Town halls? Distanced. Fundraisers? Curbed. Debates? Zoomed.
Covidʼs Campaign Conundrums How pols are adapting to this year’s lackluster landscape.
The state's top
50
political consultants CIT YANDSTATEPA .COM
@CIT YANDSTATEPA
JANUARY 2022
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Compiled by CITY & STATE Compiled by CITY & STATE TUESDAY, JUNE 2021 TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1, 2021
WEATHER: Philadelphia: partly sunny, high of 79; Harrisbur
WEATHER: Philadelphia: partly sunny, highhigh of of79; cloudy, high of 78; Pittsburgh: mostly cloudy, 76. Ha cloudy, high of 78; Pittsburgh: mostly cloudy, high of FROM CITY & STATE
* Republican state Rep. Jim Cox has introduced legislation FROM CITY & STATE
the unemployment programs provided by the CARES Act w motivate unemployment claimants to find jobs by offering th Republican state Rep.work. Jim Cox has introduced legis bonus for finding
* the unemployment programs provided by the CARES NEW THIS MORNING: motivate unemployment claimants to find jobs by off * Republican leaders of the state House of Representatives bonus for finding work.
Friday to impeach Philadelphia elections officials if they cou ballots from the May 18 primary, The Philadelphia Inquirer re
NEW THIS MORNING:
* With the state’s wide-open races for governor and U.S. Se shape, Republican candidates with strong ties to Donald Tru
* Republican thecontenders state House of Represen and leaders consideredof strong for the party’s nominatio ated Press reports. Friday to impeach Philadelphia elections officials if th ballots from the May 18 primary, The Philadelphia Inq * Democratic state Rep. Amen Brown is crafting legislation t
get rid of a $5 copay state prison inmates are required to pa
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care after prison officials said inmates had avoided COVU * With the cal state’s wide-open races for governor and because of the fee, NBC Philadelphia reports. shape, Republican candidates with strong ties to Do * Peoplestrong receiving contenders unemployment are about nom the and considered forconcerned the party’s weeklong shutdown of the online unemployment claims sys ated Pressoverhaul, reports. Spotlight PA reports.
* U.S. Sen. Bob Casey called GOP senators who haven’t su * Democratic state Rep. Amen Brown is crafting legis January 6 commission, voting rights protections or gun con get rid of a“impediments $5 copaytostate prison inmates require change” in an interview withare MSNBC. care after prison officials said inmates had avoided C
January 2022
Contents | JANUARY 2022
City & State Pennsylvania
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PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
IT’S ELECTRIC The appetite for electric vehicles is growing, but is it sustainable?
EDITOR’S NOTE … 4
Zoom fatigue is real and costly
FIRST READ … 7
Ten funky laws that still exist in Pennsylvania
MICHAEL POLLACK … 10
A Q&A with the rabbi causing a ruckus in Harrisburg
CAMPAIGN 2022 … 16
How today’s outreach has moved largely online to reach voters and donors
POLITICAL CONSULTANTS … 23
The 50 best ways to win office in Pennsylvania
WINNERS & LOSERS … 38
Who was up and who was down last month
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CityAndStatePA .com
January 2022
EDITOR’S NOTE
Editor-in-chief
JARED GRUENWALD
JENNY DEHUFF
A RECENT EPISODE of HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” that aired last month reminded me of our January issue, which highlights the state’s top political operatives and explains how they manage to spice up the bland nature of campaigning in 2022. Without spoiling it for you, “Larry Gets Political” from Season 11 features Larry David wading into political waters – but only for his personal gain. He cozies up to a Santa Monica City Council person only because he realizes she has the power to change a local ordinance to his advantage. Larry wants to win her favor, so he does something totally out of character. Despite having zero interest in politics, he agrees to stump for the mayoral candidate she supports – going even so far as canvassing his neighborhood and wearing a campaign pin that he secretly despises. The timing of my watching the show juxtaposed perfectly with the publication of this magazine. As we watched Larry knocking on doors, handing out political flyers and trying to woo his neighbors with bloated campaign promises, we might’ve thought Larry taped the scenes in 2019. Because, really, who does that anymore? I posed the question to Neil Deegan, a managing principal at Rittenhouse Political Partners, which touts itself as the largest women-owned political consulting firm in Pennsylvania. Deegan says his biggest challenge since the start of the pandemic has been trying to fundraise virtually. “When people were really looking for connection the first few months of the pandemic, it was not hard to get people to come to a Zoom event because it was something different – it was something to do,” said Deegan. “Now that we’re back to doing this almost two years later, it’s kind of tough to get people to want to come and engage in a Zoom when they already have – how many a day?” For most people, the novelty of virtual events has largely worn off. Many are still missing the feel of real engagement that comes with an in-person setting. “A lot of times, when you have a question, you’re typing it into the chat box. You’re not getting that personal, one-on-one conversation,” Deegan said. Our cover story explores what campaigning is like in the age of COVID – when people are reluctant to open their homes for fundraisers, meet-and-greets take place over a screen and the elbow bump has replaced the handshake. We also tip our hats to the top 50 political consultants in the Keystone State, each of whom has put their clients in promising positions to win elected office or has already guided them to victory. We’d be remiss not to point out that three people on our list sit on our advisory board: Samuel Chen, Ray Zaborney and Tricia Mueller. Happy (campaign) trails, everyone.
