Obama Campaign Names South Carolina Communications Director

COLUMBIA, SC — Barack Obama’s campaign has named Kevin Griffis as its South Carolina communications director.

The former Atlanta political reporter most recently served as communications director for the Democratic candidate in Arizona’s 2006 U.S. Senate campaign. Griffis went to Arizona after having directed communications for Virginia’s Democratic coordinated campaign during Gov. Tim Kaine’s successful 2005 gubernatorial run.

“Kevin’s long-time service to Democratic politics, experience in the South and commitment to changing this country make him an excellent addition to our growing South Carolina team,” the Obama campaign’s South Carolina State Director Stacey Brayboy said.

In addition to the experience listed above, Griffis has also directed communications for the Democratic Party of Virginia.

From 2000-2003, Griffis was the political reporter for Atlanta’s independent newsweekly, Creative Loafing. In 2002, he won the national award for news story of the year from the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, an industry group that includes as its members newspapers such as The Village Voice and the Chicago Reader. Griffis’ story uncovered tens of thousands of dollars of illegal campaign contributions made to the then-Atlanta mayor’s re-election campaign.

Griffis is a graduate of Beloit College in Beloit, Wisc. and has family in Lancaster, Kershaw and James Island, South Carolina.