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White House Political Director

(Redirected from White House Director of Political Affairs)

The White House Political Director, formally the Director of the Office of Political Affairs (OPA) or Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach (OPSO), is a political appointee of the President of the United States and a senior member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.

White House Political Director
Incumbent
Emmy Ruiz
since January 20, 2021
Executive Office of the President
White House Office
AppointerPresident of the United States
Formation1978 (informally)
1981 (formally)
First holderTim Kraft (informally)
Lyn Nofziger (formally)

History

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The White House Office of Political Affairs was first formally established in 1981 during under Ronald Reagan, while Jimmy Carter was the first to designate a political director in 1978.[1][2][3][4]

Subsequent administrations have rebranded the office. During his second term, President Obama renamed the office as the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach, though the roles and responsibilities of the office and its director remained.[5]

List

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Image Name Start End President
 
 Tim Kraft April 28, 1978 August 10, 1979 Jimmy Carter
 
 Sarah Weddington August 10, 1979 January 20, 1981
 
 Lyn Nofziger January 20, 1981 January 22, 1982 Ronald Reagan
 
 Ed Rollins January 22, 1982 October 1983
 
 Margaret Tutwiler
Acting 		July 23, 1984 February 5, 1985
 
 Bill Lacy April 5, 1985 June 17, 1986
 
 Haley Barbour June 17, 1986 March 16, 1987
 
 Frank Lavin March 16, 1987 January 20, 1989
 
 James Wray January 20, 1989 June 1, 1990 George H. W. Bush
 
 David Carney June 1, 1990
Acting: June 1, 1990 – March 5, 1991 		January 1992
 
 Ron Kaufman January 1992 August 24, 1992
 
 Janet Mullins August 24, 1992 January 20, 1993
 
 Rahm Emanuel January 20, 1993 June 23, 1993 Bill Clinton
 
 Joan Baggett June 23, 1993 December 1994
 
 Joe Velasquez
Acting 		December 1994 February 16, 1995
 
 Doug Sosnik February 16, 1995 February 7, 1997
 
 Craig Smith February 7, 1997 February 5, 1999
 
 Minyon Moore February 5, 1999 January 20, 2001
 
 Ken Mehlman January 20, 2001 May 23, 2003 George W. Bush
 
 Matt Schlapp May 23, 2003 February 2005
 
 Sara Taylor February 2005 May 31, 2007
 
 Jonathan Felts May 31, 2007 January 20, 2009
 
 Patrick Gaspard January 20, 2009 February 1, 2011 Barack Obama
Vacant February 1, 2011 January 24, 2014
 
 David Simas January 24, 2014 December 19, 2016
 
 Bill Stepien January 20, 2017 December 7, 2018 Donald Trump
 
 Brian Jack February 2, 2019 January 20, 2021
 
 Emmy Ruiz January 20, 2021 present Joe Biden

Political and Intergovernmental Affairs

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During the second term of the Reagan administration, there was a director of political and intergovernmental affairs who sat above the political director and intergovernmental affairs director.

Image Name Start End President
 
 Ed Rollins February 5, 1985 October 1, 1985 Ronald Reagan
 
 Mitch Daniels October 1, 1985 March 1, 1987
 
 Frank Donatelli March 1, 1987 January 20, 1989
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Paulo Costanzo portrays Lyor Boone, the fictional White House Political Director, in Designated Survivor, a political thriller television series.

References

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  1. ^ Leonard, Barry (May 2009). Activities of the White House Office of Political Affairs. United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform. ISBN 978-1-4379-1063-6. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  2. ^ Dunn Tenpas, Kathryn (October 2020). "The Office of Political Affairs" (PDF). White House Transition Project, University of Missouri Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  3. ^ Dunn Tenpas, Kathryn (Spring 1996). "Presidential Elections: Past and Present – Institutionalized Politics: The White House Office of Political Affairs". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 26 (2): 511–522. JSTOR 27551595. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  4. ^ "Investigation of Political Activities by White House and Federal Agency Officials during the 2006 Midterm Elections" (PDF). United States Office of Special Counsel. January 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  5. ^ Gerstein, Josh (January 30, 2014). "New Politics Shop Sees Old Questions". Politico. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
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