Doug Emhoff’s son Cole was a senior in high school when Kamala Harris came into his life, and the future vice president was just a pretty woman his dad had been excited to have met. But what began as a blind date quickly grew into a romantic comedy. Cole Emhoff used four words to describe Harris and his father’s love story. And what were they? “Love at first sight.”
Doug felt that way, and Cole insists that he and his sister, Ella, felt precisely the same way about Kamala Harris!
Not only did Harris win her future husband over, but she also effortlessly bonded with his children, which isn’t always simple in a blended family. Harris was all in from the get-go — from cookies tied in a bow to speaking about music and cooking on road trips.
The jokes started immediately, and so did Harris’ signature laughter. Cole recalled how Harris made fun of Doug during their first date, showing she felt comfortable enough to treat him like family as soon as possible.
Even Doug Emhoff was a bit of a wreck in those days. Once, he asked Harris out and left her a ridiculously long voicemail to that end. The recording was so funny that Harris decided to record it, and it became a tradition for them to listen to it on their anniversary!
That voicemail led to a rapid-fire romance, a 2014 wedding, and then Harris’ historic campaign to try and become the first South Asian, Black, and female president of the United States. Though that has failed as of now, as Donald Trump took office earlier in 2025, Kamala Harris does hope she will get the presidential position sometime soon and stay on her campaign and stance.
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You know @KamalaHarris and @DouglasEmhoff truly love each other from the way they make each other laugh. 😂
📸: Jacquelyn Martin pic.twitter.com/06vQeKzDxH
— sky (@skylikeajedi) November 5, 2024
The Emhoff children, who lovingly call her “Momala,” had a key part in wrapping up the deal. “I was already hooked on Doug, but I believe it was Cole and Ella who reeled me in,” Kamala Harris revealed in an essay for Elle. And both parties show respect. In an unusual example of blended-family closeness, Doug’s ex-wife Kerstin openly honored Harris as a co-parent and ended the mudslinging.
Naturally, even this picturesque romance has been tested by last year’s chaotic White House campaign.
Despite being Harris’s most prominent ally, Doug said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that “it’s just been hustle, hustle, hustle” since that point. He stated on the campaign trail that she is a “badass” leader and that he feels proud to be associated with her.
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Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff didn’t just meet.
They had a modern love story—a mix of fate, helpful besties, texts, admissions to not being a good driver and a very nervous first date.
A thread on how they became America’s favorite couple🧵❤️ pic.twitter.com/yKJGgVyBnN
— vi❀ (@viisvision) January 31, 2025
The couple’s evening chats and everyday “morning check-ins” keep them rooted regardless of their hectic social lives. Apart from making history, their love story is relatable, so maybe presidential candidates and their spouses can fall in love over inside jokes and voicemails!
