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The 2020 Dem Staffing Race: Who’s Hiring Whom?

January 15, 2019

If you’re struggling to keep up with who’s in, who’s out, and who’s on the verge of announcing 2020 presidential campaigns, head over to AR Intel’s “2020 Movers and Shakers” post from Tuesday morning.

But for those looking to dig a little deeper, AR Intel has begun pulling together information on the men and women each presidential campaign is relying upon to take them across the finish line. In some cases, these are long-term staffers who have been with these politicians for most of their careers. In other cases, some campaigns are poaching talent from others.

With the first 2020 Democratic presidential primary slated to take place in June 2019, campaigns are staffing up now to prepare for the turbulent year ahead.

Team Gillibrand

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand staffed up in a big way last week. She hired former DSCC political director Dan McNally to be her campaign manager. Most recently, McNally worked as an ad maker for consulting firm Shorr Johnson Magnus, and in 2016, he served as Sen. Michael Bennet’s (D-CO) reelection campaign manager.

She also hired former DCCC communications Meredith Kelly to run her communications shop, per Politico. Kelly previously served for five years in Sen. Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) Senate office. Serving under Kelly will be Emmy Bengtson, who previously served in 2018 as digital director for Gavin Newsom’s gubernatorial campaign in California. Bengtson also worked for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, Planned Parenthood, and President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelect.

Team Hickenlooper

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper reportedly made three hires to his political action committee in recent days, per the AP.

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who left office last week, added foreign policy adviser Jeremy Rosner, finance director Dan Sorenson and a senior communications adviser Marie Logsden to his political action committee in recent days, according to an aide.

Rosner previously served as a senior staff member of President Bill Clinton’s National Security Council. Sorenson served as the deputy finance director for the DCCC and as Hillary Clinton’s finance director in Colorado and New Mexico in 2016. Logsden previously served as Hickenlooper’s communications chief when he was governor. Prior to that, Logsden worked at Planned Parenthood for more than 10 years, per her LinkedIn page.

Team Booker

Sen. Cory Booker has “identified a likely campaign manager,” according to the AP: Addisu Demissee.

The Democratic operative previously managed Booker’s special election campaign in 2013 and subsequently worked for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and most recently led California Gov. Gavin Newsome’s successful gubernatorial bid.

Team Sanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders is “in talks with” Means of Production, the filmmaking cooperative that produced viral videos for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s upstart 2018 campaign.

Additionally, Sanders is bringing back two aides who helped boost his 2016 record-breaking small-dollar fundraising machine: Tim Tagaris and Robin Curran, his digital fundraising director and digital production director in 2016, respectively,” per Politico.

Two other aides are likely to return as well: media producer Armand Aviram and digital director Georgia Parke. Aviram formerly served as a producer for viral video maker NowThis News.

Sanders has also suffered a number of defections: Middle Seat, a digital firm created by former Sanders staffers told the New York Times that they hope to be part of former Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s presidential campaign, should he launch one.

Team Warren

Thus far, Sen. Elizabeth Warren has made several high-level staffers in Iowa, per Politico.

Among the new hires is Brendan Summers, who served as Iowa caucus director and national caucus director to Sanders in 2016. …

Warren also brought on board Emily Parcell, political director for Barack Obama’s 2008 Iowa caucus team; Janice Rottenberg, who worked for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Iowa caucus and also served as organizing director for the Ohio Democratic Party; and Kane Miller, who worked as a field organizer for Obama in 2008 and most recently managed the successful campaign of Congresswoman-elect Abby Finkenauer, who defeated Republican Rep. Rod Blum in the northeast Iowa-based 1st Congressional District.

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