Doug Jones, the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in 25 years, has appointed Dana Gresham, an African-American, as his chief of staff.
Gresham, a former assistant secretary for government affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation, is the only Black chief of staff for a Democratic senator. Two Republican senators — Tim Scott of South Carolina and Jerry Moran of Kansas — have Black chiefs of staff, according to Politico.
Jones, who was sworn in Wednesday as the 49th Democratic member of the Senate, tweeted Tuesday about Gresham’s appointment: “I would like to welcome Alabama native & former Asst. Secretary for Governmental Affairs at @USDOT Dana Gresham, who will be joining our team as Chief of Staff.”
Jones won the special election last month in Alabama with virtually the entire Black vote, defeating Republican Roy Moore, whose bid was upended by a sex scandal involving underage girls.