The
Obama Campaign in Early Primary States
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(page
updated March 21, 2012)
While Republican
primary contests were unfolding in the full media spotlight, the Obama
campaign had also built up
organizations in the early states, as well as around the country,
despite the absence of an opponent. Even at this point, the Obama
organizations were often bigger than those of the Republican
campaigns. Democrats and the Obama campaign further noted that
these offices would
keep on working even as the Republican campaigns shut their offices and
moved on to the next contest.
Keeping in mind that
there were also extensive organizations in other key states, below is a
look at the Obama organization in the four early states at the time of
the respective caucus/primary.
Iowa
facebook | twitter | state page
State Director Derek Eadon
Eadon directed Iowa Democrats' 2010 Coordinated
Campaign. Previously he was the Iowa state director for
Organizing for America. In the 2007-08 cycle he was the first
field organizer hired in Iowa for Obama's campaign, and continued on
the campaign through Nov. 2008. In 2006 he was a field
organizer for the Iowa Democrats' Coordinated Campaign in the Cedar
Rapids area.
Originally from Elmhurst, Ill. twitter
Digital
Director Trent Schacht
Central Iowa regional field director for Organizing
for America. Graduate
of Valley High School in West Des Moines, 2003.
Data Director Franny Sharpe
(Aug. 2011) Field organizer for CWA-Iowa.
Deputy field
director for the House
caucus campaign at the Iowa Democratic Party, 2010. A regional
director
at Repower America, 2009. Voter file assistant at the Arizona
Democratic Party, 2008. Graduate of Northern Arizona University,
2007.
Field Director Kevin Geiken
In 2009 Geiken started as deputy field director of Organizing for America. Graduate in liberal studies from Iowa State University.
Communications Director John Kraus
Senior
advisor on Russ Feingold's unsuccessful 2010 re-election
campaign. In the 2004 cycle, Kraus worked as communications
director and spokesman for Feingold's re-election campaign after
serving as Wisconsin state director on John Edwards' presidential
primary campaign, 2003-04. Communications director for Attorney
General Jim Doyle's winning
campaign
for governor in 2002. Communications director on Elizabeth
Burmaster’s
2001 election to State Superintendent of Schools. Wisconsin press
secretary on Vice President
Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign and earlier executive director of
the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Campaign manager for Chief
Justice Shirley Abrahamson’s 1999 re-election to the Wisconsin Supreme
Court. Graduate of University of Wisconsin.
Regional Field Directors: Matt Beltrami, Zack
Davis, Tom Geraci and Emily Flattery
Offices (8 at the time of the
caucuses):
official openings of
these offices Sept. 20-28, 2011, but some had been operating earlier:
Des Moines - 621 E 2nd St.
Cedar Rapids - 2857 Mount
Vernon Rd S.E. (sharing with Linn County
Democrats)
Council Bluffs - 1851 Madison
Ave., #550
Davenport - The
Midtown Plaza,
1706 Brady St. #205
Dubuque - 3250 Kennedy Circle
Iowa City - 321
E. Market St.
Sioux City - 4106 Morningside
Ave.
Waterloo - 512 Mulberry St.
Field Organizers include: Rachel Gordon, Benjamin
Levine...
New Hampshire
facebook | twitter | state
page
General Election Director Pete Kavanaugh
A principal at Hilltop Public
Solutions. Advisor on the Jody Wagner for Lt. Governor campaign
in Virginia, 2009, and on the Terry McAuliffe for Governor campaign in
Virginia, 2009. Field director on the Virginia Democratic
Coordinated Campaign, 2008. New Hampshire deputy field director
on John Edwards for President, 2007-08. Deputy director of the
Missouri Democratic Coordinated Campaign, 2006. Field director on
the Scott Lang for Mayor campaign in New Bedford, MA, 2005.
