Chicago City Wire

Christian Slater, the former press secretary for Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign, (D) was announced today as the new Communications Director for Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D). 

“I am confident that Mr. Slater’s wide breadth of expertise will be an asset to our growing team,” said Hobbs in a press release. “We are excited for him to get started and continue sharing the vision of this administration all across the state.”

According to Slater's LinkedIn profile, he worked as press secretary for Lightfoot's campaign from March 2019 to April 2019. Lightfoot won that campaign in a runoff against challenger Toni Preckwinkle, receiving 73.7% of the vote to Preckwinkle's 26.3%.

In February 2023, Lightfoot lost her bid for reelection, becoming the first Chicago mayor to lose a reelection bid in four decades. She finished fourth in the first round of voting on Feb. 28. The top two voter-getters in that contest, Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, advanced to an April 4 runoff election that Johnson ultimately won.

Prior to his employment with Lightfoot's campaign, Slater worked for Susan Mendoza's (D) 2019 campaign for Chicago Mayor. Mendoza, currently the Illinois Comptroller, finished fourth in the first round of voting in that election., failing to advance to the runoff, which Lightfoot eventually won over challenger Toni Preckwinkle (D). 

Slater worked as Deputy Press Secretary for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's (D) gubernatorial campaign from June 2017 through November 2018. He also worked as a press assistant and intern for former Gov. Pat Quinn's 2014 gubernatorial campaign and served as a press intern for U.S. Rep Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Hobbs administration and for the opportunity to partner with a team of dedicated and accomplished public servants,” said Slater. “I can’t wait to get to work with Governor Hobbs as she addresses the pressing issues facing Arizona by tackling the water crisis, improving education, lowering costs, growing jobs and building an economy that works for every Arizonan.”

He joins the Hobbs administration weeks after Hobb's former press secretary, Josselyn Berry, resigned following Berry’s tweet of a GIF of a gun-wielding woman with the text, “Us when we see transphobes.” 

Slater received his bachelor of arts in political science and economics from Loyola University-Chicago.