Latina leading Biden bid would be ‘big deal’
President Joe Biden's re-election bid, made obvious by the monthslong touting of his agenda, may kick off this week.
And it may come as early as today, on what would be the anniversary of his 2020 Democratic presidential announcement, according to multiple reports. He's expected to announce in a video to supporters.
Over the weekend, more news surfaced about his 2024 run, including reports that the Biden team has chosen Julie Chávez Rodriguez to serve as campaign manager.
She could be the first Latina/o to serve in this capacity.
It would be historic and critical in other ways — by galvanizing women voters and the Mexican American electorate in particular.
It would be a great first move by the Biden campaign.
Chávez Rodriguez's personal story brims with U.S. history.
She's the granddaughter of labor and civil rights leaders César and Helen Chávez and daughter of the late Linda Chávez Rodriguez and retired United Farm Worker president Arturo Rodriguez.
Her father, a native San Antonian, now lives here with his second wife, Sonia Rodriguez, a past president of the legendary Communities Organized for Public Service. She remains involved with the group, now known as COPS/METRO Alliance.
Arturo Rodriguez, a St. Mary's University graduate who succeeded cofounder César Chávez as UFW president, serves as its president emeritus and continues to advocate for farm workers' rights and benefits in Congress.
If indeed chosen, his daughter reportedly will become the first Latina/o to serve as a campaign manager for a major political party's presidential nominee.
Twitter buzzed, describing her as a “brilliant strategist” and “tough as hell.”
“Julie Chávez Rodriguez has paved the way for Latinos in this space, and she continues to pave the way by being at the helm of the reelection-campaign … the first Latina campaign manager,” another tweet said.
“What a breathtakingly wonderful piece of news,” said Cecilia Muñoz, who served in the Obama White House. “Nobody more capable — or with a greater heart — than the brilliant @Juliecr46.”
Another tweet encapsulated what most of those tweets said, “This is a very big deal.”
It is.
Biden will need to capture the Latino vote, along with other voter subgroups, if he expects to win.
Biden, 80, will battle Trump, 76, on the campaign trail again, barring earth-shattering news from a prosecutor, judge or jury that could stymie the latter's campaign.
CBS broke the news of Chávez Rodriguez's move from the West Wing, where she serves as a senior adviser and assistant to the president, making her the highestranking Latina/o in the White House. She also has continued to lead the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, putting her in contact with mayors, county executives and governors.
She'll run the campaign's day-to-day operations from Biden's hometown of Wilmington, Del., or Philadelphia.
“The big-picture, strategic decisions and coordination of the president's official and campaign schedules are still expected to be crafted mostly by a group of senior aides,” CBS reported.
That includes deputy chief of staff Jennifer O'malley Dillon, who managed the campaign in 2020, and Anita Dunn, who's likely to be “running the (2024) show.”
Chávez Rodriguez and her family history have been embedded in the Biden White House.
A bronze bust of her grandfather sits behind the president's desk in the Oval Office. A rose named for the labor leader was planted in the Rose Garden.
Chávez Rodriguez has longtime White House connections.
She served in the Obama administration as special assistant to the president and senior deputy director of public engagement. She was national political director and traveling chief of staff for then-sen. Kamala Harris' 2020 presidential campaign before Harris became Biden's VP pick.
Chávez Rodriguez served as deputy campaign manager for Biden's 2020 campaign.
In March, Trinity University hosted a screening of a new film, “A Song for César.” San Antonio responded by packing the auditorium.
It featured the artists — musicians in particular — who supported the UFW'S cause by performing in concerts for it.
Chávez Rodriguez appears in the film, recounting an endearing story about her grandfather's love of jazz and a list he carried of his top 100 jazz albums. He kept it in his pocket and whenever he traveled to New York for union business, he would squeeze in a visit to a used record store in search of those albums.
Her grandfather had a collection of albums that included home-made cassettes.
She was a kid, only 5, when she started knocking on doors at the union's headquarters, looking for work. She found a job with her grandmother at the UFW'S credit union. As a girl, she participated in boycotts and protests, got arrested and went before a judge.
At 10, she was at her grandfather's side during his last fast, measuring the water he drank.
Chávez Rodriguez was born into a political dynasty, and looks like she'll remain an eyewitness to history.