Tina Flournoy: The Truth About Kamala Harris' Chief Of Staff
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has reportedly chosen Tina Flournoy as her chief of staff, a source told CNN. While the Biden-Harris team has not officially confirmed the appointment, several outlets have reported the news, and Harris' bio at her alma mater, Georgetown University, has already updated her title.
Flournoy keeps a low profile and is rarely photographed, but she is a powerful force behind the scenes of Democratic politics and is currently serving as former President Bill Clinton's chief of staff. Flournoy graduated from Georgetown University in 1978, and also studied at Oxford University.
In 1984, she earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Flournoy credits her incredible success to her parents. "I always say that my parents gave me the greatest gift that I've ever received ... a belief in the possible," she told the Savannah Morning News in 2010.
Tina Flournoy has an impressive resume
Flournoy's resume is quite impressive. Per her biography on Georgetown University's website, she previously worked for the American Federation of Teachers where she served as the assistant to the president for public policy. During her time with the international union, Flournoy "directed the work of the AFT's legislative, political, field and mobilization, and human rights and community outreach departments."
Flournoy is quite the force in the Democratic Party and she has been involved in prominent roles for decades. Past positions include leading Governor Howard Dean's Democratic National Committee transition team and serving as the traveling chief of staff to Senator Joseph Lieberman, the 2000 Democratic VP nominee. She also served as Al Gore's finance director during his 2000 presidential campaign and was the deputy to the campaign manager during the 1992 Clinton-Gore presidential transition. During the 1992 Democratic National Convention, Flournoy served as general counsel
Tina Flournoy is a big deal in Democratic politics
As noted by The New York Times in 2015, Flournoy is a member of the "Colored Girls," described as "an informal group of five women who have risen to the top of Democratic politics." The name dates back to 1988, during Michael Dukakis' presidential run. Field directors Donna Brazile and Minyon Moore, along with other midlevel staff members, were moved to a different area of the campaign's headquarters which resulted in one floor hosting mostly white men, while Black people and women were on another floor.
Brazile and Moore, along with Susan E. Rice — who would go on to become the national security advisor during Barack Obama's presidency — seized a conference room and taped a sign to the door reading "Colored Girls. We shall not be moved." The informal group now consists of Brazile, Moore, and Flournoy, as well as political operatives Rev. Leah D. Daughtry and Yolanda H. Caraway.