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. Minnesota
Leadership
Campaign Headquarters: 1951 University Avenue, St. Paul
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.
Political Director |
Julie Hottinger |
(announced Feb. 20, 2004) A
Minnesota native, Hottinger has more than six years of experience campaigning
in the North Star State. She has served as research and field director
for Janet Robert's 2002 campaign for Congress, finance director for Steve
Kelly's 2000 Senate run, and field director for Tracy Beckman's congressional
campaign in 1998. From 2000 to 2002, Hottinger served as director
of party affairs for the Minnesota DFL. Most recently, she managed
Olin Moore campaign for Minneapolis City Council.
Field Director |
Bill Hyers |
(announced Feb. 20, 2004) After
graduating from St. Cloud State with high honors, Hyers worked for R.T
Rybak's upset of the two-term incumbent mayor in 2001. He then worked on
Judi Dutcher's run for governor, as a regional director on the State House
Caucus race in 2002, on the Rebecca Otto state house special election,
and on Don Samuels for City Council special election. Hyers most recently
served as Edwards' central Iowa field director and Wisconsin state field
director.
Field Staff include:
Jessie Bradley, David Cooling, Mike Edwards, Jessie Harris, Micah Kagan,
and David Kieve, all of whom worked in Edwards' Iowa campaign and in subsequent
primaries across the country.
Press Secretary |
Carlos Monje |
(announced Feb. 20, 2004) Monje
has served as Edwards's deputy press secretary since 2001, first in Edwards'
Washington DC Senate office, then in his national campaign headquarters
in Raleigh. Monje has traveled with Edwards across the country during
the campaign, and served as his New Mexico press secretary. Monje
previously worked at a major public relations firm in New York City.
State Chairman |
Minneapolis City Councilman Scott Benson |
(announced Feb. 20, 2004) Minneapolis
attorney; has been supporting dwards for more than a year and has directed
political and volunteer outreach in Minnesota.
Endorsements
announced Feb. 29, 2004
State
Senator Ellen Anderson, St. Paul
State Senator Scott
Dibble, Minneapolis -formerly
supported Dean
State Senator John
Hottinger, St. Peter
State Representative
Loren Solberg, Grand Rapids
8th Congressional
District DFL Chair, Kerry Gauthier -formerly
supported Dean
On the evening of Feb. 26,
2004 more than a hundred volunteers and leaders of Minnesota for Dean,
including Ted Mondale, met in St. Paul. Following a forum with representatives
from the Edwards, Kerry and Kucinich campaigns, two-thirds of the members
in attendance voted to recommend that Dean supporters vote for Edwards
in the caucus.
announced Feb. 26, 2004
Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson
announced Feb. 25, 2004
State Senator Becky Lourey,
Kerrick -formerly supported
Dean
State Representative Frank Hornstein,
Minneapolis -formerly supported
Dean
State Representative Tony Sertich,
Chisholm
State Representative Jean Wagenius,
Minneapolis
Minneapolis City Council President
Paul Ostrow
Duluth School Board Member Mike
Akervik
Hastings City Council Member
Danna Elling
St Paul School Board Member
Al Ortwig
Duluth City Council Member Roger
Reinert
Minneapolis City Council Member
Don Samuels
Detroit Lakes School Board Member
Ruth Solie
Duluth City Council Member Russ
Stover
announced Feb. 18, 2004
State Senator Thomas Bakk, Cook
State Senator Sandy Pappas,
St. Paul
State Senator Jane Ranum, Bloomington,
Richfield and Minneapolis
State Senator Dan Sparks, Austin
State Representative Aaron Peterson,
Madison
State Representative Paul Thissen,
Minneapolis and Richfield
Duluth City Council Member Donny
Ness
Minneapolis City Council Member
Scott Benson
Duluth Budgeteer News
(Minnesota's largest weekly) Feb. 24, 2004
Ryan
Winkler -- an attorney at the Minneapolis law firm Smith Parker. |