Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announced a longtime senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris will lead his team at the California governor’s mansion.
On Monday, Newsom named Nathan Barankin, who counseled Harris during her 2020 presidential campaign, to serve as his chief of staff. Barankin will replace Dana Williamson, who held the top position for nearly two years.
“I greatly appreciate Dana’s counsel and her service to the state and the people of California over the last two years,” Newsom said in a press release. “I’m honored to welcome Nathan — his leadership and vision will ensure our administration continues delivering on our promise to create a more affordable, healthy, and prosperous California.”
In addition to serving as a top adviser to Harris during her first bid for the White House, Barankin was her chief of staff between 2017 and 2019 during her tenure as a California senator. From 2011 through 2017, Barankin also served as Harris’s chief of staff and chief deputy when she was California’s attorney general.
“As I step into this role at a time of both challenge and opportunity, I am deeply humbled by the Governor’s appointment,” Barankin said in a statement announcing his newest position. “As Chief of Staff, my focus will be on serving the people of California by advancing the Governor’s bold agenda to create jobs, ensure safe neighborhoods, and improve the health and well-being of every family in our state.”
Barankin’s wife, Ann Patterson, also holds a top role in the Newom administration as cabinet secretary to the governor. The couple will report directly to Newsom to comply with guidelines.
Barankin’s transition into Newsom’s inner circle follows reports that Harris, his former boss, is considering a political comeback after her bruising loss to President-elect Donald Trump in the 2024 election. As her days in the Biden administration come to a close, the vice president is said to be weighing a 2026 California gubernatorial run after Newsom terms out, as well as another presidential bid in 2028.
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Newsom is widely viewed as a top Democratic contender to head the presidential ticket in four years.
Before she joined the Biden administration, Harris worked closely with Newsom in California politics for years. However, although he endorsed her candidacy for the president and did some campaigning for Harris ahead of the election, Newsom appeared to hold his former colleague at arm’s length during her ultimately failed bid for the White House this year.
