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.
(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)
(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.
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Site as it looked on launch
in January 2003. |
May
29, 2003
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October
14, 2003
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Aaron Myers is director of
Internet strategy.
See also Campaign
Organization-1st Quarter 2003 FEC report.
Not In
(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.
(by end
of February 2003 signed on with Sen. Kerry's campaign) Shrum advised
New American Optimists. |