Political director at IssuesMatter.org, 2004. Political director
on Jim Stork for Congress in FL-22, 2004. New Hampshire political
assistant on the John Edwards for President campaign, 2003-04. twitter
Digital Director Brandi Edwards
(Aug. 2011) New media regional desk at the DNC,
March-Aug. 2011.
Indiana deputy field director for Organizing for America, July
2009-April 2011. Started on the Obama 2008 campaign as a field
intern in March and in the Fall was a field organizer for the North
Carolina Campaign for Change. B.S. degrees from Indiana State
University.
Data Director Amanda Peel
(reported Oct. 28, 2011 by James Pindell) A regional
field director on
Virginia Victory '09/Creigh Deeds for Governor.
Field Director Sara Bean Duncan
(reported Oct. 28, 2011 by James Pindell) 5th CD
field director
for the Democratic Party of Oregon in Fall 2010 after serving as field
director on Bradbury for Governor for March-May 2010 and as deputy
campaign manager on DeFazio for Congress, July 2009-Jan. 2010.
Worked as a legislative assistant in the Oregon Legislature, Jan.-June
2009. B.S. in political science from University of Oregon, 2009.
Regional Field Directors
Russell Drapkin
B.F.A. in lighting design from DePaul University,
2002.
Katie Malloy
RFD since Sept. 2011; started as a summer organizer in
New York City in
Oct. 2010. Radio affiliate coordinator/podcaster for Fox News
Radio, 2008-10 and graphics PA for Fox Business network, 2008-09.
B.A. from Wheaton College, 2005.
Alex Zeitz-Moskin
Consultant at Field Strategies starting in 2010.
B.A. in politics
from Oberlin College, 2010.
Janice Rottenberg
Started as an intern in Oct. 2011; in Fall 2008 Rottenberg worked as a field organizer on Obama for America in the Cincinnati area. B.A. in political science, American politics from University of Pennsylvania, 2011.
Joe Bowen
Offices (7 at the time of the
primary):
Manchester - 228 Maple St.
Concord - 105
N. State St.
Dover - 660
Central Ave.
Keene - 294
West St.
Lebanon - 85
Mechanic St.
Nashua - 97
Main St.
Portsmouth -
125 Brewery Lane
Note: James Pindell on Oct. 28
reported a total staff of 15.
Concord - Colin Oldenburg | Dover - Ben
Croner | Exeter - Bay Scoggin | Epsom - Miriam
L. Cahill-Yeaton | Franconia - Nanette Avril |
Grafton - Judy Wallick | Hampton - Chris Muns |
Hanover - Deb Nelson | Keene - Megan Caska |
Manchester - Kaie Malloy | Nashua - Sonia Prince and Deidre
Reynolds | Nelson - Sandy Mackenzie | North
Caroll - Erik Corbett | Portsmouth - Larry Drake
| Plymouth - Rob Avruch | Salem - Katie O'Neil
Former
RFD - Kayla Calkin
Master’s in public policy with a concentration in
women’s studies from
The George Washington University, May 2011. New Hampshire staffer
for the Clinton campaign in 2008. Bachelor's degree in political
science from Wellesley College, 2007.
Nevada
facebook | twitter | state page
Offices:
Las Vegas - 2475 S. Jones Blvd, Suite 7, Las Vegas, NV 89151
Reno - 1465 Terminal Way, Suite 1, Reno, NV 89502
Henderson - 2925 Green Valley Pkwy, Henderson, NV 89014 ...open Nov.
10, 2011
State Director Luke Hayes
(June 2011 through the caucuses) Texas state director for Organizing for America, 2009-10. Field organizer on Obama's 2007-08 Nevada caucus campaign; in Fall 2008 Hayes served as deputy field director on the Virginia Campaign for Change. Worked on Will Wynn’s 2006 campaign for Mayor of Austin, TX. Graduate of Vassar College. Originally from the Bronx. twitter
Field Director Emmy Ruiz
(field director for Organizing for America from June
2011-Jan. 2012) Texas field director for the DNC, 2009-May 2011.
