Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Rahm Emanuel

Discover the career path of Rahm Emanuel, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Rahm Emanuel is an American politician and diplomat who has held several prominent positions. A Democrat, he served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Illinois. He then became White House Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2010. Following his time in the White House, Emanuel served as the Mayor of Chicago for two terms, from 2011 to 2019. More recently, he was the United States Ambassador to Japan from 2022 to 2025, marking a shift into diplomatic service after a long career in domestic politics.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1984: Worked on Paul Simon's Election

In 1984, Rahm Emanuel worked for Democrat Paul Simon's election to the U.S. Senate.

1988: National Campaign Director

In 1988, Rahm Emanuel worked as the national campaign director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

1989: Senior Advisor for Richard M. Daley's Campaign

In 1989, Rahm Emanuel was a senior advisor and chief fund-raiser for Richard M. Daley's successful initial campaign for mayor of Chicago.

1990: Worked for Neil Hartigan's Campaign

In 1990, Rahm Emanuel worked for Illinois Attorney General Neil Hartigan, conducting opposition research for his gubernatorial campaign.

1992: Director of Finance Committee for Bill Clinton's Presidential Campaign

In 1992, Rahm Emanuel served as the director of the finance committee for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign.

1993: Joined Clinton Administration

In 1993, Rahm Emanuel joined the Clinton administration, serving as assistant to the president for political affairs and as senior advisor to the president for policy and strategy.

1993: Senior Advisor to Clinton

In 1993, Rahm Emanuel served as a senior advisor to President Clinton at the White House.

1994: Strategist for Clinton Initiatives

In 1994, Emanuel was a leading strategist in White House efforts to institute NAFTA, increased deportations of illegal immigrants and the 1994 Crime Bill, among other Clinton initiatives.

1998: Senior Advisor to Clinton at the White House

From 1993 to 1998, Emanuel served as a senior advisor to Clinton at the White House, initially as assistant to the president for political affairs and then as senior advisor to the president for policy and strategy.

1998: Joined Wasserstein Perella

In 1998, Rahm Emanuel resigned from his position as an advisor to Bill Clinton and joined the investment banking firm Wasserstein Perella.

1999: Managing Director at Wasserstein Perella

In 1999, Rahm Emanuel became a managing director at the Chicago office of Wasserstein Perella.

2000: Named to Board of Directors of Freddie Mac

In 2000, Rahm Emanuel was named to the Board of Directors of Freddie Mac by President Clinton.

2001: Resigned from Freddie Mac Board

In 2001, Rahm Emanuel resigned from the board of Freddie Mac before his first bid for Congress.

October 2002: Joint Resolution Authorizing Iraq War

In October 2002, Emanuel spoke out in support of the Iraq War, in the lead up to the joint resolution authorizing it.

2002: Emanuel supports President Bush's position on Iraq

During his original 2002 campaign, Rahm Emanuel spoke in support of "President Bush's position on Iraq."

2002: Emanuel supports affordable health care for all Americans

During his original 2002 campaign, Rahm Emanuel spoke in support of the goal "to help make health care affordable and available for all Americans".

2002: Pursued U.S. House Seat

In 2002, Rahm Emanuel pursued the U.S. House seat in the 5th district of Illinois, previously held by Rod Blagojevich.

2002: Elected to Congress

In 2002, Rahm Emanuel was elected to the congressional seat vacated by Rod Blagojevich, who became governor of Illinois.

January 2003: Named to House Financial Services Committee

In January 2003, Rahm Emanuel was named to the House Financial Services Committee and sat on the subcommittee that oversaw Freddie Mac.

2003: Represented Illinois's 5th Congressional District

From 2003, Rahm Emanuel represented Illinois's 5th congressional district.

2005: Emanuel states he would have supported the Iraq war

In 2005, Rahm Emanuel said that he would have voted for and supported the Iraq war even if he knew that Bush lied about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction since he believed removing Saddam Hussein was "the right thing to do".

April 2006: Emanuel supports Hillary Clinton for 2008 presidency

In April 2006, Emanuel declared his support for Hillary Clinton's potential presidential bid in 2008.

2006: Oversaw Democratic Wins in House Elections

As chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rahm Emanuel oversaw Democratic wins in the 2006 House elections, which allowed the party to gain control of the chamber for the first time since 1994.

2006: Chairman of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

In 2006, Rahm Emanuel assumed the position of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman (DCCC).

2006: Emanuel's role in Democratic victories and subsequent position

In 2006, after aiding the Democrats in winning the elections, Rahm Emanuel was considered for Majority Whip. Instead, Nancy Pelosi convinced him to become Democratic Caucus Chairman, succeeding Jim Clyburn, with Pelosi expanding the role's responsibilities. Following Dick Cheney's claim to be exempt from executive branch orders, Emanuel called for cutting the $4.8 million allocated for the Vice President's office.

2006: Emanuel advocates compulsory universal service program in "The Plan: Big Ideas for America"

In his 2006 book, co-authored with Bruce Reed, "The Plan: Big Ideas for America", Rahm Emanuel advocated a three-month compulsory universal service program for Americans between the ages of 18 and 25.

The Plan: Big Ideas for America

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2006: Emanuel organizes run by Tammy Duckworth against Christine Cegelis

In the 2006 congressional primaries, Rahm Emanuel, then head of the Democratic congressional campaign committee, helped organize a run by Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran with no political experience, against grassroots candidate Christine Cegelis in Illinois' 6th district.

2006: Democratic Party Gained Seats in the House

In the 2006 elections, the Democratic Party gained 30 seats in the House, and Rahm Emanuel received praise for his leadership of the DCCC.

January 2007: Emanuel remains neutral on the Democratic presidential nomination

In January 2007, when questioned about his stance on the Democratic presidential nomination, Emanuel expressed his neutrality due to the conflict between his loyalty to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama's interest in the race.

