Amanda Renteria

Amanda Renteria
Born	(1974-11-15) November 15, 1974
Occupation(s)	Political strategist, CEO
Known for	CEO of Code for America, National Political Director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, first Latina Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate

Amanda Andrea Renteria (born November 15, 1974) currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Code for America.

Under her guidance, Code for America obtained $100 million in combined pledges from The Audacious Project and Blue Meridian Partners aimed at modernizing the infrastructure of social safety net programs. This major initiative was unveiled by Renteria during her 2022 appearance at the TED event.

Renteria has contributed to President Joe Biden’s Advisory Commission focused on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics and is a member of the Treasury Advisory Commission on Racial Equity. Additionally, she regularly provides paid commentary on U.S. policy and politics for the BBC and ABC News.

Her career highlights include her tenure as National Political Director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and as Chief of Operations under California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. She holds the distinction of being the first Latina to serve as Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate, having worked with Senators Dianne Feinstein and Debbie Stabenow. Renteria has also campaigned for elected office on two occasions.

Code for America

On May 1, 2020, Renteria was appointed CEO of Code for America. Board chair John Lilly praised her leadership amid a pivotal period for governmental reform. Her strategic focus centers on human-centered design that addresses the specific needs of marginalized populations.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Renteria steered Code for America’s emergency response projects that supported families nationwide in accessing food and essential services. One notable initiative involved collaboration with the Administration and VITA to create a bilingual digital tax filing platform that enabled low-income households to claim tax credits and stimulus payments from 2020, including Earned Income Tax Credits and the Advanced Child Tax Credit. The Get Your Refund system facilitated remote identity verification, document uploads, and volunteer assistance.

In April 2022, Code for America became part of the Audacious Project through a $100 million funding commitment aimed at overhauling the U.S. benefits system by delivering user-focused, digitally driven social services to more than 13 million Americans. Renteria emphasized empowering public servants with data and tools necessary to develop a genuinely human-centered social safety net.

October 2023 marked a landmark moment when Code for America finalized its inaugural collective bargaining agreement. Renteria described this achievement as a significant breakthrough for the organization itself, the civic technology sector, and nonprofit organizations broadly.

2014 congressional candidacy

In her bid for Congress representing California's 21st congressional district, Renteria stressed the importance of having a capable advocate in Washington who understands local concerns in the Valley. The incumbent Republican was David Valadao. In the June 3 primary election, Renteria received 11,682 votes (25.6%), outperforming fellow Democrat John Hernandez but trailing Valadao by nearly 40%, thereby securing the Democratic nomination. At that stage, Cook Political Report classified the district as “likely Republican.”

Supporters including Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and Representative Nancy Pelosi hosted a fundraiser on July 20 backing Renteria’s campaign. President Barack Obama also attended a separate event praising her as one of "two outstanding candidates." According to Fresno Bee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee invested $1 million in advertising within her district during September. Vice President Joe Biden appeared at another fundraiser supporting her campaign on October 7.

On healthcare policy, The Hill reported that while Renteria initially supported the Affordable Care Act’s implementation, she opposed efforts to repeal it later.

By October 2014, Roll Call noted that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reduced advertising expenditures in the final two weeks of the race, indicating diminished prospects for success.

Ultimately, in the November 4 general election, Renteria was defeated by Valadao, who garnered approximately 58% of the vote compared to her 42%.

2016 Clinton campaign

Renteria served as the political director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 bid for the presidency.

Hillary Clinton email investigation

In early 2016, Dutch intelligence reportedly handed the FBI a classified Russian document that purportedly detailed a conversation between Renteria and then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Although the document suffered from translation inaccuracies, it suggested Lynch reassured Renteria that the investigation into Clinton would not be aggressively pursued. Despite the FBI deeming the document unreliable, then-Director James Comey referenced it as one reason for his decision to bypass the Department of Justice before concluding the inquiry.

2018 gubernatorial campaign

Renteria declared her candidacy for the 2018 California governor's race on February 20, 2018. In California's "top-two primary," she ranked seventh among 27 contenders, receiving 86,287 votes (1.3%). She trailed behind Democratic candidates such as Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom (33.5%), former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (13.2%), State Treasurer John Chiang (9.5%), and former Superintendent Delaine Eastin (3.3%). Additionally, she finished behind Republicans John H. Cox (25.7%) and State Assemblyman Travis Allen (9.5%).

Early career

Following college graduation, Renteria began her professional journey as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. She later transitioned to public service with the aim of making a meaningful impact, spending a year teaching mathematics at her alma mater in Woodlake and assisting San Jose in neighborhood revitalization efforts before enrolling at Harvard Business School.

In 2005, she joined Senator Dianne Feinstein's team and subsequently worked for Senator and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow as a legislative aide focusing on economic matters. She progressed to legislative director and was promoted to chief of staff in 2008, becoming the first Latina to hold that position in Senate history.

In 2013, Renteria was under consideration for chairing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, but she withdrew due to concerns regarding her qualifications. Although widely anticipated by Washington insiders to be appointed, last-minute reservations prevented her nomination. Advocates for financial reform expressed surprise at her potential selection.

Later in August 2013, Renteria returned to California, briefly worked as a substitute teacher, and soon after announced her run for Congress.

Personal life and education

Renteria’s father immigrated from Mexico during the 1960s and settled in Woodlake, California, while her mother was born in the United States. As the middle child among three sisters, she earned dual degrees in economics and political science from Stanford University, completing an honors thesis focused on women’s participation in politics. She also competed in both basketball and softball for the Stanford Cardinal. Renteria holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She resides in California with her husband Patrick Brannelly, who is a managing director at a nonprofit organization dedicated to brain disease research, along with their two children.