Doug Emhoff’s Democratic Convention Speech Brings Back Memories of His ‘Typical Suburban Jersey Childhood’

The second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, reintroduced himself to the world during a prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, before Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepts the presidential nomination on Thursday — their 10th wedding anniversary.

Long before Emhoff, 59, became the first second gentleman in U.S. history — and possibly the first first gentleman in history, if Harris wins the election in November — he spent his childhood in New Jersey.

“I had a typical suburban Jersey childhood,” Emhoff said during his roughly 15-minute speech. “I rode my bike around the neighborhood, took the bus to Hebrew school and drove to Little League practices in the back of my coach’s wooden station wagon.”

If their team did well? “We had to eat a Slurpee afterward,” Emhoff said.

So when he took the stage Tuesday night before speeches by former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, Emhoff enthusiastically welcomed the delegation from the Garden State.

“Where’s New Jersey? I see you there!” he shouted to the boisterous crowd.

Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer, began to gain popularity in the world of politics.

In DC, she is the first Jewish spouse of a US president or vice president and is helping to implement the Biden-Harris strategy against anti-SemitismOn the web it was named certified “wife’s man”” vice president for boasting about her achievements.

Emhoff was born in Brooklyn to parents, Barb and Mike, who worked in the shoe business. Before moving to Jersey, the family lived in Matawan and Old Bridge Township from 1969 to 1981.

The family lived in the Lakeridge subdivision in what was then Madison Borough before its name was changed to Old Bridge in 1976. according to the Thomas Warne Museum in Jersey.

Emhoff attended Cedar Ridge High School, currently defunct public school next fusionbut his family moved to California when he was in 11th grade.

Still, in November 2020, Old Bridge Schools Superintendent David Cittadino celebrated a near-graduation when Emhoff became the second gentleman-elect.

“Regardless of which candidate you support, this is a pivotal moment in Old Bridge history, and we proudly congratulate the First Second Gentleman [Douglas Emhoff]”Citizen wrote in a post from 2020 on X (then Twitter), along with a yearbook photo of Emhoff.

Sports seemed to play a major role in Emhoff’s upbringing. 1979 yearbook photo from Cedar Ridge shows that he was a member of the ski club. Emhoff also attended Camp Cedar Lake in Milford, Pa., in the summer of 1978. There, the 13-year-old Emhoff was voted “most athletic” in his division.

In his speech at the Democratic primary, Emhoff highlighted the enduring community bonds he experienced as a child, from sports to the communal approach his neighborhood took to meals.

“Everybody left their garage doors open,” Emhoff said of his neighborhood. “Wherever you went for dinner, there was a family feeding you. Everybody took care of everybody else.”

The second gentleman still maintains a close relationship with his childhood best friends.

“The group chat is active every day and is probably booming right now,” Emhoff told the audience.

Emhoff was also heavily involved in the New Jersey Jewish community, and graduates of NJY Jewish summer camps proudly acknowledged him.

Family They were parishioners Temple Shalom, a Reform synagogue in Aberdeen where Emhoff’s bar mitzvah took place in 1977 (he was wearing a brown velour suit).

Years later in California, Emhoff met Harris when she was serving as the state’s attorney general.