Ellen L. Weintraub elected Chair, James E. “Trey” Trainor, III elected Vice Chairman for 2025

WASHINGTON—At its open meeting today, the Federal Election Commission elected Vice Chair Ellen L. Weintraub as Chair and Commissioner James E. “Trey” Trainor, III as Vice Chairman for 2025.

Vice Chair Weintraub has served on the U.S. Federal Election Commission since 2002. During her tenure, she has served as a consistent voice for campaign-finance law enforcement and robust disclosure.

Vice Chair Weintraub has published articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and leading law reviews and is a frequent speaker on news shows and at conferences at home and abroad. A native New Yorker, she holds degrees from Yale College and Harvard Law School. Prior to her appointment to the Commission, Vice Chair Weintraub was Of Counsel to the Political Law Group of Perkins Coie LLP and Counsel to the Ethics Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Before joining the Commission in 2020, Commissioner Trainor practiced law for two decades, particularly in the areas of election law, campaign finance law and ethics. He has served as General Counsel to the Texas Secretary of State and Counsel to the Texas House Committee on Regulated Industries, and he has represented the Texas Republican Party and two presidential campaigns. Commissioner Trainor, of Driftwood, Texas, has also served on the Advisory Board of the United States Election Assistance Commission. Prior to joining the Commission, Commissioner Trainor was a partner at Akerman, LLP, and had his own private practice.

Commissioner Trainor graduated from Texas A&M University in 1997. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Reserves in 2000 and earned his law degree from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2002.