Reince Priebus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Reince Priebus
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Priebus in 2017
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| 27th White House Chief of Staff | |
| In office January 20, 2017 – July 31, 2017 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Katie Walsh Joe Hagin Rick Dearborn |
| Preceded by | Denis McDonough |
| Succeeded by | John F. Kelly |
| Chair of the Republican National Committee | |
| In office January 14, 2011 – January 19, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Michael Steele |
| Succeeded by | Ronna McDaniel |
| Chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin | |
| In office January 19, 2007 – January 14, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Graber |
| Succeeded by | Brad Courtney |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Reinhold Richard Priebus
March 18, 1972 Dover, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Sally Sherrow
(m. 1999) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Wisconsin, Whitewater (BA) University of Miami (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service | 2019–present |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Bureau of Naval Personnel |
Reinhold Richard "Reince" Priebus (born March 18, 1972) is an American politician and lawyer. He also serves as a naval officer. Priebus was the chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 2011 to 2017. He then worked as the White House chief of staff for the first six months of Donald Trump's presidency.
Priebus grew up in Wisconsin. He became a lawyer after graduating from the University of Miami School of Law in 1998. In 2007, he was elected chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party. Two years later, he became the main lawyer for the Republican National Committee. He was elected chairman of the RNC in 2011. As chairman, Priebus often spoke against the policies of President Barack Obama. He led the Republican Party during the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections. He supported Donald Trump in the 2016 general election, even though he had opposed him earlier. Priebus served as Trump's chief of staff from January to July 2017. His time as chief of staff was the shortest for a non-temporary chief of staff in American history.
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Early Life and Education
Reince Priebus was born on March 18, 1972, in Dover, New Jersey. His parents are Dimitra and Richard Priebus. When he was seven, his family moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin. His father was an electrician, and his mother was a real estate agent. His family has roots from Germany, England, and Greece.
Priebus got involved in politics early. At 16, he volunteered for his first political campaign. He went to George Nelson Tremper High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and graduated in 1990. After high school, he studied English and political science at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. He was also elected student body president.
After college, Priebus worked for the Wisconsin State Assembly Education Committee. He then went to the University of Miami School of Law in Florida. While studying law, he worked for different courts. He also interned at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. In 1998, he earned his law degree. He then returned to Wisconsin and became a lawyer.
Starting His Political Career
In 2004, Priebus ran for the Wisconsin State Senate. He lost the election to the Democratic candidate. In 2007, he was elected chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. He was the youngest person to hold this position. In 2009, he also became the general counsel (main lawyer) for the Republican National Committee (RNC).
As chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, Priebus helped the party win many elections in November 2010. Before this, Wisconsin was mostly a Democratic state. The Republican Party gained control of the State Senate and Assembly. A Republican governor was also elected. Priebus worked to unite different groups within the Republican party.
Priebus continued as state party chairman and RNC general counsel until 2010. Then, he decided to run for chairman of the RNC.
Becoming RNC Chairman in 2011
On December 5, 2010, Priebus left his role as RNC general counsel. The next day, he announced he was running for RNC chairman. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker supported Priebus. Walker said Priebus's leadership helped the party win in Wisconsin. Priebus promised to manage money carefully and raise funds for the RNC.
On January 14, 2011, Reince Priebus was elected chairman of the RNC after several rounds of voting.
Leading the Republican National Committee (2011–2017)
First Term as Chairman
When Priebus became RNC chairman in January 2011, the RNC had a $23 million debt. It also had problems with major donors. Priebus aimed to reduce the debt and improve the RNC's finances. He also wanted to help Republicans in the 2012 United States presidential election. He focused on getting more people to vote. This included improving voter registration and absentee ballot programs. By the end of 2011, Priebus had raised over $88 million. He also cut the RNC's debt to $11.8 million.
