Rahm Emanuel

Rahm Emanuel
Official portrait, 2022
31st United States Ambassador to Japan
In office March 25, 2022 – January 15, 2025
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Bill Hagerty (2019)
Succeeded by	Joseph M. Young (Chargé d’Affaires ad interim)[1]
55th Mayor of Chicago
In office May 16, 2011 – May 20, 2019
Deputy	Ray Suarez Brendan Reilly
Preceded by	Richard M. Daley
Succeeded by	Lori Lightfoot
23rd White House Chief of Staff
In office January 20, 2009 – October 1, 2010
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	Mona Sutphen Jim Messina
Preceded by	Joshua Bolten
Succeeded by	Pete Rouse (acting)
Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
In office January 3, 2007 – January 2, 2009
Deputy	John B. Larson
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	Jim Clyburn
Succeeded by	John B. Larson
Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Bob Matsui
Succeeded by	Chris Van Hollen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 5th district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 2, 2009
Preceded by	Rod Blagojevich
Succeeded by	Mike Quigley
Senior Advisor to the President
In office January 20, 1993 – November 7, 1998
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Doug Sosnik
White House Director of Political Affairs
In office January 20, 1993 – June 23, 1993
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Janet Mullins
Succeeded by	Joan Baggett
Personal details
Born	Rahm Israel Emanuel (1959-11-29) November 29, 1959 (age 65) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Amy Rule ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	3
Relatives	Ari Emanuel (brother) Ezekiel Emanuel (brother)
Education	Sarah Lawrence College (BA) Northwestern University (MA)
Occupation	Politician diplomat political strategist legislator
Signature
Rahm Emanuel's voice Emanuel's opening statement at his confirmation hearing to be United States ambassador to Japan Recorded October 20, 2021

Rahm Israel Emanuel (/rɑːm/; born November 29, 1959)^[2] is an American politician and diplomat who most recently served as United States ambassador to Japan from 2022 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms from 2003 to 2009. He was the White House Chief of Staff from 2009 to 2010 under President Barack Obama and served as mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019.

Born in Chicago, Emanuel is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Northwestern University. Early in his career, Emanuel served as director of the finance committee for Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. In 1993, he joined the Clinton administration, where he served as assistant to the president for political affairs and as Senior Advisor to the President for policy and strategy. Emanuel worked at the investment bank Wasserstein Perella & Co. from 1998 for two-and-a-half years, and served on the board of directors of Freddie Mac. In 2002, he ran for the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives vacated by Rod Blagojevich, who resigned to become governor of Illinois. Emanuel won the first of three terms representing Illinois's 5th congressional district, a seat he held from 2003 to 2009. As chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, he oversaw Democratic wins in the 2006 U.S. House of Representatives elections, allowing the party to gain control of the chamber for the first time since 1994.

After the 2008 U.S. presidential election, President Barack Obama appointed Emanuel to serve as White House chief of staff. In October 2010, Emanuel resigned as chief of staff to run in the 2011 Chicago mayoral election. Emanuel won with 55% of the vote over five other candidates in the non-partisan mayoral election. In the 2015 Chicago mayoral election, he failed to obtain an absolute majority in the first round but defeated Cook County board commissioner Jesús "Chuy" García in the subsequent run-off election. In late 2015, Emanuel's approval rating plunged to "the low 20s",^[3] in response to a series of scandals.^[4]

In October 2017, Emanuel announced he planned to run for a third term,^[5] but reversed his decision on September 4, 2018.^[6] The Chicago Tribune assessed Emanuel's performance as mayor as "mixed", and at one point half of Chicagoans favored Emanuel's resignation. He left office in May 2019 and was succeeded by Lori Lightfoot. In August 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Emanuel to be the United States Ambassador to Japan;^[7] he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December of that year.^[8] Emanuel departed his job in Japan upon the conclusion of the Biden administration in January 2025.^[9] On March 12, 2025, Emanuel expressed interest in running for president in the 2028 U.S. presidential election.^[10]