CONGRATULATES
FIONA CONROY Named one of City and State PA’s
Political Consultants Power 50!
WE DELIVER.
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HONORING DISTINGUISHED WOMEN IN PENNSYLVANIA Submit your nomination for City & State PA’s 2022 Above & Beyond!
City & State PA will recognize exceptional women in Pennsylvania for their accomplishments across various sectors including politics, media, education, nonprofit, and beyond with a special edition magazine and event debuting in March. Help us shine a light on these powerful women who distinguish themselves in their respective industries by submitting your nomination today! Nomination deadline is Friday, February 4, 2022
THE OFFICE OF GOV. TOM WOLF; PHOTODISC/GETTY; ANDREWJOHNSON/GETTY IMAGES; MIHAI ANDRITOIU/SHUTTERSTOCK; DAMIR SPANIC/UNSPLASH
January 2022
City & State Pennsylvania
E
VERY STATE’S GOT its worth of archaic, weird and outdated laws, and Pennsylvania is certainly no exception. Here in the commonwealth, there are bizarre laws at the statewide and local levels, and although many of them aren’t enforced, some still remain on the books. Particularly at the municipal level, old statutes and ordinances are kept in place because the repeal process can be time-consuming and expensive. Here are some of the zaniest laws that are still in place in Pennsylvania. You might’ve broken one without even knowing.
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BAD DEEDS
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We dusted off the archives to find out what’s really still illegal in PA and what’s fake news.
STATE REGULATIONS • • • • • •
Don’t be left on the hook. Fishers must not use goldfish, comets, koi and common carp as bait. We bet you didn’t see this coming. Fortune telling for personal gain is illegal. Better not hunt big game when the animal is swimming, or risk drowning in fines. You’re banned from bartering your children. That should go without saying. No accidents here. Your bedroom can’t be more than 200 feet from your bathtub, shower or toilet. Game on? A person is prohibited from firing a paintball gun at another who is not playing paintball.
10 odd laws still on the books in Pennsylvania.
By Harrison Cann
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January 2022
STATE BLUE LAWS
a/k/a “Sunday Laws,” were established to stop activities from taking place on a day of rest for religious or secular reasons.
•
Old blue laws prohibited sports, musical, and theatrical performances before 1 p.m. on Sundays. But after further review, the play stands. Pump the brakes on car sales, too. Those transactions are still off limits on Sundays.
TETRA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES:JOHN LUND/PHOTODISC/GETTY IMAGES; STOCKBYTE/GETTY IMAGES; DON MASON/GETTY IMAGES
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While many of these old, archaic laws have yet to be scrubbed from the record books, rarely are they enforced in the 21st century.
MUNICIPAL REGULATIONS •
•
Hold your horses if you’re in Tarentum. It’s illegal to tie a horse (but not a dog) to a parking meter or streetlight pole. In Bensalem, bingo is only for non-felons. You’d only be able to play B4 you were locked up.
