Lavora Barnes is an American political strategist and the Chief Operating Officer of the Michigan Democratic Party. In July 2015, Barnes teamed up with Brandon Dillon, who became Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party while she assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer. Before becoming COO for the Michigan Democratic Party, Barnes served as the Deputy County Clerk & Register of Deeds for Oakland County, Michigan.
Barnes is a 1987 graduate of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Barnes was a Press Secretary for the Clinton-Gore campaign, and was a spokeswoman in the White House Office of Media Affairs during the Clinton Administration. She was an aide to Newport News, Virginia Delegate Alan Diamonstein.
In 1993, she was Regional Press Director for the South, during the Clinton Administration, in D.C. She was also described as a "regional assistant".