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Gardner Pate
Gardner Pate is a Republican political advisor in the state of Texas. Pate was the chief of staff for the gubernatorial administration of Greg Abbott (R) from 2022 to 2025.[1]
Education
Pate earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Texas McCombs School of Business in 2004 and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2007.[2]
Career
Prior to becoming Gov. Abbott's chief of staff, Pate was Abbott's re-election campaign chairman.[2] On November 17, 2022, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Pate as chief of staff.[1]
Chief of staff
- See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In 2022, Ballotpedia identified Gardner Pate as a gubernatorial chief of staff. A chief of staff is the lead staff member of an administration and is responsible for implementing the governor's agenda.
The role is both a managerial and advisory position, although specific duties vary by each administration. The chief of staff typically has the following responsibilities, according to the National Governors Association (NGA):[3]
- Control access to the governor and manage the governor's calendar;
- Monitor the flow of information to the governor on policy issues;
- Oversee gubernatorial Cabinet and staff; and
- Manage and communicate the governor's policy agenda to the state legislature and the public.
In terms of policymaking, the NGA notes that a chief of staff is responsible for bringing policy and communications together: "The chief is responsible for overseeing the development of the governor’s policy agenda. The policy director or advisor is typically responsible for shaping the general concepts and specific details of the agenda with input from the communications director, policy staff, and cabinet members. The chief often must take charge and bring the pieces together coherently."[3]
See also
External links
Footnotes
