Biden campaign taps state Democratic operatives to lead North Carolina reelection bid

President Joe Biden has picked three Democratic operatives to lead his 2024 reelection campaign in the Old North State, which he visited multiple times last year and seems to be keying into for the general election.

“Our North Carolina leadership team has deep ties to communities across the state, and will lead a team that reflects the diversity of North Carolina,” said Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden’s campaign manager.

“This team will build on Democrats’ strong work to organize this competitive state that President Biden will win in November,” said Chavez Rodriguez in an email statement.

Gov. Roy Cooper said it’s “a battle-tested team that knows our state and provides a clear indication that President Biden is running to win in North Carolina.”

Biden “has a strong record of creating opportunity and protecting our cherished freedoms. It’s an agenda that resonates here and with this strong, diverse leadership team, it will put us in the best position to win,” Cooper said in a statement shared by the Biden campaign.

Biden will not be facing a primary opponent in the North Carolina race but if elected as the party’s nominee for the general election, will need state voters to choose him over a Republican, possibly in a rematch against former President Donald Trump.

North Carolina has in recent years voted for the Republican presidential candidate, including opting in 2016 and 2020 for Trump. The margins were small, with Trump beating Biden in 2020 by 1.3% of votes. This makes the state a likely target for both major parties.

Here’s the new North Carolina team:

• For state campaign manager, Biden chose David Berrios, who currently serves as the White House liaison at the U.S. Department of Energy. Before that, Berrios was head of community at Swing Left, where he oversaw the organization’s national organizing and mobilization efforts on behalf of Democratic campaigns and candidates, according to the Biden campaign. He also served in 2020 during the general election as the coordinated campaign director for the North Carolina Democratic Party and the Biden campaign. Berrios is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies.

• For senior advisor, Biden chose La’Tanta McCrimmon, who is a senior director at APCO Worldwide, an advisory and advocacy communications consultancy. She is also head of the Government Affairs practice for APCO South. Prior to this, she was the director of legislative affairs for Cooper and worked as the deputy legislative director for the governor’s office and as the deputy director for government affairs for the state’s health and human services department. She was also North Carolina state director for the Biden campaign in 2020.

• Also for senior advisor, Biden chose Scott Falmlen, who is the co-founder and partner of Nexus Strategies, a Raleigh political and business affairs consulting firm that largely works with Democratic campaigns, including the 2020 campaigns for Biden, Cooper and U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham. He’s also served in leadership roles in the campaigns of Attorney General Josh Stein and U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield. Falmlen also served as executive director of the North Carolina Democratic Party from 1999-2005 and the Florida Democratic Party from 1995-1999. He received a bachelor of arts in political science with minors in business and history from Georgetown College.