On Tuesday morning, President Joe Biden announced his reelection bid. Here’s who’s in command of the ship:
Campaign Manager Julie Chávez Rodrguez
Chávez Rodrguez will oversee the reelection campaign after working as one of Biden’s closest aides and the White House director of intergovernmental relations. She has never ran a campaign before, although she worked as the deputy campaign manager for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris during their previous campaign and is close to the president.
She is the highest-ranking Latina in the White House and a longtime Democratic adviser. She was also a member of the Obama administration in a variety of capacities, and she is the granddaughter of labour leader Cesar Chávez.
Principal Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks
Fulks, a Democratic strategist, was most recently the campaign manager for Sen. Raphael Warnock’s reelection campaign last year, which was Georgia’s first successful reelection run by a Democratic senator in more than 30 years. Prior to that, he was the deputy campaign manager and senior political adviser to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, where he was instrumental in turning the seat blue in 2018. He’s also worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, EMILY’s List, and Priorities USA.
Kevin Muoz, Public Relations
Muoz, who was most recently an assistant White House press secretary, will handle press for the reelection campaign initially until a larger team is assembled. According to two sources familiar with the process, none of the other employees on the comms team or their possible roles in the campaign have been finalised. At least one more campaign staffer will be confirmed soon.
Co-Chairs at the National Level
Rep. Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-Del.) has known Biden for years and assisted him in selecting his running mate for the previous campaign. She is not just a long-time family friend, but she is also the first woman and African American to represent Delaware in Congress.
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), another longstanding buddy, has endorsed Biden for president in 2020. This gave the president favour among Black voters at a pivotal juncture in the campaign, coming after a string of setbacks to Sen. Bernie Sanders and just days before the state’s primary.
During Biden’s administration, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) has functioned as a “bridge” between the Hill, the White House, and foreign capitals. He has nearly served as a proxy for Biden abroad, being discussed both in the United States and internationally as a shadow secretary of State.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), a veteran and the first Thai American woman in Congress, has been mentioned as a possible 2020 vice presidential contender. She has been a Biden supporter since then, but she also questioned the president two years ago for not appointing Asian American Cabinet officials, promising to vote against nominations on the floor before backing down.
Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) has been a vocal supporter of the administration’s handling of the southern border problem, which is expected to be a focal point in the 2024 presidential race. She is one of the first two Latinas to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, representing El Paso, the largest city on the Mexican border.
Jeffrey Katzenberg, a film producer and significant Democratic fundraiser, has been instrumental in Biden’s presidential campaign, supporting him in 2020 and raising millions of dollars for Democrats alongside the president.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has also been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate, has long been a strong Biden buddy. Despite waning Democratic enthusiasm earlier this year, she actively supported the president and endorsed him for president in 2020.