June 4, 2008: Emanuel Endorses Barack Obama

On June 4, 2008, Rahm Emanuel endorsed Barack Obama for president, following the final primary contests.

November 6, 2008: Emanuel Accepts White House Chief of Staff Position

On November 6, 2008, Rahm Emanuel accepted the position of White House Chief of Staff for U.S. President Barack Obama.

2008: Obama Appointed Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff

In 2008, after Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential election, he appointed Rahm Emanuel to serve as White House chief of staff.

January 2, 2009: Emanuel Resigns from Congress

On January 2, 2009, Rahm Emanuel officially resigned from his congressional seat to become White House Chief of Staff.

2009: Appointed White House Chief of Staff

Following the 2008 U.S. presidential election, President Barack Obama appointed Rahm Emanuel to serve as White House chief of staff in 2009.

2009: Emanuel on Crisis Management and Influence as Chief of Staff

In 2009, Rahm Emanuel stated that a serious crisis should never go to waste, as it presents an opportunity for significant change. Also in 2009, The New York Times characterized Emanuel as possibly "the most influential chief of staff of a generation".

September 2010: Speculation of Emanuel's Departure as Chief of Staff

By September 2010, anticipation of heavy Democratic losses in the mid-term elections fueled speculation about Rahm Emanuel's departure as White House Chief of Staff.

September 30, 2010: Emanuel Announces Departure to Run for Chicago Mayor

On September 30, 2010, Rahm Emanuel announced he would leave his role as White House Chief of Staff to run for mayor of Chicago.

October 2010: Resigned as Chief of Staff

In October 2010, Rahm Emanuel resigned as chief of staff to run for mayor of Chicago in 2011.

February 22, 2011: Emanuel Elected Mayor of Chicago

On February 22, 2011, Rahm Emanuel was elected as the 55th Mayor of Chicago with 55% of the vote.

May 16, 2011: Emanuel Sworn in as Mayor of Chicago

On May 16, 2011, Rahm Emanuel was sworn in as the 55th Mayor of Chicago at the Pritzker Pavilion, becoming the city's first Jewish mayor.

August 16, 2011: Emanuel unveils "Healthy Chicago"

On August 16, 2011, Rahm Emanuel unveiled "Healthy Chicago", the city's first public health blueprint with Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Bechara Choucair. Emanuel also initiated the consolidation of City Council committees from 19 to 16 in a cost control effort.

2011: Won Chicago Mayoral Election

In 2011, Rahm Emanuel won the election with 55% of the vote to become mayor of Chicago.

2012: Chicago becomes a de jure sanctuary city

In 2012, Chicago became a de jure sanctuary city when Emanuel and the City Council passed the Welcoming City Ordinance.

2012: Lollapalooza paid taxes for the first time in seven years and extended contract

In 2012, Lollapalooza paid taxes for the first time in seven years and extended its contract to host in Grant Park through 2021.

April 7, 2015: Emanuel Wins Run-off Election

On April 7, 2015, Rahm Emanuel won the run-off election against Jesús "Chuy" García, securing his second term as mayor with 56 percent of the vote.

2015: Re-elected as Mayor of Chicago

Rahm Emanuel was re-elected as mayor of Chicago in 2015.

October 2017: Emanuel Announces Reelection Campaign

In October 2017, Rahm Emanuel announced he was running for reelection in 2019, despite low approval ratings.

October 2017: Announced Plans to Run for Third Term

In October 2017, Rahm Emanuel announced that he planned to run for a third term as mayor of Chicago.

September 4, 2018: Changed Mind About Running for Third Term

On September 4, 2018, Rahm Emanuel announced that he had changed his mind and would not run for a third term as mayor of Chicago.

September 2018: Emanuel Decides Not to Run for Reelection

In September 2018, Rahm Emanuel decided not to run for reelection as Mayor of Chicago, citing a desire to "write the next chapter".

May 2019: Left Office as Mayor of Chicago

In May 2019, Rahm Emanuel left office as mayor of Chicago and was succeeded by Lori Lightfoot.

May 2019: Emanuel named founding executive chair of National BAM Advisory Council

In May 2019, Rahm Emanuel was named founding executive chair of the National BAM Advisory Council of the Becoming A Man youth program.

June 2019: Emanuel joins Centerview Partners as a senior counselor

In June 2019, Rahm Emanuel joined Centerview Partners as a senior counselor.

July 2019: Emanuel serves as political analyst for ABC News

Since July 2019, Rahm Emanuel has served as a political analyst for ABC News.

February 2021: Emanuel considered for ambassadorship by Biden administration

In February 2021, it was reported that Rahm Emanuel was being considered by the Biden administration as an ambassador to either China or Japan.

April 2021: Biden chooses Emanuel as ambassador to Japan

In April 2021 it was reported that Biden had chosen Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan.

August 2021: Nominated as Ambassador to Japan

In August 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Rahm Emanuel to be the United States Ambassador to Japan.

August 2021: Emanuel formally nominated to serve as ambassador to Japan

In August 2021, Rahm Emanuel was formally nominated to serve as ambassador to Japan.

October 20, 2021: Hearings held on Emanuel's nomination in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

On October 20, 2021, hearings were held on Rahm Emanuel's nomination in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

November 3, 2021: Committee favorably reports Emanuel's nomination to the Senate floor

On November 3, 2021, the committee favorably reported Rahm Emanuel's nomination to the Senate floor.

December 18, 2021: United States Senate confirms Emanuel's nomination

On December 18, 2021, the United States Senate confirmed Rahm Emanuel's nomination in a 48–21 vote; senators Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley and Elizabeth Warren were the only Democrats to vote against his confirmation.