Monday presented yet another high-profile departure from the Biden White House, with former Columbia, South Carolina, Mayor Stephen Benjamin announced as the replacement for outgoing Office of Public Engagement Director Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Benjamin, Columbia's first black mayor, will be tasked with leading the Biden administration's efforts to communicate his agenda with the public. He joins a lengthy list of former mayors, including Bottoms, Pete Buttigieg, Marty Walsh, and Mitch Landrieu, who have filled top posts.
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"Mayor Benjamin is a longtime public servant, who has served the people of South Carolina for over two decades statewide and as a three-term mayor of Columbia. As a former President of both the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the African American Mayors Association, Steve’s deep relationships with communities across the country will serve our Administration and the American public well," President Joe Biden said in a statement. "As mayor of Columbia, Steve focused on the economic development of Main Street, job creation and maintaining a just, diverse, and trusted law enforcement department. He understands what Americans across the country expect and deserve from their government."
Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, and a short list candidate to be Biden's running mate in 2020, is leaving the administration after less than a year. She replaced former Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) over the summer. Richmond, the national co-chairman of Biden's 2020 campaign, took up a high-profile position with the Democratic National Committee after departing the White House.
Bottoms's departure also follows quick on the heels of several other high-ranking White House officials, including former chief of staff Ron Klain, who was replaced by former COVID-19 czar Jeff Zients, and former National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, who was replaced by former Federal Reserve vice-chairwoman Lael Brainard.
"Under Keisha’s leadership, the Office of Public Engagement has kept equity at the heart of our agenda, and continues to serve as the connective tissue between our Administration and everyday Americans who may not have a voice to reach Washington otherwise," Biden added of Bottoms. "I have leaned on Keisha as a close advisor with exceptional instincts, and I am grateful to her for serving our nation with honor and integrity. I wish her the best as she returns home to Atlanta to be with her family."
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The Office of Public Engagement has served as a significant force for Biden in rallying support from the black community, and Benjamin could be a critical resource ahead of the president's yet-to-be-announced reelection effort after Democrats voted to make South Carolina the party's first presidential primary.