Vice President Kamala Harris is replacing her outgoing chief of staff Tina Flournoy with a senior advisor who's been working with the VP since last summer.
Driving the news: Flournoy has been with the team from the beginning and is the highest-ranking of the VP's office to leave amid a flurry of other significant departures in the last several months. A White House official told Axios Flournoy is departing for "personal reasons."
- Lorraine Voles, senior advisor to Harris, will start as her chief of staff next month.
The big picture: Several members of Harris' communications team have already left, including Symone Sanders (a senior advisor) at the end of last year, amid what critics viewed as a poorly-run office and comms shop.
- In recent months, Harris' national security adviser, deputy chief of staff and speechwriter have left for various reasons.
The backdrop: Flournoy has worked in Democratic politics for decades, previously serving as chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton.
- Voles served as former Vice President Al Gore's communications director and as an advisor to Hillary Clinton in 2008.
- Flournoy, Voles, and VP Harris have been coordinating the transition for several weeks, the White House official added.
The Washington Post first reported news of Flournoy's departure.
What they're saying: In a statement, Vice President Harris said she will continue to rely on Flournoy's "advice, counsel and friendship.”...
- “Tina has been a valued advisor and confidant to me and tremendous leader for the office. From day 1, she led our team during a historic first