Kamala Harris Announces Three Women of Color to Top Aides List

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris adds three women to her list of White House senior staff, which is almost entirely comprised of people of color, and here’s what you need to know.

Harris announced today that she has welcomed Hartina Flournoy, Rohini Kosoglu, and Nancy McEldowney to her team. Flournoy will serve as the Chief of Staff, Kosoglu will act as the Domestic Policy Advisor, and McEldowney will serve as the National Security Advisor to the Vice President. These women will serve alongside Vice President aides Symone Sanders and Ashley Etienne. Harris announced the hiring of these three women on her social media today.

Flournoy, a former aide to President Bill Clinton, founded a group of Democratic African-American women in politics known as the “Colored Girls,” and has worked extensively in politics to give a voice to people of color. Kosoglu, a South Asian American woman, was a Senior Advisor to both Harris and Biden during the presidential campaign and as part of the transition team. In addition to working with Biden and Harris, she has also served as Chief of Staff in the United States Senate and was involved in passing the Affordable Care Act.

Truly honored to join @TeamJoe. Growing up, I never could have imagined myself in these rooms. Both @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris, speak to why this next generation of women and girls can. pic.twitter.com/pAVPcdWM1B

— Rohini Kosoglu (@RohiniKos) August 21, 2020

Prior to working with Harris and Biden, McEldowney served for over 30 years in the United States Foreign Service as an ambassador and as a Director of the Foreign Service Institute at the Department of State. She also worked alongside former President Clinton as the Director of European Affairs. She is one of the only white women on Harris’ senior staff. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton congratulated Flournoy and McEldowney on Twitter.

More good news. Tina Flournoy has been a terrific chief of staff to Bill for nearly eight years, and I worked with Nancy McEldowney at State. The VP-Elect is building a fantastic team, and I can’t wait to see them in action. https://t.co/DJumqB2jnB

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 3, 2020

Flournoy, Kosoglu, and McEldowney will work alongside Sanders and Etienne, who will primarily work on Harris’ communications team. We can’t wait to see what these women accomplish alongside Vice President-elect Harris and President-elect Joe Biden.