Thomas Kralinski was born in Weimar, East Germany. He studied Political Science, Economics and Eastern European Science in Leipzig and Manchester (UK). After graduating, he worked as research fellow for International Relations at the University of Dresden and as research assistant to the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group in the State Parliament of Saxony. In 2003 he moved to Brandenburg and worked as Consultant to the Social Democratic Party of Brandenburg. From 2004 to 2014 he served as Executive Director of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group in the State Parliament of Brandenburg. In these years he also edited the political journal „Perspektive 21“. He was appointed State Secretary of the State Government of Brandenburg in 2014 responsible for relations to the Federal Government, media policy, international relations and digitalization. Between 2014 and 2016 he also served as Head of the State Chancellery of Brandenburg. He is member of the Board of Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Deutschlandradio and Digitalagentur Brandenburg.