# White House Political Director

The White House Political Director, formally the Director of the Office of Political Affairs (OPA) or Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach (OPSO), is a political appointee of the President of the United States and a senior member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.

## History

The White House Office of Political Affairs was first formally established in 1981 during under Ronald Reagan, while Jimmy Carter was the first to designate a political director in 1978.
Subsequent administrations have rebranded the office. During his second term, President Obama renamed the office as the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach, though the roles and responsibilities of the office and its director remained.

## List

| Image | Name | Start | End | President |
| | Tim Kraft | April 28, 1978 | August 10, 1979 | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| | Sarah Weddington | August 10, 1979 | January 20, 1981 | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| | Lyn Nofziger | January 20, 1981 | January 22, 1982 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| | Ed Rollins | January 22, 1982 | October 1983 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| | Margaret Tutwiler Acting | July 23, 1984 | February 5, 1985 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| | Bill Lacy | April 5, 1985 | June 17, 1986 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| | Haley Barbour | June 17, 1986 | March 16, 1987 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| | Frank Lavin | March 16, 1987 | January 20, 1989 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| | James Wray | January 20, 1989 | June 1, 1990 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| | David Carney | June 1, 1990 Acting: June 1, 1990 – March 5, 1991 | January 1992 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| | Ron Kaufman | January 1992 | August 24, 1992 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| | Janet Mullins | August 24, 1992 | January 20, 1993 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| | Rahm Emanuel | January 20, 1993 | June 23, 1993 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| | Joan Baggett | June 23, 1993 | December 1994 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| | Joe Velasquez Acting | December 1994 | February 16, 1995 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| | Doug Sosnik | February 16, 1995 | February 7, 1997 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| | Craig Smith | February 7, 1997 | February 5, 1999 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| | Minyon Moore | February 5, 1999 | January 20, 2001 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| | Ken Mehlman | January 20, 2001 | May 23, 2003 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| | Matt Schlapp | May 23, 2003 | February 2005 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| | Sara Taylor | February 2005 | May 31, 2007 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| | Jonathan Felts | May 31, 2007 | January 20, 2009 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| | Patrick Gaspard | January 20, 2009 | February 1, 2011 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| Vacant | Vacant | February 1, 2011 | January 24, 2014 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| | David Simas | January 24, 2014 | December 19, 2016 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| | Bill Stepien | January 20, 2017 | December 7, 2018 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| | Brian Jack | February 2, 2019 | January 20, 2021 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| | Emmy Ruiz | January 20, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| | Matt Brasseaux | January 20, 2025 | Incumbent | Donald Trump (2025–present) |

### Political and Intergovernmental Affairs

During the second term of the Reagan administration, there was a director of political and intergovernmental affairs who sat above the political director and intergovernmental affairs director.
| Name | Start | End | President |
| Ed Rollins | February 5, 1985 | October 1, 1985 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| Mitch Daniels | October 1, 1985 | March 1, 1987 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| Frank Donatelli | March 1, 1987 | January 20, 1989 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |

## In popular culture

Paulo Costanzo portrays Lyor Boone, the fictional White House Political Director, in Designated Survivor, a political thriller television series.