Kerry General Election Ohio Campaign Organization

(announced May 24, 2004). Ran Sen. Jack Reed’s (D-RI) Washington, DC office for fourteen years starting after his election to the U.S. House in 1990 and continuing with him to the Senate. Directed Ohio Democrats' Coordinated Campaign in 2000. Campaign manager on Scotty Baesler’s 1998 U.S. Senate campaign in Kentucky (narrowly lost to Jim Bunning). Regional political director at the DCCC in the 1990 cycle. Worked for the National Association of Letter Carriers. In 1987 he joined the presidential campaign of then-Sen. Al Gore; he co-managed the campaign in Wyoming during the primaries. Started his career in the Washington office of Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY). Graduate of Providence College in Rhode Island.

Coordinated Campaign | 2300 W. Broad St. | Columbus (The Fire House in the Hilltop) opened July 10, 2004 Field Offices

Director

Jim DeMay

(August 2004) President of DeMay & Associates (St. Paul). Directed the Pennsylvania Democratic Coordinated Campaign in 2000. Directed the Ohio Democratic Coordinated Campaign in 1996. Served as Director of Grassroots Lobbying for The Dewey Square Group. B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and M.A. from Hamline University.

Political Director

Crystal King

(May 2004) Earlier worked a political desk for the Kerry campaign. Worked for SEIU in Washington, DC. A west central coordinator (Montgomery County) on the 1996 Ohio coordinated campaign. Dayton native.

Political Assistant

Emily Patzer

Surrogate Scheduler

Kerry O'Brien

(for the last two months of the campaign; succeeded Donna Pignatelli)

Finance Director

Lisa Lancione

Operations Coordinator

Sally Outis

From California; drove to Ohio and started as a volunteer in mid-June 2004. Outis' prior experience was almost entirely at the local level. She ran a successful campaign of her own for school board and subsequently chaired or co-chaired successful campaigns for school bond measures and worked on committees for local candidates for various offices. Undergraduate degree in English from the University of Illinois; MSW from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and certificate in non-profit management from the University of San Francisco.

Deputy Operations Coordinator

Chris Brinkman

Undergraduate at Ohio State. Began as a summer intern and decided to defer his final semester.

NW - Julie Andreeff; (also coordinated GOTV including election protection efforts in Cuyahoga County)
Andreeff worked on Kerry's Iowa caucus campaign starting in August 2003; after the caucuses she went on to North Dakota, Wisconsin and Hawaii. She returned to Iowa early in the general election to serve as political director, but then was sent to work the final five months of the campaign in Ohio. Andreeff left her position as an associate at Powell Goldstein Frazer and Murphy LLP in Washington, DC to join Kerry's campaign. Law degree from American University's Washington College of Law. Worked as an aide to Sen. Kennedy. B.A. in Political Science from American University.

NE - Oscar Ramirez
Served as Legislative Director and Counsel for Congressman Joe Baca (D-CA). Experience fundraising for Democratic candidates at local, state and national level. Worked for the Mark Warner for Governor (VA) gubernatorial campaign in 2001 through the Democratic National Committee focusing on Hispanic Outreach. J.D. from The George Washington University Law School plus M.A. in Latin American Studies from GW's Elliott School of International Affairs. B.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University.

Central - Nikol Miller
Experience includes Legislative Aide for the City of Dayton.

SW - Larry Knox

SE - Damian Murphy
Field organizer in Kerry's Salem office during the NH Primary campaign. Worked for the National Democratic Institute on political party development programs in eastern Europe. In 2000 he was involved in the Chuck Robb for Senate and Bill Bradley for President campaigns. Graduate of Catholic University with a degree in World Politics.

Field Operations Manager

Evan Fieldman

Distribution Coordinator

Ben Fuller

(started Aug. 15, 2004) Akron native and graduate of Ohio State University. Previously held positions in logistics and labor management.

Fuller managed logistics and inventory of all materials. He ensured that all field offices throughout Ohio had the needed resources to operate. Materials entailed office supplies, cell phones, computers, yard signs, literature, as well as promotional materials. Fuller created a chart to break down the inventory to allotments based on vote goal, etc.. To deliver the materials there were four paid employee drivers and countless volunteers who would deliver or pick up the materials from the office in Columbus and distribute them throughout the state. Fuller created a system of hubs throughout the state to receive the materials; neighboring counties could then pick up their allotted amount of materials. He coordinated with the field staff to have the materials picked up.

Voter Contact & Targeting Manager

Chris Bannister

Started with Kerry in January 2004 in Iowa while a sophomore at DePauw University; proceeded to New Mexico, Wisconsin and Ohio. Assistant to the Deputy Director of the Democratic National Convention, May-August 2004.

Voter File Manager

Dillon Lorda

1998 graduate of Hamilton College in New York.

Statewide Volunteer Coordinator

Jason Powell

Road Trip to Victory Coordinator

Dan Roth

Voter Protection Director

David Sullivan

On leave from his position as election counsel for the Massachusetts secretary of state.

