Key Points
- Kamala Harris’ US presidential campaign has placed an emphasis on family.
- Speaking at the DNC, Harris discussed her mother: “A brilliant five-foot-tall brown woman with an accent”.
- Harris is a stepmother to two children, and her younger sister Maya is a lawyer and public policy advocate.
American families shared stories as part of the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC), including that of a young mother who described almost dying as she miscarried and the brother and mother of a US police officer who died as a result of the 6 January Capitol riot.
American families of all types were a focus at the Democratic National Convention held during the week. Source: Getty / Chip Somodevilla
A number of Harris’ family members made appearances at the four-day event during the week and the vice-president herself made a point of speaking about her mother when she made the closing speech.
If Harris becomes president of the US, her family members will likely become household names around the world — so who are those closest to the Democratic presidential nominee?
The first second gentleman
The couple married in 2014.
Emhoff has two children from his previous marriage to film producer Kirstin Emhoff, whom Harris has described as a “dear friend”.
Harris’ step-son
Rather than referring to Harris as their stepmom, he and his sister refer to her as “Momala”.
The vice-president’s step-daughter
Ella Emhoff is a model, fashion designer and artist.
Kamala Harris’ step-daughter Ella Emhoff spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago where the vice-president officially accepted her nomination as the party’s presidential candidate. Source: Getty / Win McNamee
In 2021, when US senator JD Vance — who has since — claimed women such as Harris were “childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives” the 25-year-old took to social media to respond.
An Instagram story by Ella Emhoff said “I love my three parents” and “How can you be ‘childless’ when you have cutie pie kids like Cole and I?”
A ‘tough, courageous’ mother
“They fell in love and got married, and that act of self-determination made my sister Maya and me,” she said.
Kamala Harris describes her mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris as a trailblazer. Source: Twitter / @VP
The biomedical scientist, who made advances in breast cancer research also inspired a sense of social activism within both of her daughters.
Reflecting on her mother’s influence Harris said “She was tough, courageous, a trailblazer in the fight for women’s health, and she taught Maya and me … to never complain about injustice, but do something about it.”
Kamala Harris’ sister
Maya Harris told those at the Democratic National Convention their mother raised them “to believe we could be and do anything”.