Tom Perez

Tom Perez, born on October seventh, nineteen sixty-one, in Buffalo, New York, is a distinguished American politician and attorney. He has held several prominent positions throughout his career, including serving as the senior advisor to President Joe Biden and the director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs from two thousand twenty-three to two thousand twenty-five. His extensive experience in public service includes being the United States Secretary of Labor from two thousand thirteen to two thousand seventeen and chair of the Democratic National Committee from two thousand seventeen to two thousand twenty-one.

A graduate of Brown University, Harvard Law School, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Perez began his career as a federal civil rights prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice. He also worked as a staffer for Senator Ted Kennedy and directed the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services during the final years of the Clinton administration. In two thousand two, he was elected to the Montgomery County Council in Maryland, where he served as president from two thousand five until the end of his tenure in two thousand six.

In two thousand nine, Perez was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate as the assistant attorney general for civil rights. His leadership continued as he was nominated again by Obama in two thousand thirteen to become the Secretary of Labor. Following the two thousand sixteen elections, he successfully ran for chair of the Democratic National Committee, defeating Keith Ellison in a closely contested race. He appointed Ellison as deputy chair but chose not to seek re-election in two thousand twenty-one.

In two thousand twenty-one, Perez served as a GU Politics Fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service. He later ran for the Democratic nomination in the two thousand twenty-two Maryland gubernatorial election but was defeated by Wes Moore in the primary. In June two thousand twenty-three, he joined the Biden administration, continuing his commitment to public service and civil rights.