She’s Keeping Biden on Track as Democrats Try to Derail Him

The morning after his poor debate performance, President Biden appeared at a campaign rally and then went dark, retreating to Camp David and avoiding political damage control.

One of the people pushing for him to more aggressively counter public doubts about his health was Jen O’Malley Dillon, his campaign chair. Within days, Democratic governors were summoned to the White House for a meeting, and a campaign rally was scheduled in Wisconsin.

Though Ms. O’Malley Dillon is not a member of the innermost Biden circle — a space reserved for family members and aides who have spent decades with the president — she has emerged in this political crisis as the central figure keeping the Biden campaign on track and driving it forward.

She is involved in every element of the campaign’s strategy and tactics, except the most important question: Should Mr. Biden remain in the race at all?

“She doesn’t have any doubt about whether he should continue,” said Ron Klain, Mr. Biden’s former White House chief of staff, who returned to the campaign to lead the president’s debate preparations. “Her advice is focused on how to move the campaign forward effectively.”

While the title of campaign manager is still held by Julie Chavez Rodriguez, who helped start Mr. Biden’s re-election effort last year, Ms. O’Malley Dillon has been the functional head of his bid since early this year, serving as the chief conduit to top donors and political allies. She and Jeff Zients, the White House chief of staff, were the only two staff members in Mr. Biden’s meeting last week with Democratic governors.