EAS CARPENTERS CONGRATULATES TORI SHRIVER & MUNGU SANCHEZ
The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters is part of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and is made up of over 41,000 highly skilled men and women living and working in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico. Learn more at EASCarpenters.org William C. Sproule, Executive Secretary- Treasurer
Anthony Abrantes, Asst. Executive Secretary- Treasurer
@EASCARPENTERS
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CityAndStatePA .com
December 2021
Q & A with Rabbi
Michael Pollack Non-violent civil disobedience put him in handcuffs more than once. By Justin Sweitzer
What prompted you to form March on Harrisburg?
It really started in 2016 before the presidential election – in the spring of 2016. We were a group of people who were frustrated that our political system seemed incapable of responding to all the crises coming at us day-to-day. We just saw these fights happening, lasting for decades, and there’s been no resolution, no progress, on things ranging from taking on climate change, to education funding, to dealing with opioid abuse, to progressive tax structures. We saw all these problems and a lot of us were working on these different fronts of struggle, and we just kept tracing it all back to the same set of people, the same greed, the same corruption – “the money wall” is what we call it. In these various fronts of struggle, we all banged our heads up against that money wall. And so we came together and decided to dismantle that money wall. We all had too many experiences where a group has pushed a bill really far and then a guy in a
suit walks in the back room and whispers something to the city councilor’s ear and the bill’s dead – that’s it. So, we really realized that we have to unite across all different issues and challenge the corruption that maintains the system. Was gift-ban legislation always your primary focus? How did that come to be March on Harrisburg’s main priority? We went with a gift ban because it’s something that’s very easy to understand. It’s not campaign finance reform, which usually leads people to kind of fall asleep … But the gift ban, people get that. It’s a gutshot kind of a concept. We also knew that it was unanimously popular amongst the public, and there was not going to be any need for
MARCH ON HARRISBURG
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NERGIZED BY A march from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. in spring 2016, Rabbi Michael Pollack formed March on Harrisburg, a government reform advocacy group that has developed a reputation for staging nonviolent demonstrations aimed at rooting out corruption in state government. The group uses three major tactics to advocate for good government reforms: physical marches to raise awareness about their cause, lobbying elected leaders to earn their support, and, if that fails, taking direct, nonviolent action to get attention. At the heart of March on Harrisburg’s efforts is legislation that would ban elected leaders from accepting gifts – a practice currently permissible under state law. Pollack and March on Harrisburg activists have framed the gifts as legal bribery and argue the practice undermines trust in Pennsylvania’s elected leaders and democracy itself. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Pollack and members of March on Harrisburg have been arrested in the past for their various tactics.
December 2021
an education campaign to convince people what this is, or why to support it or explain to them what it is. Everybody agrees lobbyists should not be bribing politicians. Zeroing in on the gift ban – in your eyes, why is that piece so crucial to restoring public trust in state government? The gifts – it’s essential because it’s the most basic step. If our legislature can’t even outlaw the Super Bowl tickets and the day-to-day material bribery, there’s really no hope that they’re ever going to do anything about campaign contributions, or about independent expenditures, or about side jobs. There’s many ways that influence is bought, so we started with a gift ban because it’s the most basic – it’s
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the lowest-hanging fruit.
right now, we have five of those six people who publicly say they’re on board, and the sixth person, [Senate President Pro Tempore Jake] Corman says that if he were governor, he would sign it into law. So, the question is, why not just do it now as Senate president? But he won’t answer that question.
Gift-ban legislation has moved out of committee, but it still hasn’t received a floor vote in either chamber of the General Assembly. What’s stopping this measure from advancing?
You have developed a bit of a reputation for taking actions that sometimes have resulted in arrests. Do you think that does more to help your cause or hurt it?
Here’s what we know. You need six people to agree in order for it to get to the governor’s desk. For every bill in Harrisburg, only six people really matter. Those people are the committee chairs in each chamber, the majority leaders in the chamber, the Speaker of the House and the Senate president. If they’re all on board, it happens. If even one of them vetoes it, it doesn’t happen. A committee chair can hold up a bill even if everybody else is in favor of it. So,
Absolutely, to help it. For the first two years or so of March on Harrisburg’s existence, we got a lot of flak from a lot of groups about our tactics … Direct action is able to move some people to action, but also to make promises that they break. But it does get people out of the way. It does free up space. It also has an impact on the people we don’t go after. The direct actions that we pull are seen by everybody else in the Capitol.
