Reince Priebus

Reince Priebus
The White House · Public domain · source
Name	Reince Priebus
Birth name	Reinhold Richard Priebus
Birth date	18 March 1972
Birth place	Derry Township, Wisconsin, United States
Occupation	Attorney, political operative
Party	Republican Party
Spouse	Sally Sherrow
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Madison; University of Miami School of Law

Reince Priebus is an American attorney and political operative who served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2011 to 2017 and as White House Chief of Staff under Donald Trump from January to July 2017. He rose through Republican organizations and legal practice in Wisconsin before becoming a national party leader and a senior White House official during the 2017 administration.

Early life and education

Priebus was born in March 1972 in Dodge County, Wisconsin to parents of German American and Polish American ancestry and raised in the town of Kohler. He attended Homestead High School and matriculated at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he joined student organizations and engaged with campus chapters of the College Republicans and conservative groups associated with figures like George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and Barry Goldwater. Priebus earned a B.A. in political science before attending the University of Miami School of Law, obtaining a Juris Doctor and participating in legal clinics influenced by jurisprudence linked to jurists such as Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

Legal career and early political involvement

After law school Priebus began practicing law at a Milwaukee firm and became active in Wisconsin Republican Party operations, working on campaigns that included contests featuring Tommy Thompson, Scott Walker, and other statewide candidates. He served in party posts and as general counsel to state committees, developing connections with national figures like Karl Rove, Newt Gingrich, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. Priebus combined private practice with political strategy, advising campaigns during the 2004 United States presidential election, the 2008 United States presidential election, and GOP efforts in the Wisconsin Legislature and municipal races.

Republican National Committee chairmanship

In 2011 Priebus was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, succeeding Michael Steele and overseeing party operations through the 2012 and 2016 election cycles. His tenure involved fundraising efforts tied to major donors and organizations such as the National Republican Congressional Committee, coordination with political action committees like American Crossroads, and organizational reforms addressing voter data systems including collaborations with vendors used in the 2004 United States presidential election and the 2012 United States presidential election. Priebus presided during contentious presidential primaries featuring candidates including Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump, navigating internal disputes involving factions aligned with Tea Party, libertarian-leaning activists, and establishment figures like Paul Ryan. He advocated outreach to constituencies reflected in demographic coalitions associated with cities such as Miami, Phoenix, Charlotte, and Houston and coordinated RNC responses to national events including the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Boston Marathon bombing, and policy debates in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.

White House Chief of Staff

Following the 2016 presidential election, Priebus was appointed White House Chief of Staff for the incoming Trump administration, succeeding the acting transition team leadership that included figures from Presidential Transition Act frameworks and staff with ties to Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, and Jared Kushner. His brief tenure involved managing White House operations, liaison activities with congressional leaders such as Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan, and coordination with Cabinet nominees including Rex Tillerson and Jeff Sessions. Priebus worked amid competing internal power centers and policy disputes tied to the 2017 inaugural agenda, the administration's positions on executive actions, and communication strategies involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice. He left the post in July 2017, succeeded by John F. Kelly.

Post-White House career and later activities

After departing the White House, Priebus returned to private legal practice and consulting, affiliating with law firms and advisory entities that engage with regulatory, compliance, and political matters connected to jurisdictions such as Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, and New York. He appeared as a commentator on broadcast platforms and engaged with organizations including think tanks and advocacy groups that interface with policymakers from the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Priebus has undertaken corporate board roles and provided strategic counsel to campaigns and political committees during the 2018 United States midterm elections, the 2020 United States presidential election, and subsequent GOP activities involving leaders such as Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley.

Personal life and political positions

Priebus is married to Sally Sherrow, and the couple has two children; they reside in Wisconsin and maintain a home near Milwaukee. He is Roman Catholic and has cited influences from conservative legal scholars and politicians including Ed Meese, Robert Bork, and Antonin Scalia. On policy he has supported positions typical of mainstream Republican platforms such as tax policy aligned with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017-era arguments, robust defense spending advocated by congressional leaders like John McCain, and immigration stances debated in legislative vehicles such as proposed reforms in the United States Senate. He has also spoken about party unity and institutional reform within the Republican National Committee and has testified publicly on organizational matters before party bodies and panels involving figures like Reince Priebus.

Category:Living people Category:1972 births Category:People from Wisconsin