Cristóbal J. Alex, an El Pasoan with deep experience in Democratic politics, was named Tuesday to a White House job by President-elect Joe Biden.

Alex, a graduate of Andress High School, will be Biden’s deputy Cabinet secretary, a role that will coordinate White House strategies with various executive branch agencies. He was among seven White House appointees announced by President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Tuesday.

“Our nation is facing urgent challenges, and we are building a team that will be ready to tackle them on day one. In addition to working with organizations and communities, these accomplished public servants sit at the forefront of collaboration across the administration,” Biden said in a statement. “They will lead initiatives ranging from developing policies and processes, to ensuring our cyber security needs are met with a whole of government response. Together, they fuel the everyday work to build our nation back better than before. I’m proud to have them serve the American people in the White House.” 

In a Facebook post, Alex reflected on his father, Holger Ingomar Alex, who came to El Paso with the German Air Force and stayed. Holger Alex died in November 2019.

“Working for President-elect Joe Biden on the campaign was the honor of a lifetime. I’m humbled by this appointment. My immigrant father couldn’t make it to Election Day, but I know he is watching and proud of our country and his son,” Alex said in Facebook and Twitter posts.

Alex has deep experience in national politics. He was one of Biden’s first hires for his presidential campaign in 2019, serving as a senior advisor. He also was deputy director of voter outreach for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and was the founding president of the Latino Victory Project.

Cover photo: Cristóbal Alex, center, introduced Valerie Biden Owens, the sister of the president-elect, at a March 1, 2020, campaign event in his hometown of El Paso. Omar Salgado, a star player for the El Paso Locomotive soccer team, is at left. (Robert Moore/El Paso Matters)