John Edwards-Campaign Organization
Edwards for President, Inc.
On January 2, 2003, Sen. Edwards announced formation of a presidential exploratory committee.  Edwards for President, Inc. is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Nick Baldick, a former top Gore operative, is the campaign manager. 

Edwards for President, Inc. Leadership

General Chairman Ed Turlington
(announced Feb. 19, 2003) Attorney at Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP in Raleigh, NC.  Deputy Campaign Manager, Bill Bradley for President, 1998-2000; Coordinator, Office of former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, 1997-1998; Campaign Manager, Jim Hunt for Governor, 1996; Executive Assistant to N.C. Governor Jim Hunt, 1993-1996; Attorney, Tharrington, Smith & Hargrove in Raleigh, N.C.,1989-1993; Chief of Staff to N.C. Lt. Governor Bob Jordan, 1987-1989; Delegate Coordinator, Biden for President, 1987; Special Assistant/Counsel to U.S. Senator Terry Sanford, 1986-1987; Executive Director, N.C. Democratic Party, 1985-1986.  B.A. from Duke University (1979) and J.D. from University of North Carolina (1982).  Born in Clinton, NC.
 
 
Campaign Manager Nick Baldick
(from Jan. 2003) A principal of the Dewey Square Group (DSG), specializing in grassroots and public affairs strategies.  New Hampshire primary state director for Vice President Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign; directed and managed Gore's political action committee, Leadership ‘98.  Eastern Political Director in the White House Office of Political Affairs, 1997.  Director, Florida Democratic coordinated campaign, fall 1996; state director in New Hampshire, Wisconsin and New Jersey, 1996 primary campaign.  Campaign director of the 1994 Rhode Island coordinated campaign; northeast political director at the DNC, 1993; a field director in the 1992 Clinton primary campaign.  B.S. from Georgetown University; J.D. from New York University School of Law.
 
 
 
Chief of Staff Miles Lackey
(announced Dec. 18, 2003)  Previously served as chief of staff in Edwards' Senate office starting in mid-2002; joined Edwards as legislative director in 2001. Worked in the Clinton White House, serving as special assistant to the president for national security affairs for two years. More than 10 years of experience working for several Congressmen.  Bachelor's degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; master's degrees from Yale University and Yale Divinity School.  Raised in Shelby, NC (Cleveland County).
 
 
 
Deputy Campaign Manager for Communications David Ginsberg
(from Jan. 2003; earlier did some work for Edwards' Optimists) In 2001 started his own consulting firm Ginsberg Lahey LLC in Washington, DC.  Ginsberg worked on the Gore campaign starting in January 1999 and served as research director through to end of the campaign.  Director of research and policy for Edwards' 1998 campaign.  Research analyst at the DNC.  Bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
 
Press Secretary Jennifer Palmieri
(from Jan. 2003) Press secretary at the DNC through the 2002 cycle.  She served in the Clinton Administration for eight years, as deputy assistant to the president and deputy press secretary from 1998 to 2001 and before that as a special assistant to White House chief of staff Leon Panetta and deputy director of scheduling and advance.  Palmieri started her career in the congressional office of Rep. Leon Panetta (D-CA).  Graduate of the American University in Washington, DC..
 
National Spokesperson Roger Salazar
(announced Dec. 1, 2003)  Served as a vice president of Porter Novelli, the public relations firm.  Press secretary for Governor Gray Davis' successful re-election campaign in 2002.  Davis' deputy press secretary in the governor's office in Sacramento.  Director of communications and media advocacy for the American Cancer Society's national government relations department.  Deputy press secretary and acting national spokesperson for the Gore 2000 Presidential Campaign Committee, 1999.  An assistant press secretary in the Clinton White House, 1998-99.  Deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1998.  Assistant press secretary for Vice President Al Gore, 1997-98.  News analysis coordinator and specialty press coordinator in the White House Press Office, 1995-97.  California native.
 
