Doug Emhoff says meeting Kamala Harris was 'love at first sight.' Here's a timeline of their relationship. (2024)

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2013: Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff met on a blind date.

Emhoff, a lawyer, had been married beforeto film producer Kerstin Emhoff. The couple shares two children, Cole and Ella, and divorced after 16 years of marriage.

Harris was serving as California's Attorney General.

The two were set up on a blind date by Harris' friend Chrisette Hudlin, who met Emhoff through work.

"The morning after our first date,@DouglasEmhoff emailed me a list of his available dates for the next couple of months," Harris wrote on Instagram on Emhoff's birthday in 2020. "He said, 'I want to see if we can make this work.' We've been making it work ever since."

Emhoff described meeting Harris as "love at first sight" in an Instagram post for her birthday.

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August 22, 2014: The couple wed in a ceremony officiated by Harris' sister Maya.

According to a profile of Emhoff by Marie Claire, he proposed during a "decidedly unromantic conversation (she was deliberating between chicken or shrimp pad thai)" less than a year after they met.

Harris and Emhoff held their wedding at a courthouse in Santa Barbara, California. Harris wrote in Elle that she and Emhoff's children didn't like the term "stepmom," so they began calling her "Momala."

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2015: The couple attended the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party together.

Others in attendance at the star-studded event included Beyoncé and Jay Z, Anna Wintour, Serena Williams, Oprah, and Reese Witherspoon.

2016: Harris successfully ran for US senate, with Emhoff accompanying her to campaign events.

Emhoff came with her to vote at the Kenter Canyon Elementary Charter School Auditorium in Brentwood, California, in 2016.

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January 2017: Emhoff held the Bible for Harris' swearing-in ceremony as a US senator.

Vice President Joe Biden administered Harris' oath of office. Harris later became Biden's vice presidential pick in his 2020 campaign.

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January 2019: Harris launched her presidential campaign with Emhoff by her side.

Harris launched her presidential campaign on the steps of Oakland City Hall. The event was attended by 20,000 people.

"I'm not overly political," Emhoff later told Marie Claire. "I'm overly her husband."

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January 2019: Harris wrote about the early days of her courtship with Emhoff in her memoir, "The Truths We Hold."

"Attending a speech about the ills of truancy isn't exactly what most people think of as a romantic date, but the event was Doug's coming out — the first time I'd invited him to join me at a professional gathering," she wrote. "Hence the whispering and pointing among my team, who had heard rumors of his existence but hadn't seen him with their own eyes. They would later refer to that era as A.D. — 'After Doug.' They loved how much he made me laugh. I did, too."

June 2019: Harris and Emhoff attended the California Democratic Party State Organizing Convention together.

Harris greeted supporters outside the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.

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August 2019: Emhoff snapped a selfie with Harris before her speech at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

He showed off his Kamala phone case.

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December 2019: After Harris ended her presidential bid, Emhoff posted a supportive message on Instagram.

"I've got you@kamalaharris. As always," Emhoff captioned a black and white photo of him embracing her, complete with a heart emoji.

He later told Marie Claire's Jessica M. Goldstein, "She made that decision, and I would have supported whatever she decided. But I'm not her political adviser. I'm her husband. And so my role was to be there for her, to love her, to have her back, to talk it through, to help her."

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August 2020: Joe Biden announced Harris as his running mate. Both appeared with their spouses at their first press conference together.

The two couples observed social distancing by standing apart and air-hugging.

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August 2020: Emhoff, who took a leave of absence from his legal firm, joined Harris at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

The convention was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Emhoff announced his leave of absence from the international law firm DLA Piper in August.

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September 2020: They held hands at a remembrance ceremony for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Harris and Emhoff attended a memorial ceremony at the Fairfax County Public Safety Headquarters in Virginia on September 11, 2020.

October 2020: Emhoff gave Harris a masked kiss after the vice presidential debate.

Arguably, the most memorable part of the debate was when a gigantic fly landed on Mike Pence's head.

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October 2020: Emhoff spoke at a parking lot rally in Denver, Colorado.

About 70 cars attended the socially distanced rally.

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November 2020: Biden and Harris won the presidential election, and Harris expressed her love for Emhoff in her victory speech.

Harris mentioned her husband and family in her victory speech introducing Biden.

"To my husband Doug, our children Cole and Ella, my sister Maya, and our whole family — I love you all more than I can express," she said.

Harris also shared a photo of herself with Emhoff on social media that night, captioned, "Meet the love of my life, Doug Emhoff."

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November 2020: Emhoff announced he planned to quit his law firm in order to focus on his role as second gentleman.

A spokesperson told AP News that Emhoff was leaving his position at DLA Piper to devote himself to the role of second gentleman.

"There is a lot of symbolism from a man stepping back from his high-powered career in order to support his wife's career," Kim Nalder, a political science professor at California State University-Sacramento, told the AP.

The move was likely also for ethical reasons — Emhoff is not a lobbyist, but his law firm does lobby the federal government on behalf of clients.

November 2020: They went holiday shopping, where Emhoff proudly pointed to a "Madam Vice President" T-shirt.

Harris and Emhoff went shopping at a local holiday market in Washington, DC, for Small Business Saturday.

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January 2021: Twitter created the first-ever official second gentleman Twitter account for Emhoff in the days before Harris' inauguration.

His Twitter bio described him as "Proud husband to Vice President-elect Harris."

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January 2021: In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning's Jane Pauley, Harris admitted that she Googled Emhoff before their first date.

"I've never been asked that!" Harris said after Pauley asked if she'd Googled Emhoff before their first date. "I did!"

Emhoff's mouth dropped open in surprise as Harris burst out laughing, affectionately touching his arm and calling him "Dougie."

The hilarious moment went viral, racking up nearly 1.5 million views on YouTube in two days.

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January 2021: Emhoff held two Bibles for Harris as she was sworn in as vice president.

One of the Bibles belonged to Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice. The other belonged to Regina Nelson, a family friend who was something of a second mother to Harris in her youth.

March 2021: They disembarked from Air Force Two arm in arm on their first official trip.

Harris and Emhoff visited Las Vegas and Denver, stopping at their home in Brentwood, California, in between.

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April 2021: Harris and Emhoff moved into the official vice presidential residence after repairs to the property were completed.

Number One Observatory Circle has served as the official vice presidential residence since 1977. The home is located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, where scientists collect astronomical data for accurate navigation.

Harris and Emhoff had been living in Blair House across from the White House while the historic home underwent repairs.

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February 2022: Emhoff wished Harris a happy Valentine's Day, writing on Twitter, "Life is always brighter by your side."

"Life is always brighter by your side. Happy Valentine's Day, @VP," Emhoff wrote, accompanied by a heart emoji.

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July 2022: Emhoff told a group of students that leaving his law career to support Harris was a "no-brainer."

In July, Emhoff , a nonprofit in Queens, New York, that encourages women and girls to pursue careers in construction, about supporting Harris in her role, The 19th's Jennifer Gerson reported.

"I think just by stepping away from my career that I love and I was actually very good at so I could support my wife, who was the first woman to become vice president, it was a no-brainer," Emhoff said, per The 19th. "With this big platform that I have and all the microphones and media and working in this great administration with all of these resources, I really decided to lean in on this issue of men supporting women, professionally and personally, so they can succeed, even if that means stepping away from my own career."

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October 2022: Emhoff wished his "amazing wife" a happy birthday.

"Happy birthday to my amazing wife and the love of my life," Emhoff wrote on Twitter. "I will always be right by your side. Love you, Kamala."