TJ Ducklo, Mayor John Cooper’s top communications strategist, will leave the mayor’s office to work for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, according to the Tennessee Lookout.
The move comes 14 months after Ducklo, a veteran of Biden’s 2020 campaign, joined Cooper’s office.
Ducklo started working at the White House after Biden’s 2020 victory but the tenure did not last long, as an outburst aimed at a reporter led to his resignation. Tara Palmeri, the reporter, recently wrote about the experience and Ducklo’s efforts at reconciliation.
Ducklo, a Nashville native, joined Cooper’s office as the mayor was gearing up for both a reelection bid and negotiations over a new stadium for the Tennessee Titans. Cooper opted against reelection, but he was successful in getting a Titans deal through the Metro Council.
Ducklo did not exactly keep his head down while working in local government. Following one vote on the Titans stadium proposal, a Ducklo tweet — “Tough night for the loudest voices in the room” — triggered an angry response from nearly half of the Metro Council. He also joked (?) about calling the police on one of Cooper’s political rivals.
The Lookout notes that Ducklo’s title on the presidential campaign will be senior adviser for communications. He is expected to leave his job with Metro at the end of the month.
“I think serving at the local level has been a challenge and really good for him,” Metro chief operating officer Kristin Wilson told the Lookout.
This article first ran via our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
