President-Elect Donald Trump Picks RNC Chairman Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus to serve as his White House chief of staff.

Also in consideration for the post was Stephen K. Bannon, the former Goldman Sachs banker and Breitbart News executive who served as chief executive of the Trump campaign. Bannon has been given the post of chief strategist and senior counselor. Priebus, a GOP insider, is not exactly the anti-establishment pick Trump supporters would have expected as the candidate continuously promised on the campaign trail that he would "drain the swamp" that is Washington D.C.

"Bannon and Priebus will continue the effective leadership team they formed during the campaign, working as equal partners to transform the federal government, making it much more efficient, effective and productive. Bannon and Priebus will also work together with Vice President-elect Mike Pence to help lead the transition process in the run-up to Inauguration Day," a press release from the president-elect said.

Priebus has never held elected office and worked his way to his current position by serving as state treasurer in Wisconsin before he became the state Republican party's chairman. He eventually became general counsel to the RNC before he was elected chairman in 2011.

In the press release, Priebus said he was grateful to join Trump in the White House as chief of staff. He said he would work with Trump to create an economy that works for everyone, secure our borders, repeal and replace Obamacare and destroy radical Islamic terrorism.

“I am thrilled to have my very successful team continue with me in leading our country,” President-elect Trump said in the press release. “Steve and Reince are highly qualified leaders who worked well together on our campaign and led us to a historic victory. Now I will have them both with me in the White House as we work to make America great again.”

“I want to thank President-elect Trump for the opportunity to work with Reince in driving the agenda of the Trump Administration,” Bannon said in the press release. “We had a very successful partnership on the campaign, one that led to victory. We will have that same partnership in working to help President-elect Trump achieve his agenda.”

Choosing the RNC chairman as his chief of staff also indicates a mend with the GOP, whose relationship with Trump has not exactly been smooth throughout the election cycle. For his part, Priebus, unlike fellow Wisconsinite and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, has maintained his loyalty to Trump and as the New York Times notes, he urged other Republicans to get behind him despite their reservations.

Patch will update this report.

Image Credit: Gage Skidmore