During the 2012 presidential election, Priebus often criticized President Obama. He appeared on many political TV shows. He continued to raise money for the RNC. By the end of 2012, the RNC had no debt. After the Republican loss in the election, Priebus called for changes. He wanted Republicans to support immigration reform. He also ordered reviews of the RNC's operations. This included how the party talked to young people, women, and Hispanic voters. He started a plan called "The Growth and Opportunity Project".
On January 25, 2013, Priebus was re-elected for another term as RNC chairman. He ran without anyone opposing him.
Second Term as Chairman
For his second term, Priebus wanted to "transform the party." He said the party would no longer focus only on "red and blue states."
On March 18, 2013, Priebus presented the "Growth and Opportunity Project" report. This report was based on a four-month study. It suggested a full plan for the party to improve its operations. Key ideas included:
- Improving the Republican Party's digital tools and research.
- Spending $10 million to reach out to minority communities.
- Supporting immigration reform.
- Making the presidential primary season shorter.
In September 2013, Priebus convinced CNN and NBC News to cancel planned movies about Hillary Clinton. He said the networks would not be allowed to host Republican debates if the films were made.
In May 2014, the RNC launched the Victory 365 program. This program aimed to encourage volunteers across the U.S. to reach out to their communities. Priebus also worked to shorten the presidential primary calendar. This change was approved in January 2014.
Priebus also led efforts to reach out to Black, Latino, and Asian American voters. In July 2014, he said the Republican Party was spending about $8.5 million per month on these efforts. They had also opened offices in 15 states.
On October 2, 2014, Priebus shared the RNC's "Principles for American Renewal." These were 11 goals for the Republican Party before the 2016 United States presidential election. The goals included creating jobs, caring for veterans, and reducing government spending.
On January 16, 2015, Priebus was re-elected for a third term as RNC chairman.
Third Term as Chairman
On October 30, 2015, the RNC announced that NBC News would not host a debate in February 2016. This decision came after a debate where candidates clashed with moderators. Priebus said that the previous debate was handled in "bad faith." He felt the questions were "mean-spirited" and designed to embarrass the candidates.
In 2015, after then-candidate Donald Trump made comments about Mexican immigrants, Priebus reportedly spoke to him seriously. In December, Priebus publicly disagreed with Trump's idea to temporarily stop Muslim immigration. On April 22, 2016, Priebus asked for party unity, no matter who became the Republican nominee.
After Trump became the likely nominee, Priebus again publicly said Trump needed to "change his tone." However, after Trump won the Republican nomination, Priebus worked closely with him. He helped stop efforts by some delegates to prevent Trump's nomination.
On November 13, 2016, after winning the presidential election, Donald Trump chose Priebus to be his White House chief of staff.
White House Chief of Staff (2017)
As White House chief of staff, Priebus had a lot of control over who could meet with President Trump in the Oval Office. He worked to manage the flow of information and people to the President.
On February 19, Priebus stated that intelligence officials had found no contact between the Trump campaign and Russian spies. This was in response to news reports.
Priebus resigned on July 27, 2017. The next day, Trump announced that John F. Kelly would be the new chief of staff. Kelly took office on July 31. Priebus's time as chief of staff was the shortest for a permanent chief of staff in history. He stayed for a few weeks to help Kelly transition into the role.
After the White House
After leaving the White House, Priebus returned to working as a lawyer. He also became a speaker. On June 10, 2019, Priebus joined the United States Navy Reserve as an officer. He was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence. Priebus said he wanted to serve after meeting the family of a Navy SEAL who was killed in action.
In 2020, President Trump announced he would nominate Priebus to a commission related to the White House Fellows program.
Priebus was the chairman of the committee that hosted the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. He has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for political office in Wisconsin in the future.
Personal Life
In 1999, Reince Priebus married Sally L. Sherrow. They met in church when they were teenagers. They have two children. Priebus is an important member of the Greek Orthodox Church.
See also
In Spanish: Reince Priebus para niños
