Placeholder when loading item promotions
Tina Flournoy, Vice President Harris’ chief of staff, is preparing to leave the White House, crowning a long list of assistants who have left Harris’s office in recent months, and is to be replaced by Lorraine Voles, a veteran Democrat and communications officer , to be replaced expert.
Voles, who has served as Harris’ senior adviser since last summer, will take on the top role later this spring, a White House official said. She was Vice President Al Gore’s communications director and served as an advisor to Hillary Clinton in 2008.
Flournoy has led the Vice President’s operations since the beginning of the tenure, overseeing all employees and setting the strategic direction for a historic and high-profile Vice President. She is the most senior of a sizable group of top officials who have recently left Harris’s office, including her deputy chief of staff, national security adviser and speechwriter.
Flournoy is leaving for personal reasons, a White House official said Thursday.
Until Flournoy’s exit, Harris’ most visible departure was senior Harris adviser Symone Sanders, who departed late last year and signed a deal with MSNBC shortly thereafter. Jamal Simmons, a veteran of the Democratic Party, shortly thereafter joined Harris’s staff as communications director as part of a major overhaul of the communications team.
“Tina has been a valued advisor and confidante to me and a superb leader for the office,” Harris said in a statement. “From day one, she led our team through a historic first year as we made strides in rebuilding our economy here at home and our alliances around the world. Tina is the consummate public servant and I will continue to rely on her advice, counsel and friendship.”
Flournoy’s departure is likely to spark career-long questions about Harris’s leadership style and the high turnover of staff in her offices and on her campaign trail. The move comes at a critical time, as the upcoming midterm elections — especially if Democrats suffer losses as expected — could clarify whether President Biden will seek re-election and Harris will attract renewed attention as an alternative.
Harris officials say the departures are routine and have nothing to do with internal disputes in the vice president’s operation. Some also suggest she faces disproportionate — and sometimes unfair — criticism for her role as a powerful woman of color.
“Tina has been a key member of the White House team since day one, working with the President and Vice President to make their partnership effective and help the administration achieve critical priorities,” said Ron Klain, chief of staff at Biden, in a statement. “Your experience, wisdom and hard work have contributed to our success in many areas.”
Still, the high turnover in Harris’ office is in stark contrast to the West Wing, where Biden’s inner circle has remained throughout his presidency — and much of his decade-long career.
The exodus of Harris employees raises questions about their future
Prior to entering the White House, Flournoy had a long career in Democratic politics. She served as President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff and held senior positions on the Democratic National Committee and in Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign.
Harris, the first black and Asian woman to serve as vice president, has often attracted more attention than others who have held her position, including reporters tasked with recording her movements and tracking her poll numbers. She has sometimes struggled to steer her role as she has taken on a wide-ranging and difficult portfolio, including voting rights, the causes of migration from Central America, maternal health care and space politics.
Harris’ aides try to change course
After a string of early missteps, Harris has recently tackled several high-profile issues in a way that seemed to bolster her stature.
She represented the United States at a major global security conference in Germany as Europe prepared to start the war in Ukraine. At several meetings, she was flanked by Flournoy. She traveled to Poland and Romania to reassure allies that the United States remains committed to supporting Ukraine and NATO.
Harris this month led the Senate confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, who is slated to become the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. As chairman of the National Space Council, Harris announced that the United States would no longer conduct destructive testing of satellites and urged other nations to follow suit.
Harris and Marty Walsh’s unlikely marriage
In a more personal vote of confidence, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is set to marry next month, said she chose Harris to officiate at the ceremony.
Democrats are now looking ahead to November’s midterm elections, in which many analysts from both parties are expecting big losses and possibly relinquishing control of one or both houses of Congress. Biden is expected to signal more clearly after the midterms whether he intends to run again, and a tough result could make it harder for the 79-year-old president to push for re-election.
If Biden does not run, Harris, who is seeking the presidency in 2020, would likely top the list of potential Democratic nominees, and scrutiny of her political strengths and weaknesses would increase dramatically.