Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the departure of his chief of staff Dana Williamson on Monday and named Nathan Barankin, a former aide to Vice President Kamala Harris, as the fourth person to hold the top job in six years.
The Democratic front-runner is transitioning from a seasoned Sacramento operator to one with additional experience in Washington as he begins his final two-year stint as California governor and speculation mounts about his political future .
“I greatly appreciate Dana’s guidance and service to the state and people of California over the past two years,” Newsom said in a statement. “I am honored to welcome Nathan – his leadership and vision will ensure our administration continues to deliver on its promise to create a more affordable, healthier and more prosperous California.”
Barankin, who is married to Newsom’s Cabinet Secretary Ann Patterson, left his consulting firm and joined the governor’s office two months ago as a senior adviser as part of a prolonged transition. He served as a senior adviser to Harris during her failed 2020 presidential bid, chief of staff in the U.S. Senate and worked as her right-hand man in the California attorney general’s office.
Compared to previous governors, Newsom has experienced particularly high staff turnover. Each of Barankin’s predecessors in Newsom’s office held this fast-paced and demanding role for about two years.
“It’s a very demanding job,” said Rob Stutzman, a Republican strategist who worked for former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and described Barankin as a “well-experienced, level-headed, steady hand.”
“I don’t see who would have been a better choice,” he said.
The governor surprised California politicians in 2018 when he hired Ann O’Leary, a Washington, D.C. political veteran and longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, as his first chief of staff despite her lack of familiarity with Sacramento. O’Leary stepped down after getting his administration off the ground, battling then-President Trump and managing the state’s response during the turbulent first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Newsom went in the opposite direction when he hired Jim DeBoo, a veteran political operative with experience working in and outside of California government, to replace O’Leary in late 2020. DeBoo helped stabilize the governor’s relationships with lawmakers and interest groups and navigate in the opposite direction. the state’s path to post-pandemic normalcy. He guided Newsom’s team as the governor survived GOP efforts to recall him from office in 2021 and cruised through re-election in 2022 to a second term.
Williamson joined Newsom’s office in DeBoo’s place in early 2023 with a reputation as a smart and tough cabinet secretary to former Gov. Jerry Brown. She took over at a time when California’s budget outlook quickly shifted from a surplus to a shortage and Newsom was forced to cut programs and delay funding for some of his policy promises.
She led the governor’s political fight against the oil industry, facilitated deals between business and unions on fast food worker wages and workplace lawsuits, and provided a steady hand in Sacramento as Newsom traveled the country during the 2024 presidential election.
“It’s always hard to leave this job, but in just two years we’ve made a lasting impact,” Williamson said in a statement. “I have had the honor of serving under three governors and when asked what I will miss most, my answer is always the same: the privilege of working with some of the smartest and most committed people I ‘ve never known. I am grateful for every day I had.
Barankin takes the reins as Newsom prepares to fight the new Trump administration over abortion access, climate change programs and disaster aid, among other expected fights and the potential loss of billions of dollars in federal funding that threatens to worsen California’s bleak budget outlook.
The new chief of staff will also have responsibility for cementing a positive legacy for the 40th governor of a state plagued by homelessness, a housing crisis and other major problems, as Newsom prepares for a possible candidacy for president in 2028.
“I am deeply honored to take on this role during a time of both challenge and opportunity,” Barankin said. “As chief of staff, my focus will be on serving the people of California by advancing the Governor’s bold agenda to create jobs, keep neighborhoods safe, and improve the health and well-being of every family of our state. »
