Bill Burton

Senior Strategist, Priorities USA (since April 2011)

(White House YouTube Channel)

Why He Matters

Burton helped propel Barack Obama to the presidency as his 2008 campaign national press secretary, and then signed on as White House deputy press secretary. Burton helps craft the administration's message, and often subs for press secretary Robert Gibbs at press briefings-much to the delight of the White House press corps.

Burton got his start in Congress, as press secretary to then-Rep. Bill Luther (D-Minn.). His climb up Capitol Hill included communications jobs in the office of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as well as campaign posts with then-Rep. Richard Gephardt's (D-Mo.), Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), and finally Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

Read more

Corrections?

Background

At a Glance

Career History: Former Deputy White House Press Secretary (January 2009-February 2011); National press secretary, Obama for American Campaign (2007 to 2008); Communications Director, DCCC (2005 to 2006)
Birthday: August 9, 1977
Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.

Alma Mater: University of Minnesota
Spouse: Laura Capps

Path to Power

Burton was raised mostly by his father, foundry machinist Troy Burton, in Buffalo, N.Y.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota, Burton moved to Washington, D.C., to work for Minnesota Democratic Rep. Bill Luther.

Read more

In 2001, Burton moved Senate-side to work for the influential Iowan Sen. Tom Harkin (D). As press secretary to Harkin, Burton learned the nuts-and-bolts of political communications in Iowa, a key state in presidential politics.

2004 Presidential Campaigns

Aftr two years with Harkin, Burton was drafted to Rep. Richard Gephardt's (D-Mo.) presidential campaign in 2003. When Gephardt dropped out of the 2004 race, Burton signed on with another candidate, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.). Kerry won the Democratic nomination in 2004, but lost the White House to incumbent George W. Bush.

Romance

It was during that campaign season that Burton met his future wife, Laura Capps, the daughter of Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.). At first, Capps and Burton were rivals: she was Kerry's Iowa press secretary while he was still campaigning for Gephardt. Romance had already bloomed by the time they began working together for Kerry.

Capps, who has worked in the Clinton White House and for Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), continues to work in Democratic communications consulting.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

After Kerry's loss, Burton began a very brief stint as press secretary in the Senate office of Illinoisan Dick Durbin (D) in early 2005.

But he was soon picked up by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the House Democrats' campaign arm. As communications director, Burton was a key part of a staggeringly successful push to get Democrats elected to the House. Democrats won big in 2006, taking back the House after 12 years of Republican domination.

During that campaign cycle, the DCCC was run by another Illinoisan: then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.). Emanuel was a Chicago ally of then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and would later become Obama's chief of staff.

2008 Obama Presidential Campaign

But in early 2007, Burton left to join the fledgling presidential campaign of the other senator from Illinois, Obama.

As candidate Obama's national press secretary, Burton began working for campaign communications director Robert Gibbs, who would later become his boss in the White House.

Obama White House

Obama's win in November 2008 sent Burton to the White House, where he became deputy to press secretary Robert Gibbs.

He took over daily press briefings when Gibbs was not traveling with the president, and his easygoing attitude soon made him a favorite among the White House press corps.

The Issues

In the West Wing and in the briefing room, Burton is a laid back foil to his more combative boss, Robert Gibbs.

Quick with a joke and a smile, Burton is apt to use humor to deflect some of the press corps' peskier questions.

Read more

The Network

In the White House, Burton works for Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. He works closely with the White House communications team, led by Dan Pfeiffer, as well as Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest and assistant Press Secretary Tommy Vietor.

Burton's resume boasts a slew of powerful Capitol Hill names. In addition to stints with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), former Rep. Richard Gephardt's (D-Mo.) and Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), he has worked for Illinoisans Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)

Read more

Additional Resources