Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff won’t be adviser: ‘I’m her partner’
'She's got plenty of great people giving her political advice.'
Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff is opening up about hitting the campaign trail with his wife and how he’s preparing to potentially become America’s first-ever Second Gentleman.
In a new interview with PEOPLE, the attorney makes clear that he has no plans to lead Harris’ team of advisers if she becomes vice president.
“I’m her husband, that’s it,” Emhoff said in a recent joint Zoom interview with the California Senator. “She’s got plenty of great people giving her political advice,” he continues. “I’m her partner, I’m her best friend and I’m her husband. And that’s what I’m here for. I’m here to have her back.”
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The couple, both 56, met on a blind date in 2013 and married the next year. Emhoff has two children from his first marriage, son Cole and daughter Ella, who call Harris “Momala.”
“We stay connected all day,” says Emhoff of the days that he and Harris are campaigning separately.
“Hopefully we get to stay together at night,” he says. “And then we really get to catch up and compare notes of what we’re hearing out there in the real world. That helps drive the campaign as we’re really responding to what’s going on out there.”
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Emhoff and Harris have each embarked on virtual tours amid the pandemic.
“When we do have dinner together — it depends, because we’re going to different states a lot— we meet up at night. Sometimes, it’s very late at night and one of us is scarfing down food that the other has prepared,” Harris says. “It has been often the case that one of us is eating at the table while the other is bringing the food and then listening to the day.”
If Emhoff becomes “second gentleman,” he says “justice and access to justice” are issues that he can get behind.
“Right now, I’m just thinking about, let’s get through this election and let’s win this election,” he says. “I really just want to focus on winning this election.”
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