 
Deputy Campaign Manager, Political Director Sky Gallegos
(announced March 10, 2003) Most recently COO and political director of EdVoice, a California education and advocacy organization.  In the 2000 campaign she was California state director for the Gore primary campaign, and Western Regional Political Director for the Gore/Lieberman campaign.  Prior to the campaign she was Western political director for Leadership '98, Gore's leadership PAC.  Gallegos worked in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.  She served as deputy political director for the Clinton/Gore '96 campaign in California.
Gallegos took over from the campaign's initial political director (from Jan. 2003), Katreice Banks.  Banks' experience included deputy political director at the DCCC; a deputy finance director for Gore 2000; Southern regional desk for Al Gore's Leadership '98 PAC prior to the 2000 campaign.
 
Deputy Political Director Morgan Jackson
Native of Moore County, North Carolina and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.  Jackson served as an aide to US Representatives Mel Watt and Bill Hefner.  During the 2000 election cycle he was political director for the North Carolina Democratic Party.  In 2001, he joined John Edwards' U.S. Senate staff.   -from Dec. 2003-Feb. 2004 Jackson was the chief staff person in the South Carolina primary.
 
 
 
Deputy Campaign Manager, Constituency Outreach Craig Kirby
Previously worked at the DNC as Southern political director and in the White House.
 
 
 
Deputy Campaign Manager/Chief Financial Officer John Robinson
Was a counsel for Gore in Nashville in 2000, worked for Gore's PAC in 1998, and for Clinton/Gore in 1996 in Oregon. 
 
 

R E S E A R C H

Research Director Christina Reynolds
(from Jan. 2003) Research director for Sen. Tim Johnson's (D-SD) 2002 re-election campaign.  Deputy research director at the DNC.  Graduate of UNC at Chapel Hill with a degree in journalism.
 
 
 
Director of Internet Operations Aaron Myers
(started with Edwards in Dec. 2002)  Webmaster for Sen. Tom Harkin in his Senate office, and then for his 2002 reelection campaign, June 2001-Dec. 2002.  Senior web producer for Gore 2000 and Gore/Lieberman, June-Nov. 2000; also worked as a web development intern for Gore 2000 from May-Dec. 1999.  Extensive experience as a freelance web developer and designer going back to work at WYBE-TV Channel 35 in Philadelphia, 1995-96.  Graduate of The George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs with a B.A. in Political Communication, 2000.
 
 

F I N A N C E

Co-National Finance Directors Brian Screnar and Scott Darling
Prior to the campaign, Screnar and Darling played a similar role at Edwards' leadership PAC, New American Optimists.
 
Chief of Staff, Finance Department Jennifer Swanson
Deputy finance director at the DCCC.

National Finance Chair: Eileen Kotecki 
 Co-founder of the Hawthorne Group, a placement firm in NYC.  National finance director of Al Gore’s 2000 campaign (Kotecki started with the campaign in December 1998 and became finance director in May 1999). 

>On Jan. 5, 2003 The Charlotte Observer's Jim Morrill reported, "Seven regional finance directors are in place around the country."
 
 
Marketing Director  Kim Postulart 

And
Director of Operations Andrew Young
Has been with Senator Edwards in various capacities since 1998.  North Carolina native. 
 
 
Director of Scheduling Alexis Bar
Joined Edwards' legislative staff as Director of Scheduling in 2002.  Director of Scheduling onMark Warner's successful 2001 gubernatorial race.  Aided in the establishment of the CollisWarner Foundation, and served as its Director, creating the SeniorNavigator.com and Virginia High-Tech Partnership programs.  Assistant Finance Director on Mark Warner's 1996 U.S. Senate campaign.  Bar started her campaign career in 1995 as a Fellow at Participation 2000, a political training program founded by Sen. Bill Bradley; through the program she worked as a Field Director for Sen. Linda "Toddy" Puller (D-VA).  B.A. from Cornell University.  
 
 
Director of Advance Sam Myers
Director of Press Advance for the Gore campaign (he started doing some advance work part time in Jan. 2000, went full time from late June 2000, and was on the plane shepherding the press pool from after the convention on).  Senior vice president of client relations for Shandwick International.  Worked for three months as regional ombudsman for the U.S. Small Business Administration.  Six years as associate director of presidential advance at the White House starting in March 1993; senior advanceman for Clinton/Gore '92 starting in June 1992.  From 1980-June 1992 worked as a manufacturer's rep.  Started doing advance work as a part time consultant for the Carter White House in Missouri in 1978.
 
