White House hires former Whitmer aide as deputy press secretary

Washington — A former aide to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been hired by the White House to serve as President Joe Biden's deputy press secretary.

Michigan native Chris Meagher heads to the White House from the communications department of the U.S. Department of Transportation, where he has worked since February as a spokesman for Secretary Pete Buttigieg. 

Meagher previously was a spokesman for Buttigieg's presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

"Chris brings a depth of experience both in government and on political campaigns, as well as a commitment to engagement, to integrity and to ensuring the public has access to information, and I could not be more thrilled to welcome him as a senior member of the White House press team," Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

For several months last year, Meagher was a communications adviser to Whitmer at a time when the governor was getting a lot of national attention for her response to the coronavirus pandemic and as a potential running mate for Biden.

In mid-May, The Detroit News found that Whitmer had made more appearances on national Sunday morning television news shows than any politician in the country, based on a review of weekly Associated Press reports.

“Chris came to my office during a critical moment at the beginning of the most challenging time of my tenure. He helped lead our communications strategy as we battled the pandemic and tried to get information out to the public, and we were fortunate to have him working on behalf of the state of Michigan," Whitmer said in a statement.

"He is excellent at what he does, and President Biden and his administration will be well served by having him in their corner as they lead our country back from this pandemic.” 

Meagher, who is from Livonia, is taking the White House job following the resignation of TJ Ducklo, who left the White House after a few weeks amid allegations that he threatened a reporter for the news website Politico.

Buttigieg said Meagher would be missed at the Transportation Department, "but it’s great news that he will serve in a new capacity as this administration works to build our country back better."

"Chris has earned the trust and appreciation of colleagues and reporters alike thanks to his work ethic, talent and integrity," the transportation secretary said.

Meagher is a graduate of Michigan State University and Detroit Catholic Central High School, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

Prior to his work for Buttigieg, he held positions with General Motors Co., the 2018 campaign of Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, D-California.

He was a reporter for six years at the Santa Barbara Independent and holds a law degree from the Santa Barbara College of Law.

“I am honored by this appointment, and look forward to supporting the important work President Biden and his team have been getting done on behalf of the American people over the last six weeks," Meagher said.

"The work continues — to rebuild our economy back better than it was before, to combat climate change and to make our country more equitable for all, and I can’t wait to get started with Jen and her stellar team."

mburke@detroitnews.com