The Walz office issued a press release today about changes on his congressional staff:
Today, Congressman Tim Walz announced that Minnesota native Josh Syrjamaki has accepted an offer to become his Chief of Staff. Syrjamaki is a well-known Minnesota political leader andpreviously served as a top aide to the late Senator Paul Wellstone.
"I'm thrilled to have Josh on board," said Walz. "His years of public service in Minnesota will serve the First Congressional District well
Josh understands the issues that are important to Minnesotans and their families and I am pleased that he will be putting that knowledge to work on my staff. I will benefit greatly from his counsel."
"I am excited about this opportunity," said Syrjamaki. "Congressman Walz has built an impressive record of effective leadership in Congress over the last ten months. I look forward to working for him on behalf
of southern Minnesotans."Syrjamaki will join the Walz office in early December.
Syrjamaki had run for state DFL chair when Mike Erlandson stepped down; Brian Melendez won the contest. If we recall correctly, Syramaki was seen at the time by some of our friends as the outstate and labor candidate in the chair race.
The PB's Political Party has more:
Syrjamaki will leave his post as the Minnesota director of America Votes, the get-out-the-vote organization backed by labor and progressive/liberal groups that helped get DFL voters to the polls last year, though not directly with Walz's campaign.
He is to work primarily in Minnesota, replacing Rochester native Peg McGlinch, who worked out of the D.C. office. She left the congressman's staff last month.
Walz's communications director Meredith Salsbery said the hire and McGlinch's departure were not part of a staff shake-up. Salsbery said her departure, which she said was for personal reasons, started a search for a new chief of staff. She stressed that Syrjamaki's policy and constituent case work experience with Wellstone was the big draw for Walz, more than his political experience.
In Washington, legislative director and deputy chief of staff Jeremy Bratt will manage the congressman's Capitol Hill office, she said.
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