In 2013, Kamala Harris was set up on a blind date. The morning after, she received an email.

You may know Kamala Harris as the current Vice President of the United States or as the frontrunner for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. 

However, beyond her political career, the 59-year-old enjoys a rich personal life filled with love, family, and a supportive marriage.  

Watch: President-elect Kamala Harris delivers her victory speech. Post continues below.

In 2020, Kamala Harris made history as the first female US Vice President, and her husband became the inaugural Second Gentleman.

As she potentially moves towards the White House as President, it's important to understand her family background. Here's what we know about Harris's family life, from how she met her husband to her relationship with her two stepchildren.

Who is Kamala Harris's husband?

Harris is married to Douglas Craig Emhoff, an accomplished American lawyer who currently holds the title of Second Gentleman. Their story together began on a blind date in 2013. 

They were set up by a mutual friend, Chrisette Hudlin, who said the 'cute LA man' was perfect for Harris. 

He texted her and they started talking. Soon after that, Emhoff sent what Harris has since called a 'long and a little rambling' voicemail, but he had caught her attention. 

"He sounded like a nice guy, though, and I was intrigued to learn more," she wrote. "Doug, on the other hand, was pretty sure that he had ruined his chances. The way he tells it, he thought his voicemail had been disastrous and that he’d likely never hear from me again. He had to restrain himself from calling again and leaving another long-winded message trying to explain away the first one."

They did go through with their date, and it would end up being one of Harris' best decisions.

The morning after, she received an email from Emhoff. He was already trying to get a list of available dates for them to see one another over the next few months, given both had busy schedules. 

“I’m too old to play games or hide the ball,” Harris said Emhoff wrote in the email. “I really like you, and I want to see if we can make this work.”

In 2020, Harris posted on X, "And we did. Dougie, happy birthday. I could not imagine anyone else I’d rather be with on this journey called life."

Their early dates eventually led to the two of them tying the knot on August 22, 2014.

Kamala with her husband Doug Emhoff. Image: Instagram @kamalaharris.

Born on October 13, 1964, in Brooklyn, New York, Emhoff forged a successful career as an entertainment lawyer before stepping into the unprecedented role of Second Gentleman. His tenure marks a significant milestone in American federal history, as he became the first husband to a Vice President of the United States.

Image: Instagram @kamalaharris.

Beyond this milestone, Emhoff holds another distinction: he is the first Jewish spouse of a sitting President or Vice President. In his role as Second Gentleman, Emhoff has championed critical issues such as equal access to justice, legal representation, and the fight against antisemitism.

Does Kamala Harris have kids?

Harris does not have biological children of her own but she is a dedicated stepmother to Emhoff's two children from his previous marriage to Kerstin Emhoff. 

But you probably already knew that after Senator JD Vance, Donald Trump's Vice Presidential pick, rudely commented in 2021 that Harris is one of the "childless cat ladies" who is "miserable" because she doesn't have children of her own.

*Eye roll*

Moving on. 

Her stepchildren, Cole Emhoff, 29, and Ella Emhoff, 25, entered her life just two months after she started dating their dad.

"They are brilliant, talented, funny kids who have grown to be remarkable adults," she wrote in a personal essay for ELLE in 2019. "I was already hooked on Doug, but I believe it was Cole and Ella who reeled me in."

In a conversation with his father and sister for Glamour in 2020, Cole said he felt an instant connection with Harris and was glad to have gotten to know her as a stepmother first and a politician later.

“We would just have these real conversations at dinner, almost Socratic, where we would all bounce off each other,” he said. “It’s so interesting when I hear her speak publicly or read about her policy position. I’m like, Okay, I’ve seen that reflected at the dinner table, so I know it’s true to her.”

The former District Attorney has fully embraced her role as a stepmother, and her stepchildren affectionately refer to her as "Momala," a loving blend of "mom" and her first name.

In public appearances and speeches, Harris frequently acknowledges her stepchildren, highlighting the significance of family in her life. 

Kamala with Doug, Cole and Ella. Image: Getty.

For example, during her 2020 victory speech as Vice President-elect, she specifically thanked her husband Doug and their children, Cole and Ella, for their unwavering support throughout her campaign.

"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 after her historic win.

What are Kamala Harris's stepkids doing now? 

Cole, born on September 15, 1994, was named after jazz musician John Coltrane and raised in California. He was nearly 20 years old when his dad met Harris.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Harris's eldest stepchild graduated from Colorado College in 2017 with a degree in psychology. However, he later shifted gears and now works for Plan B Entertainment, a production company co-founded by Brad Pitt.

Cole, who married his longtime girlfriend, Greenley Littlejohn in 2023, asked Harris to officiate the ceremony.

Cole with his wife Greenley. Image: Instagram @coleemhoff.

“It was so wonderful that the kids asked me to do it," she told People. "For us, we think of marriage as being not just between these two people, but the coming together of families. So it was very much with that spirit that we all participated.”

“I want for those two [Cole and Greenley] to have a loving marriage where they are best friends and they know that it’s not just them against the world, that our family supports them,” she said. “That the community of people that came together at the wedding supports [them].”  

As for Ella, born on May 29, 1999, and named after jazz musician Ella Fitzgerald, she attended The New School's Parsons School of Design and frequently joined Harris on the campaign trail back in 2020.

"I think it was also that intense wave of realisation and anxiety that, ‘Wow, I’m not looking at this from the outside. I’m looking at it from the inside. This is all happening to me too,'" Ella told Glamour on how it felt being in the thick of it all.

“I felt extreme love and excitement, but also a little bit of shock.” 

Ella hosts knitting classes in New York City. Image: Instagram @ellaemhoff.

Ella graduated from college in May 2021, and Harris couldn't have been more overjoyed, writing on Instagram: “Congratulations to our daughter Ella on her graduation. I am so proud of you. Keep dreaming with ambition and there is nothing you cannot achieve.” 

Ella has made a name for herself as both a fashion designer and model, fronting major brands like Balenciaga and gracing the Met Gala in 2021.

In 2022, the 25-year-old expanded into knitwear, not only selling her own creations but also teaching classes in New York City.

Her influence in fashion was recognised when she was named one of Harper's Bazaar's icons of the year two years ago. 

"It's kind of shocking," she told People. "This is an incredible honour and as someone who doesn't really think of herself like that it's nice reassurance. And makes me check myself and the way I perceive myself, so exciting."

Feature Image: Instagram @kamalaharris.