Jamal Simmons to be named Harris communications director
Jamal Simmons, a longtime top Democratic communications aide, will be tapped as communications director to Vice President Harris, sources tell The Hill.
The announcement is expected to be made on Thursday, the sources say.
The move is part of a communications reset for Harris after a rocky first year for the vice president, which included a rash of negative headlines and departures of senior communications staff.
Simmons, a Michigan native who is widely respected in Democratic circles, has been involved in national politics since the Clinton administration. He went on to serve as deputy communications director for the Gore presidential campaign.
He’s also served as an aide to former Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark and was chief of staff to former Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.).
Simmons also formerly worked for Hill.TV.
Simmons is expected “to really change things up,” according to one source familiar with the move.
“Jamal has a unique array of expertise that will be invaluable to the vice president and the White House,” Finney said. “Having worked in media, working as a consultant, he’s done campaigns, he’s worked on the Hill. He’s a seasoned communicator and his professional career is very diverse and he has a unique expertise that he brings. It gives him a lot of resources to draw upon.”
“There are very few of us who have worked on both sides of the microphone,” she added. “It’s just invaluable.”
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