikTok or an Instagram video about her, they might be more willing to listen because they’ve had that introduction to her,” Liao said.
There’s an element of relatability that Emhoff has to voters who like watching ESPN or who are into fantasy football, Liao said.
“He’s a middle-aged man, he’s a dad, he’s a sports fan, he’s seemingly a regular dude and that’s really a strength he should lean into,” he said.
He has a ‘wife guy’ persona
Before Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer by trade, was traveling the country and the world on behalf of the administration, he may have been best known as a “wife guy” – a hyped-up husband who was often posting selfies on social media, cheering on his famous wife.
It’s a reputation that was dented slightly in recent weeks, when news broke that Emhoff had cheated on his first wife Kerstin, with whom he has two adult kids. Both he and his ex-wife released statements that said they continue to have a good relationship with each other, and with Harris as a co-parent.
“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions. I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side,” Emhoff said in a statement.
Kerstin Emhoff said, “Doug and I decided to end our marriage for a variety of reasons, many years ago. He is a great father to our kids, continues to be a great friend to me and I am really proud of the warm and supportive blended family Doug, Kamala, and I have built together.”
The couple divorced years before Doug Emhoff met Harris. Harris knew about the situation before they got married in 2014, and it was known about by the people who vetted Harris to be President Biden’s running mate, a person familiar with the details but who was not authorized to speak publicly about them said.
Emhoff and Harris were set up on a blind date by one of his clients. He has said it was love at first sight. On Thursday, when Harris gives her keynote address capping the Democratic National Convention, they will also be celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary.
Friends of Harris and Emhoff say the second gentleman makes it a priority to be a good partner to the vice president.
“I love me some Doug Emhoff,” Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., told NPR. “He is an unrelenting, unflinching partner. When things are tough, he is right there. At her highest highs and her lowest lows, he is there.”
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NPR’s Alejandra Marquez Janse and Linnea Anderson contributed to this story.
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