 
Traveling Chief of Staff Hunter Pruette
(from July 2003) Taking a leave of absence from law school.  Worked on Edwards' 1998 campaign and in his Senate office.  Also worked on the Gore campaign in Nashville.  A native North Carolinian, from Concord, NC.
 
 
Treasurer Julius Chambers
(announced Feb. 2003) Chairman of the Center for Civil Rights at UNC Law School. Former chancellor of N.C. Central University. 
 
 
Deputy Counsel Michelle S. Riley
Attorney for Deboviose & Plimpton prior to the campaign.
 
 
National Co-Chair Harvey Gantt
(announced Feb. 28, 2003) Served three terms on the Charlotte (NC) City Council, two terms as mayor of Charlotte (the first African-American elected to the position), and was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 1990 and 1996.  He is an architect at Gantt Huberman Architects, a firm he co-founded in 1971.
 
 
 
Deputy Campaign Manager for Strategy and Policy Jonathan Prince
(from Jan. 2003; earlier did some work for Edwards' Optimists)  According to a New York Observer profile, Prince got his start in politics working for Mayor Ray Flynn of Boston.  After working for the Clinton-Gore campaign in 1992, Prince served in various roles in the Clinton Administration through February 2000, everything from a position in the State Department to crisis management at the White House.  He then formed a dot.com, Govolution, Inc., incorporated in March 2000, serving as chairman and CEO.  The company, based in Washington, DC, described itself in a September 2000 press release as, "The leading provider of Web-based transaction services to the U.S. Government with more than two dozen federal e-commerce accounts."  Moving to New York, Prince teamed up with Josh Isay and Dan Klores to form an agency which worked on Andrew Cuomo's 2002 gubernatorial campaign. 
 
 

M E D I A

Media Consultant David Axelrod
(announced April 15, 2003) Founder and president of the Chicago-based campaign media firm Axelrod and Associates.
 


Key Early States

I O W A
Iowa Caucus Director Rob Berntsen
(announced Jan. 29, 2003, started Feb. 14, 2003) Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Chet Culver, Berntsen previously served as Director of the Business Services Division in Culver's office.  He gained his law degree with distinction at University of Iowa College of Law in 1998.  Prior to that, he worked in Washington, DC for three years, after graduating from Georgetown University (1992).  He is a native of Marion, Iowa. 
 
 

N E W   H A M P S H I R E

New Hampshire State Director Caroline McCarley
(Started Feb. 1, 2003) Served as State Senator representing Rochester, Somersworth, Barrington and Nottingham from 1996-2002.  Political director for Vice President Al Gore's 2000 New Hampshire primary campaign.  Served on the Rochester School Board for 11 years, including ten years as chair.
 

More States:

S O U T H   C A R O L I N A (Feb. 3 primary)
South Carolina State Chair John Moylan
Attorney at Wyche, Burgess, Freeman & Parham, P.A. in Columbia.  Born in Walterboro, SC, attended Presbyterian College (B.A., cum laude, 1984) and Harvard University (J.D., 1987). Law Clerk to Hon. Donald S. Russell, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1987-88; Chief of Staff to Lt. Gov. of South Carolina, 1990-93; Associate, Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Washington, D.C., 1988-89, 1993-94. 
 
 

A R I Z O N A (Feb. 3 primary)

Arizona State Director Sonia Gonzalez

 

O K L A H O M A (Feb. 3 primary)

Oklahoma State Director Ward Curtin
(announced October 3, 2003)  A lifelong Oklahoman, Curtin came to the campaign from his position as communications director for the Oklahoma Democratic Party; he has also served as the party's political director.  Curtin has worked on a number of Oklahoma campaigns, including congressional and local races and ballot initiatives.  In 2000, he worked on the Jared Polis for Colorado State Board of Education campaign.  Curtin is a graduate of Northeastern State University and Watonga High School. 
 
