Vice President Kamala Harris’s Husband Divulges: “Our World Depends on Us Winning This Election”

After his wife Kamal Harris became vice president, Doug Emhoff left his prosperous legal firm in Los Angeles. Now he is speaking out about his thoughts on why winning the elections is crucial this time. Emhoff discussed his time as the first Second Gentleman, his relationship with Harris, and his opinions on policy during an interview with CBS News national reporter Rita Braver on CBS Sunday Morning .

At one point during the interview, Emhoff emphasized, “We’re gonna win this election. We have to win this election. Literally our country and our world depends on us winning this election. That is what’s gonna happen.” This followed his remark about his wife’s highly critical opponents. He told Braver, “I’m her husband. Nobody wants to see anyone they love criticized or attacked. But that said, she’s vice president of the United States, so this all comes with the territory. She’s the toughest person out there. She’s so tough. It just bounces right off of her.”

A common acquaintance paired up Emhoff and Harris on a blind date in 2013. After six years as San Francisco’s district attorney, Harris served for two years as attorney general. She had already achieved widespread fame, with then-President Barack Obama praising her and speculation about her as a possible successor to Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. As a partner at DLA Piper, Emhoff achieved success independently. While his previous clients included the Taco Bell chihuahua advertising firm and a corporation that sold AK-47s, his less entertaining clientele included a club owner accused of sexual abuse.

While talking about their first date, Emhoff told CNN , “I didn’t want it to end. And so the next morning, I pulled the move of emailing her with my availabilities for the next four months, including long weekends.” They’re also not like other political couples like the Obamas, Bushes, or Clintons, who tied the knot at a younger age when their respective husbands were just starting in politics. In contrast, Harris and Emhoff were both in their 50s when they tied the knot. Harris had no children of her own. Their children, who are now part of a mixed family, now refer to her as ‘Momala.’ The couples each maintained their last name.

Emhoff has made history by stepping down from his profession to support his wife, just as Jill Biden created new ground by remaining in her work despite prior first women quitting. He wrote openly in his GQ piece about how he was pleased to have been a part of her vice presidential campaign. He wrote, “It quickly became clear that this wasn’t just about my love for my wife, but also about my love for this country. Stepping back from my career as an entertainment lawyer was a decision that we made together—this was about something bigger than either of us.”