VP Harris' Office Faces Uphill Climb After Symone Sanders Departure

VP Harris' Office Faces Uphill Climb After Symone Sanders Departure

Vice President Kamala Harris’ office is facing an uphill battle after her senior advisor and chief spokesperson Symone Sanders announced she will be leaving her office by the end of the year.

It is not clear why Sanders is leaving or what she plans to do after she resigns from the Vice President’s staff.  Sanders is the most recent high-profile exit after Ashley Etienne, Harris’ communication director also announced her departure. 

“I'm so grateful to the VP for her vote of confidence from the very beginning and the opportunity to see what can be unburdened by what has been. I'm grateful for [Harris chief of staff] Tina [Flournoy] and her leadership and her confidence as well. Every day, I arrived to the White House complex knowing our work made a tangible difference for Americans. I am immensely grateful and will miss working for her and with all of you,” Sanders said in a written statement.

Sanders had previously served as President Biden's senior campaign advisor during his 2020 run for the White House and she had worked with him for nearly three years.


The turmoil in her office has been concerning for Democrats as they worry about her chances as a 2024 or 2028 presidential candidate. “No one seems happy,” according to a source familiar with Harris’ office.

Director of Press Operations Peter Velz and Deputy Director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs Vince Evans are also set to depart soon. 

One Democratic operative says there is “too much dissatisfaction” with her office and another source has said, “the way she runs things does not necessarily set her up for success.”

Harris has had a history of staffing problems dating back to her days as California Attorney General and her failed 2020 presidential campaign where she dropped out of the race two months prior to the Iowa caucus. Harris currently has a 28% approval rating according to a USA Today-Suffolk University poll.