Ex-Obama campaign manager joins Harris team; VP keeps rest of Biden’s squad intact
Fox News
The former campaign manager for former President Obama, David Plouffe, has joined Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, and the newly minted Democratic nominee has retained the entire leadership team of President Biden’s re-election effort.
Harris on Friday secured the Democratic presidential nomination, weeks before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago begins on Aug. 19.
The vice president’s campaign, now in full swing, will include the members of President Biden’s suspended re-election campaign and a number of experienced Democratic operatives who will aid in her effort to beat former President Trump in November.
Jen O’Malley Dillon, who worked as Biden’s campaign chair, has agreed to stay in the top role, reporting directly to Harris. Dillon is expected to run the campaign from the original Biden campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.
Julie Chávez Rodriguez will remain campaign manager, with Rob Flaherty continuing his role as deputy campaign manager. Quentin Fulks will continue his role as principal deputy campaign manager, and Michael Tyler is continuing his role as communications director.
Harris’ campaign has also brought on Liz Allen, who will serve as chief of staff for Harris’ yet-to-be-named running mate, and Megan Rooney as head speechwriter.
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Brian Fallon, who was previously the director of public affairs for Obama’s Justice Department, a top aide to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 national press secretary, will also join the Harris campaign as a senior adviser for communications.
Plouffe, Obama’s former campaign manager, will serve as the senior adviser on the “Path to 270” and the strategy moving forward. Plouffe will suspend his consulting work for TikTok and his podcast while advising the campaign, according to a source.
Jen Palmieri, who ran communications for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and served as Obama’s White House communications director, will also join the Harris campaign as an adviser for second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
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Other senior-level consultants joining the team include Mitch Stewart, who will serve as a senior adviser for battleground states, and Terrance Woodbury, who will watch polling.
The top consultants are not expected to work out of Wilmington.
David Binder is also expected to take a leading role in polling and research with the existing team.
The Harris campaign has also added a new paid media strategy and will continue its work with Blue Sky, Conexion and Truxton and expects to work with GMMB. Fulks is expected to oversee that program.
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge came onboard as a campaign co-chair and will expand her role to include outreach and strategy, while her co-chair, Rep. Cedric Richmond, will continue his work as a longtime adviser to Harris.
Sources close to the campaign said the team is in place to “scale and manage what is coming” in terms of the intensity of the volume and work that comes with a general election season.
Sources said the moves also reflect an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to the final stretch before the November election. They said the Democratic Party is “united.”
The built-out team was named after Harris secured the nomination Friday.
“I am so proud to confirm that Vice President Harris has earned more than a majority of votes from all convention delegates and will be the nominee of the Democratic Party following the close of voting on Monday,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement.
Harris, on a call Friday with supporters, said, “I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States.”
She emphasized that “the tireless work of our delegates, our state leaders and staff has been pivotal in making this moment possible.”
The news came amid a virtual roll call for the nomination, which the DNC kicked off Thursday and lasts through Monday.
And while the nomination of Harris was never in doubt, the vice president was the only candidate to qualify for the presidential nomination roll call. It marks a historic milestone in the nation’s history with Harris becoming the first woman of color to lead a major political party’s national ticket.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.