Read here the full transcript of Doug Emhoff’s speech at DNC 2024 on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 in Chicago.
Listen to the audio version here:
TRANSCRIPT:
Introduction and Family Acknowledgments
He didn’t want me to give this speech, he just… Thank you, thank you so much. Hello! Thank you.
Hello to my big, beautiful, blended family up there. I love you so much. Aren’t you proud of Cole? Wow! And a special shout out to my mother. I see you. My mother is the only person in the whole world who thinks Kamala is the lucky one for marrying me.
And to Kamala, who, well, we just saw where she is. She’s out on the trail, listening to and talking with voters. Honey, I can’t wait for you to come back to Chicago because we’re having a great time here. I love you so much. I’m so proud of how you’re stepping up for all of us. But that’s who she is.
Wherever she’s needed, however she’s needed, Kamala rises to the occasion. And she did it for me and our family, and now that the country needs her, she’s showing you what we already know. She’s ready to lead. She brings both joy and toughness to this task, and she will be a great president we will all be proud of.
Personal Background
Now, I’m the son of two Brooklynites, Mike and Barb. They’ve been together almost 70 years. My dad worked in the shoe business in Manhattan, and he moved our family out to New Jersey. Where’s New Jersey? I see you out there!
When I was a little kid, in a lot of ways, I had a typical Jersey suburban childhood. I biked around the neighborhood. I took the bus to Hebrew school, and I rode to Little League practice in the way back of my coach’s wood-paneled station wagon. And if we did well, we got to have a Slurpee after. In my neighborhood, everyone left their garage door open. Wherever you ended up at dinnertime, that’s the family that fed you. Everyone took care of everyone else.
And the guys I grew up with are still my best friends. The group chat is active every day, and it’s probably blowing up right now, guys. When my dad had to get a new job, we moved across the country to L.A. Money was tight.
Hey, California! Money was tight, so I worked at McDonald’s in high school for some extra cash. Not only was I employee of the month, but I still have the framed picture, which you just saw, and there was a ring, golden arches and all. And then I waited tables, parked cars.
Education and Early Career
I was working full-time so I could afford to go to college part-time. And thanks to partial scholarships, student loans, and a little help from my dad, I got myself through law school. And I got my first job as a lawyer, which is also where I met the guys in my fantasy football league. And a lot has changed in our lives since the early ’90s, but my team name is still Nirvana. Yes, after the band.
I worked hard, and I love being a lawyer. And by the way, I still get to be part of the profession by teaching students at Georgetown Law School. I got married, became a dad to Cole and Ella. Unfortunately, I went through a divorce. But I eventually started worrying about how I would make it all work. And that’s when something unexpected happened.
Meeting Kamala
In 2013, I walked into a contentious client meeting. We worked through the issue, and by the end of the meeting, the now happy client offered to set me up on a blind date. Which is how I ended up with Kamala Harris’ phone number.
Now, for generations, people have debated when to call the person you’re being set up with. And never in history has anyone suggested 8:30 a.m. And yet, that’s when I dialed. I got Kamala’s voicemail, and I just started rambling. “Hey, it’s Doug. I’m on my way to an early meeting.” Again, “It’s Doug.” I remember I was trying to grab the words out of the air and just put them back in my mouth. And for what seemed like far too many minutes, I hung up. By the way, Kamala saved that voicemail. And she makes me listen to it on every anniversary.
But that message wasn’t the only unusual thing about that day. Now, Kamala, who normally would have been working hard at her office, just happened to be waiting at her apartment for a contractor to do some work on her kitchen. I was eating at my desk, which was not a regular occurrence for a busy lawyer like me, who appreciated a good business lunch. But that’s when she called me back. And we talked for an hour. And we laughed. Well, you know that laugh. I love that laugh.
And maybe that counted as our first date. Or maybe it was that Saturday night when I picked her up and told her, “Buckle up, I’m a really bad driver.” Because you can’t hide anything from Kamala Harris, so you might as well own it.
Falling in Love and Building a Family
And as I got to know her better and just fell in love fast, I learned what drives Kamala. And it’s what you’ve seen over these past four years, and especially these past four weeks. She finds joy in pursuing justice. She stands up to bullies just like my parents taught me to.
And she likes to see people do well, but hates when they’re treated unfairly. She believes this work requires a basic curiosity in just how people are doing. Her empathy is her strength. Over the past decade, Kamala has connected me more deeply to my faith, even though it’s not the same as hers.
She comes to synagogue with me for high holiday services, and I go to church with her for Easter.