Stillwater native Denis McDonough is considered a front-runner to be President Obama's next chief of staff, the National Journal says.
Obama is nominating current Chief of Staff Jack Lew to be Treasury secretary, and McDonough's experience as deputy national security adviser makes him a likely choice as the president's fourth chief of staff, the story says:
McDonough, who has been a member of Obama’s tight inner circle since the 2008 campaign, has a much closer personal relationship with the president. While serving as foreign policy adviser to Obama during the 2008, McDonough logged many hours on the plane with the then-candidate. He was a top adviser during the transition before moving to the White House National Security Council, where his initial role was shaping the NSC's communications strategy.
McDonough was a history major at St. John's University in Collegeville, where he played football for three years, according to a 2009 profile by MinnPost's Al Eisele.