Deputy Voter Protection Director

Eric Greenwald

A lawyer and consultant in Washington, DC with extensive experience in both the public and private sector. He has served as an Attorney Advisor with the Central Intelligence Agency's Office of General Counsel and in the National Security Law Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he focused on counterterrorism and international computer crime. In the private sector, Greenwald has worked as a litigator and an international trade lawyer with the law firms Steptoe & Johnson and Shearman & Sterling respectively.

Notes.
A total of $9,575,000 was raised for the Coordinated Campaign in Ohio, including transfers from the DNC totalling $5,450,000. In addition the ODP raised about $5,000,000 for local and state campaigns.
Early money: The Coordinated Campaign raised $842,000 prior to September 1st, of which over $385,000 came directly from the DNC.
Late money: The Coordinated Campaign raised over $3,000,000 in the last two weeks, of which over $1,500,000 came directly from the DNC.

A minor note on the state headquarters building: The Associated Press and The Columbus Dispatch reported on Sept. 24, 2004 that the ODP was subleasing the Fire House for $3,200 a month from the Greater Hilltop Community Development Corp., a nonprofit group which in turn was renting the building from the City of Columbus for $1; this use of the city owned building was technically in violation of the lease terms.

See also Mark Niquette. " Kerry team takes field in Ohio." The Columbus Dispatch. May 19, 2004. According to the article, the eleven staff who started in Ohio in mid-May comprised Kerry's first field organization in any state. Five of those initial 11 were from Ohio (Political Director Crystal King, Cleveland organizer Vel Scott, S.E. Ohio organizer Bryan Whitaker, Dayton organizer Cedric Collins, and Press Secretary Brendon Cull). Also Mark Naymik. "Kerry's election team sets up camp in Ohio." Plain Dealer, May 13, 2004.

Ohio Democratic Party | 271 E. State St. | Columbus

Chairman

Dennis L. White

First elected chair in June 2002; unanimously re-elected on April 19, 2004. Earlier White served nearly 10 years as Franklin Democratic Party Chairman. He has also served as a Madison Township Trustee and operates a family-owned logistics business.
    Vice Chair: Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin
    Treasurer: Stark County Commissioner Gayle Jackson
    Secretary: Parma Mayor Dean DePiero

Executive Assistant to the Chair

Hanna Greer

Director of Operations

David Duffey

Joined the Ohio Democratic Party in 1988 and has had a variety of titles and a wide range of responsibilities from small donor fundraising to coordinating the direct mail program for local candidates and county parties, providing legal counsel, acting as comptroller, maintaining the fundraising database and more. Assistant to Lucas County Democratic Chairman Jim Ruvolo starting in 1981, then Executive Director, and remained there until 1988. Law degree from University of Toledo Law School, 1979; undergraduate degree from Ohio State, 1976. Started in politics working on the McGovern campaign in 1972 and worked as a volunteer on a wide variety of campaigns from 1972-1980 in Akron, Columbus, and Toledo.

Communications Director

Dan Trevas

(started Sept. 2003) Previously spokesman for the Columbus City Council, 2001-03. Former reporter; statehouse bureau chief of Dix Newspapers to 2000, then joined capitolwire.com.

Webmaster

Kirstin Krumsee

Development Director

Todd Rensi

Federal Campaign Field Coordinator

Joel Bradley

Legislative Black Caucus Coordinator

TaKeysha Sheppard

Veterans Coordinator

Marco Miller

Legal Counsel

Michael O'Grady

Allies
Americans Coming Together | 1397 Dublin Road | Columbus

Ohio State Director

Steve Bouchard

(started late March) State Director of Gen. Wesley Clark's NH Primary campaign, announced Oct. 10, 2003, after serving as New Hampshire State Director of Sen. Bob Graham's campaign from March 17, 2003 until Graham withdrew on October 6, 2003. In 2002 Bouchard was deputy campaign manager of Tony Sanchez's gubernatorial campaign in Texas. He was field director for Mark Warner's campaign for governor of Virginia in 2000-2001. Bouchard worked for Sen. Bob Kerrey's BACK PAC on the national level in 1999 and as NH director in 1998 as Kerrey considered a presidential campaign. Previously, he served in various capacities in NH Democratic politics, including communications director for the House Democrats, House Caucus director, chairman of the Hillsborough County Democrats, chairman of the 1st CD for the NHDP, and activity in numerous local and state campaigns.

Deputy State Director

Derick Clay

Served as Ohio state director for the Gore-Lieberman campaign in 2000. Field director for the Ohio Democratic Party from 1997-99, then formed a public affairs consulting firm (Clay Consulting, LLC in Columbus). Named by Ebony magazine as one of 30 "Young Leaders of the Future" (Dec. 1997). Executive director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus from 1995-97.

