Ben LaBolt (born August 20, 1981) is an American political advisor who served as theWhite House Communications Director for PresidentJoe Biden. He succeededKate Bedingfield in the role when she stepped down at the end of February 2023. In August 2024, LaBolt was promoted toSenior Advisor to the President succeedingAnita Dunn after her departure.^[1] Previously, LaBolt has worked on presidential campaigns forBarack Obama andHoward Dean, as well as forJan Schakowsky,Sherrod Brown, andRahm Emanuel.

LaBolt was born August 20, 1981.^[2] He is fromLa Grange, Illinois. He graduated fromLyons Township High School andMiddlebury College, earning abachelor's degree inpolitical science in 2003. At Middlebury, he was president of theCollege Democrats and volunteered onHoward Dean's2000 reelection campaign asgovernor of Vermont.^[3]

LaBolt's first job out of college was for Dean's2004 presidential campaign. He worked as the press secretary forU.S. RepresentativeJan Schakowsky,^[3] forSherrod Brown's2006 Senate campaign, forBarack Obama's Senate office, and for his2008 presidential campaign. He then served as a deputyWhite House Press Secretary during thepresidency of Barack Obama.^[4] In the White House, he worked on communications during theSonia Sotomayor andElena Kagan Supreme Court nominations.^[5]

In October 2010, LaBolt became communications director forRahm Emanuel during the2011 Chicago mayoral election.^[6] After the campaign, he served as the national press secretary for Obama's2012 presidential campaign.^[4]

In June 2013, LaBolt andRobert Gibbs co-founded a strategic communications practice called The Incite Agency,^[7] which later merged with Bully Pulpit Interactive (BPI).^[8] LaBolt became apartner at BPI.^[6]

LaBolt worked on thepresidential transition of Joe Biden following the2020 United States presidential election and as head of communications for theKetanji Brown Jackson Supreme Court nomination in 2022.^[5][8] He succeededKate Bedingfield as White House Communications Director on March 1, 2023.^[9][10] In August 2024, LaBolt was promoted to Senior Advisor to the President, taking on broad strategy and advising the president.^[11]

LaBolt is openlygay, and is the first openly gay White House Communications Director.^[8][9]

• Appearances onC-SPAN

• 1981 births
• 21st-century American LGBTQ people
• American gay politicians
• American press secretaries
• Biden administration personnel
• LGBTQ appointed officials in the United States
• LGBTQ people from Illinois
• Living people
• Middlebury College alumni
• Obama administration personnel
• People from La Grange, Illinois
• White House communications directors

• Articles with short description
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• Use mdy dates from February 2023
• People appearing on C-SPAN