Biden taps former deputy campaign manager for ambassador post

President Biden on Friday nominated his former deputy campaign manager, Rufus Gifford, as chief of protocol at the State Department with the rank of ambassador, his first ambassador nominee that has come outside the foreign service.

Gifford previously served as U.S. ambassador to Denmark during the Obama administration and before that worked as finance director for then-President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

If confirmed to the position by the Senate, Gifford would lead an office responsible for overseeing planning for diplomatic events at home and abroad, such as trips to Washington by foreign leaders.

The White House announced the nomination on Friday alongside two others: Kathleen Miller to serve as the Defense Department comptroller and Larry Turner to serve as the Labor Department’s inspector general.

Gifford’s nomination is the first of what are expected to be several ambassador nominees who come from outside the foreign service that could be announced in the coming days. Past presidents have similarly given ambassadorships to political allies and donors.

Biden is also expected to tap former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan, The Hill previously reported, and is reportedly eyeing Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve as ambassador to India.

The Hill reported earlier this week that Biden is expected to tap Nicholas Burns, a career diplomat, to serve as ambassador to China, while Tom Nides, a former deputy secretary of State under Obama who is currently an executive at Morgan Stanley, would serve as ambassador to Israel.

Biden rolled out his first slate of ambassador picks in April, pulling solely from the foreign service to fill a slate of positions in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.