Field Director

Jill Harris

Veteran of New York City politics. Attorney-in-charge of the Manhattan public defender's office. In 1993 Harris became the first openly lesbian or gay elected official in Brooklyn when she was elected to represent School Board District 15; she served as president of the Board in 1996-7 and resigned effective Feb. 1, 1998. In 1991 she ran Marty Markowitz's successful campaign for borough president. Worked on the Gore campaign in 2000.

Statewide Canvass Directorand extensive targeting work

Sarah Benzing

Iowa Caucus/field director on Bob Graham's campaign for the 2000 Democratic presidential nomination, announced May 1, 2003 served through end of the campaign in October. Field director for the IDP's 2002 Coordinated Campaign. She worked for the Iowa Democratic Party for two years. Benzing was field coordinator for Butler, Bremer, Franklin, Grundy and Hardin counties on Al Gore's 2000 Iowa caucus campaign. A University of Northern Iowa graduate. From Neola, Iowa.

Also
David Moore helped with targeting.

Communications Director

Jess Goode

Former press secretary and district director to Ohio Congressman Ted Strickland. Veteran of five congressional campaigns. B.S. in Journalism from Ohio University.

Offices/Contacts:

Akron 168 East Market Street, Suite 207 Teddy Lehman	Cincinnati 2330 Victory Parkway, Suite 100 Julian Rogers	Cleveland 2490 Lee Blvd, Suite 320 Julian Rogers

Columbus Chris Glaros	Dayton 33 Riverside Drive Ross Meyer	Parma 5592 Broadview Road Cheryl Webb

Toledo 1501 Adams Street Jeff Dennler	Youngstown 3957 Belmont Avenue Maureen Lauer-Gatta

From America Coming Together: "In total we knocked at over 3.7 million doors, engaged people in over 1.1 million conversations at the doors, made over 3 million phone calls, mailed out better than 2 million pieces of mail, and deployed over 13,000 individuals on Election Day. We also undertook an aggressive absentee ballot program--closing the massive advantage the GOP traditionally enjoys among those voters."

Notes:
There are a variety of numbers describing the extent of ACT's organization in Ohio, but by any of them it was significant. A post-election communication from ACT's national office tallies 19 offices, 82 staff, over 700 canvassers, and thousands of volunteers. ACT Ohio Communications Director Jess Goode stated on Oct. 7 that ACT had about 70 salaried staff and 15 offices and had registered 85,000 voters. On June 3, 2004, speaking at the Take Back America conference ACT Political Director JoDee Winterhof said ACT has 21 offices and 60 salaried staff in Ohio. Steve Bouchard has the final word (9/15/05 e-mail) "The number of offices did fluctuate as we consolidated offices at different times, and also had staging areas or GOTV offices that weren't full-fledged offices. I think the 19 number is solid."

See also:
Derrick Willis. "Voter Turnout Group Focuses on Ohio." Article on Center for Public Integrity website. July 4, 2004. This article states that "ACT began paying employees in Ohio on Oct. 15, 2003, according to FEC records..." >>
John F. Harris and Paul Farhi. "Taking the Campaign to the People, One Doorstep at a Time." Washington Post. April 18, 2004, page A01. This article reported that ACT had 18 offices in Ohio.

America Votes | Columbus

Ohio Organizing Director

Scott Nunnery

Did consulting with Burnside and Associates in Los Angeles, CA; clients included state parties, environmental organizations, teachers’ unions, and California State Senate and Assembly candidates. NM Coordinated Campaign Director in 2000.

Ohio AFL-CIO | 395 E. Broad St., Suite 300 | Columbus
Battleground Desk/State Director: Wiley Pearson (Columbus)
President: William A. Burga
Secretary-Treasurer: Pierrette "Petee" Talley

Working America (the "community affiliate" of the AFL-CIO)
4039 Hamilton Ave., Suite 200 | Cincinnati (Amanda Rodriguez)
3250 Euclid Ave., Room 250 | Cleveland (Anthony Walker)
395 East Broad St., Suite 010 | Columbus (Joseph Clark, Jr.)

21st Century Democrats' Young Voter Project | 2930 Monticello Blvd | Cleveland Heights

Director

Evan Hutchison

Regional Director in Laconia on Wesley Clark's NH primary campaign. Prior to the campaign Hutchison was working as a paralegal at a law firm in New York; he helped with some of the early fundraisers there in Sept. 2003. In 2002 he worked on the Sanchez campaign doing GOTV in Tayor County (Abeline). Hutchison spent time in Quito working towards a Masters degree. He is a 2000 Columbia graduate with a degree in Religion.
"managed a staff of 70 operatives across offices and campuses in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati"

Bring Ohio Back (BOB)
Ohio based Section 527 > group formed June 7, 2004 by strategists Gerald Austin and Jeff Rusnak; aims to "educate Ohioans about the failure of the Bush administration," focusing particularly on Northeast Ohio. Honorary co-chairs actors Chad Lowe and Fisher Stevens.