 

N E W   M E X I C O (Feb. 3 caucuses)

New Mexico State Director Caroline Buerkle
(announced Dec. 29, 2003) Managed Attorney General Patricia Madrid's successful 2002 campaign and has served as her special assistant in office. Buerkle was Al Gore's state political director during the 2000 presidential campaign, when Democrats won New Mexico's five electoral votes by less than 400 votes. Buerkle previously worked for Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM). Born in Las Cruces, she is a lifelong resident of New Mexico. She graduated from New Mexico State University and has a graduate degree from the University of New Mexico.
 
 

M I S S O U R I (Feb. 3 primary)

Julie Gibson
(announced Jan. 24, 2004) Former Gephardt for President senior aide, directed 1996 and 2000 Missouri Democratic Coordinated Campaigns, served as chief of staff to Missouri's Lieutenant Governor Joe Maxwell and chief of staff to Governor Bob Holden. 
 
 

M I C H I G A N (Feb. 7 caucuses)

Michigan State Director Derek Albert
(started October 1, 2003, announced October 24, 2003)  State chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus.
 
 

W A S H I N G T O N (February 7 caucuses)
Chris Gregorich
Community Development Specialist in the City of Seattle's Office of Policy and Management.  Campaign manager for the Sept. 17, 2002 Seattle housing levy campaign.  Field director on Greg Nickels' successful 2001 campaign for Mayor of Seattle.  Regional field director (1st CD) for the Washington State Coordinated Campaign in 2000. 
 
 

V I R G I N I A (February 10 primary)

Virginia State Director Steve Stenberg
Stenberg is a Partner in The Strategy Group's Washington, DC office; while there he has served as lead direct mail vendor to Virginia Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine's 2001 campaign and to mayoral and municipal candidates and legislative caucus programs.  Communications director for the Virginia House Caucus in 1997.  Did opposition research for Sen. Tom Harkin's 1996 re-election campaign.  Bachelor's degree in political science from Northwestern University.
 
 

T E N N E S S E E (February 10 primary)

Tennessee State Director John Winston
Tennessee House Democratic Caucus Director in the 2002 cycle.  Native Virginian.
 
 

W I S C O N S I N (Feb. 17 primary)

Wisconsin State Director John Kraus
(start October 1, 2003)  Comes to the campaign from position as special assistant to State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster at the Department of Public Instruction.  Served as communications director of Attorney General Jim Doyle's winning campaign for governor in 2002; as communications director of Elizabeth Burmaster’s 2001 election to State Superintendent of Schools; as communications director for Gore/Lieberman 2000 in Wisconsin; and as campaign manager for Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson’s 1999 re-election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. 
 
 

C A L I F O R N I A (March 2 primary)

State Director Trent Hager
(announced Feb. 20, 2004)  Director of the Speaker's Office of Member Services; veteran of numerous California campaigns.
 
 

C O N N E C T I C U T (March 2 primary)

State Coordinator Joe Courtney
(announced Feb. 20, 2004)  Former state Representative from Vernon, CT (served four terms); 2nd CD Democratic nominee for Congress in 2002.
 
 

G E O R G I A (March 2 primary)

State Director Emil Runge
On leave from his position as communications director of the Democratic Party of Georgia.  Experience also includes work as a research analyst for Bill Bradley's 2000 presidential campaign. 
 
 

M A R Y L A N D (March 2 primary)

State Director Robert Johnson
(announced Feb. 23, 2004)  Founder and member of Capitol Strategies, LLC and has been involved in grassroots political organizing and event management since 1982. Johnson began his career in Colorado with Congressman Tim Wirth.  He has worked on the presidential campaigns of Sen. Gary Hart, Mondale/Ferraro, Sen. Paul Simon, Sen. Al Gore, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dukakis/Bentsen, Sen. Bob Kerrey and Clinton/Gore. Johnson most recently served as executive director of the Maryland Democratic Party. 
 
 

M I N N E S O T A (March 2 caucuses)

State Director Tom Ziemba
(announced Feb. 20, 2004) Served as chief of staff for the Edwards campaign in New Hampshire, after which he helped manage the final weeks of Senator Edwards's campaign in Virginia.  He is a veteran of the Clinton administration, was director of business development at America Online and managed a consulting firm in Washington, DC prior to joining the Edwards campaign.  During his career he has held a variety of positions on national, state and local campaigns, including Chris Dodd's 1992 Senate race in Connecticut and state senate races across the northeast.
 