National field manager of Young Democrats of America, 2008-10.
Hillary Clinton for President campaign, Oct. 2007-May 2008.
Development coordinator/grant writer at the American Red Cross,
2006-07. Graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio,
2006.
twitter
Deputy Field Director Steve Sisneros
Worked as a field organizer in the 2010 midterm
elections; and earlier worked in the Nevada State Legislature.
Bachelor's degree in
criminal justice from UNLV. Originally from New
Mexico.
twitter
Regional Field Director Anatole Jenkins
Started as an intern with OFA and the DNC in
Washington, DC during the
2010-midterms; went
on to work with the campaign in Nevada when the reelection launched.
twitter
Data Director Chris Coger
(Sept. 2011) Previously at Catalist from Jan.
2008 starting as an
intern, then as customer service representative, account executive,
senior account executive, and most recently senior product
manager. B.A. in political science from American
University. twitter
Digital Director Jason Karsh
(Oct. 2011) Regional field organizer on Obama
for America,
2008. Creative director at Spacedog Interactive Agency, five
months in 2007. Creative director at McElroy, 2002-05. Sole
propreitorship, 2000-02, as well as copywriter. twitter
Political Director Mariela Hernandez
Worked for Sen. Harry Reid from May 2005-end of Sept.
2011, starting
as a staff assistant,
then serving as a regional representative and as manager of strategic
outreach.
South Carolina
facebook | twitter | state
page
State Director Le'Jamiel (Lee) Goodall
(May 2011) Georgia state director of Organizing for America, March 2009-April 2011. In Fall 2008 served as field director on the Georgia Campaign for Change after serving on the primary campaign in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Loan officer, Feb. 2003-Feb. 2008. B.S. in communications from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., 2003.
Field Director Patrick Meredith
(Dec. 2011) Field director on U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson's re-election campaign in 2010. Worked on Kasim Reed's campaign for Atlanta Mayor in 2009. Started working for the Democratic Party of Georgia in early 2008 and eventually became the party's canvass director.
Press Secretary Shira Kramer
(Oct. 2011) Previously press assistant then
deputy press secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce, March
2009-Oct. 2011. Press assistant at Obama for America, Fall
2008. Master's degree in business management from the University
of Florida Warrington College of Business, 2008; bachelor's degree in
journalism from the University of Florida, 2007.
Senior Advisor Rick Wade
Served as deputy chief of staff and senior advisor at
the U.S.
Department of Commerce. Served on Obama's 2008 campaign,
announced as a senior advisor
on May 24,
2007, and was national African American vote director in the general
election.
Vice president of business development for Palmetto GBA, a subsidiary
of
Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina. Democratic nominee for
Secretary of State in 2002, obtaining about 44 percent of the
vote.
Senior associate at Fowler Communications. State director of the
S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Services (announced by Gov.
Hodges
in Jan. 1999, served through May 2002). Other experience includes
senior manager at Hoffmann-La Roche pharmaceutical company in New
Jersey,
analyst for the S.C. House Ways & Means Committee, executive
assistant
to the president of University of South Carolina and chief of staff for
former Lt. Gov. Nick Theodore. MPA from the Kennedy School of
Government,
1997. B.S. from the University of South Carolina. Native of
Lancaster, SC.
Regional Field Directors
Laura Storey
Kayla Mallett
Offices (2 at the time of the primary):
Columbia - 1529 Hampton St.
No. Charleston
- 5060 Dorchester Rd.
former
Field Director - Byron Wellman had been serving as
South Carolina field director on Organizing for
America since May 2009. A regional field director on the Florida
Campaign for Change in Fall 2008. A South Carolina field director
Chris Dodd's presidential campaign, June-Dec. 2007. B.A. in
public relations from University of South Carolina-Columbia, 2007;
served as president of Young Democrats of South Carolina.
Originally from West Virginia.
RFD - Robert Flood