Vice President-elect Kamala Harris Further Makes History, Picks An All-Female Senior Staff

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris., on Thursday, has named her senior staff members, who are almost all women of colour, for the top three positions in the office. Tina Flournoy, a veteran Democratic strategist, has been appointed as Harris' chief of staff, the transition team announced. Harris has also selected Nancy McEldowney, a former United States ambassador to Bulgaria who served as a National Security Council in the 1990s, as her national security adviser and Rohini Kosoglu, who served as chief of staff to Harris in the Senate, as a domestic policy adviser. Following Biden-Harris' victory in the 2020 elections, this all-women team will be serving under the first woman of Indian-origin and the first woman ever to be elected as US Vice President.

Announcing the news on Twitter, Harris praised her newly-selected staff and said, "Their leadership will be critical as we overcome the unprecedented challenges facing our nation".

Today I announced Tina Flournoy as my Chief of Staff, @RohiniKos as my Domestic Policy Advisor, and Nancy McEldowney as my National Security Advisor. Their leadership will be critical as we overcome the unprecedented challenges facing our nation.https://t.co/RZql1KGb69

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 3, 2020

Harris was born in California to an Indian mother and Jamaican father. She is soon going to be US' first female vice president. Flournoy joins a team of advisers led by Black women. Previously, she was the chief of staff of former President Bill Clinton. This is also the first time the top three positions in the vice president’s office will be held by women.

Also Read: Who Is Doug Emhoff, Kamala Harris’ Husband Set To Become The First-Ever Second Gentleman?

Bill Clinton called Flournoy's appointment “great news for our country” and tweeted saying, “Tina Flournoy is incredibly smart, strong, and skillful, with deeply rooted values. She’s done a wonderful job as my chief of staff for nearly 8 years, and I will miss her—but I’m thrilled about VP-elect Harris’ choice."

Tina Flournoy is incredibly smart, strong, and skillful, with deeply rooted values. She’s done a wonderful job as my chief of staff for nearly 8 years, and I will miss her—but I’m thrilled about VP-elect Harris’ choice. This is great news for our country. https://t.co/zTEB1Uatrp

— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) December 3, 2020

“Together with the rest of my team, today’s appointees will work to get this virus under control, open our economy responsibly and make sure it lifts up all Americans, and restore and advance our country’s leadership around the world,” Harris said in a statement.

Earlier this week, US President-elect Joe Biden also appointed Indian-American Neera Tanden as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, making her the first woman of colour and the first South Asian American to head a top position at the White House.

Also Read: “I Eat ‘No’ For Breakfast”: Kamala Harris’ Advice For Women

Feature Image Credit: BBC

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