In 2013, Kamala Harris, who was the Attorney General of California at the time, and Doug Emhoff, a lawyer from Los Angeles, met on a blind date set up by Harris' friend, Chrisette Hudlin. Emhoff confirmed their meeting in a heartfelt birthday message to Harris on Twitter in 2020. He shared, "Blind date, love at first sight, marriage, family, and an incredible life together. Through it all, no matter what, she is ALWAYS there for me and our family without hesitation."

In January 2020, during an interview with Jane Pauley on Sunday Morning, Harris revealed a fun fact about their first meeting. Although it was supposed to be a blind date, she admitted to Googling Emhoff beforehand. Harris laughed and said, "I did!" while Emhoff playfully reacted, "Oh. This is a reveal!"

Harris explained that her friend Chrisette encouraged her to meet Emhoff without searching for information about him. But, of course, curiosity got the better of her. Emhoff, on his end, shared that he initially reached out to Harris via text after a Lakers game, then called her the next morning. “I left this ridiculous voicemail, which she has saved and plays back to me on our anniversary every year,” Emhoff said.

Harris found Emhoff's voicemail endearing. She appreciated how genuine he was, saying, “The thing about Doug is that he is exactly who he is. He’s just fully authentic and clear about the things he cares about.”

Harris also mentioned their first date in her memoir, "The Truths We Hold," published in 2019. She wrote that the day after their first date, Emhoff emailed her with available dates for future meetups, stating, “I’m too old to play games or hide the ball. I really like you, and I want to see if we can make this work.”

A few months later, in October 2020, Harris shared a sweet birthday tribute to Emhoff on Instagram, reflecting on their journey with the message, "We've been making it work ever since." Less than a year after their first date, Emhoff proposed to Harris during a casual conversation about food.

On August 22, 2014, Harris and Emhoff married in a courthouse ceremony in Santa Barbara, California, officiated by Harris' sister, Maya. Emhoff brought two children from his previous marriage, Cole and Ella, into their new family. Harris became their stepmom in 2014.

Before supporting Harris on the 2020 presidential campaign trail, Emhoff was already familiar with political life, joining her in 2016 during her campaign for the U.S. Senate, where she won. In January 2017, Emhoff held the Bible during Harris’ swearing-in as Senator, and again at her 2020 inauguration as the first female Vice President of the United States.

Emhoff stood by Harris when she announced her run for president in 2020. Although initially overwhelmed by the crowd at the event, he noted it was a memorable experience, as more than 20,000 people attended in Oakland, California.

Their blended family has thrived, with Emhoff’s ex-wife, Kerstin, becoming a close friend to Harris. Harris wrote in an Elle essay that Kerstin and she have bonded, cheering together at Ella’s swim meets and basketball games. Emhoff's daughter, Ella, told The New York Times that the family has excellent communication and works well together as a "three-person parenting squad."

After marrying Emhoff, Harris took on the nickname “Momala” with his children. She shared that Cole, Ella, and she decided they didn’t like the term “stepmom,” so they came up with “Momala” instead.

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(via Kamala Harris , Rumour Juice )