Second gentleman Doug Emhoff tells his love story with Harris in DNC speech

(CHICAGO) — Second gentleman Doug Emhoff reintroduced himself to America on the second night of the Democratic National Convention as Vice President Kamala Harris makes a historic bid for president that, if elected, would make him the first-ever 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 it’s probably blowing up right now,” he said.

He said he worked at McDonald’s in high school when money was tight and worked full-time so he could afford to go to college part-time.

“Thanks to partial scholarships, student loans and a little help from my dad, I got myself through law school and got my first job as a lawyer — which is also 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 working as a lawyer, became a dad to son Cole and daughter Ella, got a divorce and then “something unexpected happened” — he was set up on a blind date with Harris. He said Harris saved his first bumbling voicemail to her — left at 8:30 a.m. — “and she makes me listen to it on every anniversary,” drawing laughs and cheers from the crowd.

On Harris, he said the vice president “finds joy in pursuing justice” and is “ready to lead.”

“She stands up to bullies — just like my parents taught me to. She likes to see people do well — and hates when they’re treated unfairly. She believes this work requires a basic curiosity in how people are doing. Her empathy is her strength.”

He talked about Harris coming to synagogue with him and making a “mean brisket for Passover.” He said Harris encouraged him — the first Jewish spouse, of any gender, for the presidency or vice presidency — to fight against antisemitism.

On their blended family, he said that Harris has “always been there for our children, and I know she’ll always be there for yours too.”

“Kamala is a joyful warrior,” he said. “It’s doing for her country what she has always done for the people she loves. Her passion will benefit all of us when she’s our president.”

This Thursday, as Harris accepts the party’s nomination for president, will be their 10th wedding anniversary, he noted (adding that means he’s “about to hear the most embarrassing voicemail of my life once again”).

“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 Tuesday that also included former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.