 

N E W   Y O R K (March 2 primary)

State Director Terence Tolbert
(August 2003)  Most recently worked as chief of staff to Assemblyman Keith Wright.  Has worked on a number of city and state campaigns in New York.  Directed the 2000 Coordinated Campaign in Louisiana. 
 


O H I O (March 2 primary)

State Director Marc Gaunce
(announced Feb. 21, 2004)  Has worked in Ohio politics for nearly 20 years, managing and providing strategic advice to statewide campaigns and legislative races across the state.
 


N O R T H   C A R O L I N A
On April 3, 2003 all six Democratic congressmen from North Carolina endorsed Edwards.
 

T E X A S
On March 19, 2003 Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30) endorsed Edwards.


Site as it looked on launch in January 2003.
May 29, 2003
October 14, 2003

Aaron Myers is director of Internet strategy.
 

See also Campaign Organization-1st Quarter 2003 FEC report.

Not In

Steve Jarding
(negotiations finished at end of February 2003)  Directed Sen. Edwards leadership PAC, the New American Optimists, from Jan. 2002 to year end.  Managed Mark Warner's campaign for governor of Virginia in 2001.  Worked for Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE) for many years through to 1998, when Kerrey left the Senate.
 
Bob Shrum
(by end of February 2003 signed on with Sen. Kerry's campaign)  Shrum advised New American Optimists.

New American Optimists
 In August 2001 Sen. Edwards formed a leadership PAC, the New American Optimists.  The "Optimists" brought on Steve Jarding as its director starting January 2002.  Jarding, a top-notch operative, had recently managed Mark Warner's successful campaign for governor of Virginia in 2001; previously, he worked for Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE) for many years through to 1998, when Kerrey left the Senate.  Jarding brought with him to the Optimists some of the people who had worked on the Warner campaign, including the colorful David "Mudcat" Saunders to work on rural outreach. 

A number of people from Al Gore's 2000 campaign appeared in various consulting roles.  Nick Baldick, a former Gore operative, helped organize Edwards' first trip to New Hampshire in February 2002 as well as subsequent New Hampshire trips.  David Ginsberg (Ginsberg Lahey LLC, Washington, DC) who directed research for the Gore campaign, began doing research consulting for the Optimists fairly early in 2002.  (Although he is not a Gore campaign alumnus, Jonathan Prince, a former Clinton speechwriter and advisor now in New York, started about the same time).  The Washington, DC consulting firm of Shrum, Devine & Donilon, Inc., the folks who oversaw media for the Gore campaign, produced an almost $2 million soft-sell, get-out-the-vote media campaign focused primarily on North Carolina in fall 2002.  [IRS form 8872 filings for the 3rd Quarter, Pre-General and Post-General showed expenditures to the firm totaling $1,948,139.63]. 

The Optimists was by far the most aggressive among the Democratic '04 prospects' leadership PACs in soliciting major contributions, and most of its money came from trial lawyers.  Los Angeles producer Steven Bing was the biggest donor, contributing a total of $900,000.  All told there were 30 contributions of $50,000 or more, 28 from attorneys or law firms. 

With its ample resources, the Optimists engaged in many creative efforts to curry support and boost Democratic candidates in key states.  In April 2002, the Optimists sent 123 computers to Iowa and 53 computers to New Hampshire, on loan, for Democrats to use on their 2002 campaign efforts. Optimists purchased the voter files in Iowa and New Hampshire. 

In addition to putting money in key presidential primary states, the Optimists invested substantial resources in Edwards' home state of North Carolina.  The IRS second quarterly report showed $500 contributions to 25 North Carolina State House candidates and $1,000 contributions to 21 State Senate candidates for a total of $33,500; in the third quarter Optimists sent a total of $66,500 to State House, State Senate, and judicial candidates in North Carolina and $15,000 to the state party; and the IRS post-general report (Oct. 17-Nov. 25, 2002) showed a contribution of $50,000 to the state party.  However, the biggest investment went to produce and run those get-out-the-vote TV spots featuring Edwards. 
 

Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action