Tina Flournoy, chief of workers to Vice President Harris, is getting ready to depart the White Home, capping an extended record of aides who’ve left Harris’s workplace in current months, and is ready to get replaced by Lorraine Voles, a veteran Democratic operative and communications professional.
Washington
Harris selects new chief of staff as top aide departs White House
Flournoy has led the vp’s operation for the reason that begin of the administration, overseeing all workers and setting the strategic path for a historic and high-profile vp. That makes her the highest-ranking of a large group of high officers who’ve left Harris’s workplace lately, together with her deputy chief of workers, nationwide safety adviser and speechwriter.
Flournoy is leaving for private causes, a White Home official mentioned Thursday.
Till Flournoy’s exit, essentially the most seen departure from Harris was senior Harris adviser Symone Sanders, who left on the finish of final yr and shortly afterward inked a cope with MSNBC. Jamal Simmons, a longtime Democratic operative, joined Harris’s workers as communications director a short while later as a part of a complete overhaul of the communications group.
“Tina has been a valued advisor and confidant to me and great chief for the workplace,” Harris mentioned in a press release. “From day 1, she led our group throughout a historic first yr as we made progress rebuilding our financial system right here at residence and our alliances all over the world. Tina is the consummate public servant and I’ll proceed to depend on her recommendation, counsel and friendship.”
Flournoy’s departure is more likely to revive career-long questions on Harris’s administration model and the excessive frequency of workers turnover in her workplaces and on her campaigns. The transfer comes at a important second, for the reason that upcoming midterm elections — particularly if Democrats undergo losses as anticipated — might make clear whether or not President Biden will search reelection and immediate renewed consideration on Harris in its place.
Harris aides say the departures are routine and unrelated to any inner strife within the vp’s operation. Some additionally recommend that she is going through disproportionate — and at instances unfair — criticism due to her function as a strong girl of colour.
“Tina has been a important member of the White Home group since day one, working with the President and Vice President to make their partnership efficient and assist the administration ship on important priorities,” Ron Klain, Biden’s chief of workers, mentioned in a press release. “Her expertise, knowledge, and onerous work have been instrumental to our success on many points.”
Nonetheless, the excessive turnover in Harris’s workplace stands in stark distinction to the West Wing, the place Biden’s internal circle has remained in place all through his presidency — and far of his decades-long profession.
Earlier than becoming a member of the White Home, Flournoy had a prolonged profession in Democratic politics. She served as President Invoice Clinton’s chief of workers and held high roles on the Democratic Nationwide Committee and on Al Gore’s 2000 presidential marketing campaign.
Harris, the primary feminine, Black and Asian girl to function vp, has usually attracted extra consideration than others who’ve held her place, together with reporters tasked with chronicling her actions and monitoring her polling numbers. She has at instances struggled to navigate her function as she has taken on a wide-ranging and troublesome portfolio, together with voting rights, the basis causes of migration from Central America, maternal well being care and house coverage.
After a lot of early missteps, Harris has lately tackled a number of high-profile points in ways in which appeared to bolster her stature.
She represented america at a significant international safety convention in Germany as Europe was bracing itself for the beginning of the battle in Ukraine. In a number of conferences, she was flanked by Flournoy. She traveled to Poland and Romania to reassure allies america remained dedicated to supporting Ukraine and backing NATO.
Harris presided over this month’s Senate affirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, slated to be the primary Black girl on the Supreme Court docket. As chair of the Nationwide Area Council, Harris introduced that america would not conduct harmful assessments of satellites, calling on different nations to observe swimsuit.
In a extra private vote of confidence, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who’s getting married subsequent month, mentioned she had chosen Harris to officiate on the ceremony.
Democrats now look to the November midterm elections, the place many analysts in each events anticipate them to undergo main losses, doubtlessly giving up management of 1 or each homes of Congress. Biden is predicted to sign extra clearly after the midterms whether or not he plans to run once more, and a tricky outcome might make it more durable for the 79-year-old president to press forward with reelection.
If Biden doesn’t run, Harris, who sought the presidency in 2020, would doubtless high the record of potential Democratic nominees, and scrutiny of her political strengths and weaknesses would improve dramatically.