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Pennsylvania’s EV charging challenge Will the federal infrastructure bill be enough to make the state a strong competitor in this race?
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TATE OFFICIALS want Pennsylvania to be the envy when it comes to EVs – electric vehicles. The driving force behind this push toward electric vehicle expansion in the commonwealth is the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Congress passed in November. Under the new federal infrastructure bill, Pennsylvania is slated to receive $2.8 billion over the next several years to improve public transit options, which the state hopes will help electrify its own fleet as well as other public transportation. The state also expects to get an additional $171 million to build out its network of electric vehicle charging stations. At a recent Senate Transportation Committee hearing, state legislators heard from electrification advocates and trucking companies about the potential impacts on electric vehicle expansion in the state. And while some Republicans expressed concerns about imposing mandates on the oil and gas industries, there was no denying the sector’s overall growth throughout the commonwealth. “This is the future,” said state Sen. Wayne Langerholc, a Republican from Bedford County. “I think we need to get ahead of this and realize the potential this
COURTESY OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
By Harrison Cann
January 2022
City & State Pennsylvania
The popularity of electric vehicles has increased dramatically in recent years in Pennsylvania.
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January 2022
has to bring jobs and economic growth to our region.” But there are plenty of roadblocks the state must bypass to get to sustainability. It needs a network of charging stations in order for consumers to plug in while on the go. David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment, said it’s a “chicken and egg” situation. “Do you need to build the infrastructure so that consumers buy the cars? But also, who wants to invest in infrastructure if there’s not somebody to use it?” he asked. As it stands, Pennsylvania has 2,450 public charging plugs at more than 1,000 locations across the state. More than 950 of the locations have plug types usable by non-Tesla vehicles, according to the Department of Environmental Protection. The state’s Alternative Fuels Corridor program has focused on filling charging gaps along major interstates, including I-78, I-80 and I-81. There’s a charging project that has either been completed or is under construction in 46 of the commonwealth’s 67 counties and the program’s goal is to have electric vehicle chargers every 50 miles along the highways and no more than
Matt Smith says his city of Pittsburgh is primed to be a leader in electric vehicle expansion.
five miles from the road, with accompanying roadside signs. Federal infrastructure funding is earmarked for the installation and operation of electric vehicle chargers, including the installation of traffic control devices, signage and mapping and analysis related to charging equipment. Matt Smith, president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, said his city is primed to be a leader in electric vehicle expansion and autonomous vehicle development. “The Pittsburgh region is really putting down a marker where we think we’re going to be a global leader because we’ve got companies like Argo AI and Aurora, which [are] now public,” Smith told City & State. He said the region’s academic institutions, growing companies and energy sector can all help it become a model for
infrastructure upgrades. One thing that Pennsylvania has a lot of – natural gas – could also play a role, something that environmental advocates say is counterintuitive to the purpose of electrification. “Here in western Pennsylvania, the really exciting opportunity is sort of marrying our natural gas baseload resources with electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations,” Smith said. “That could be a really high-value opportunity for this region if we’re able to put the two things together.” Although natural gas emits less carbon dioxide than fossil fuels, charging electric vehicles with power from a non-renewable grid would diminish the environmental and health benefits associated with electrification. Ashleigh Deemer, deputy director of PennEnvironment, said the Port Authority
COURTESY OF ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT; MAXIMILIAN BECKER/GETTY IMAGES
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City & State Pennsylvania
of Pittsburgh’s 25-year plan fell short of its goal to electrify its fleet because the plans relied on the use of gas buses. She noted that those plans were changed after more than a dozen groups sent the port authority a letter thanking it for its promise to have a zero-emission fleet by 2045 and urging it to commit to powering the fleet with renewable energy. “If you’re going to electrify and try to get to zero emissions, you should make sure the sources of power are also clean,” Deemer told City & State. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh and the burgeoning electric vehicle industry, it’s not that simple. Pennsylvania is among the largest energy producers in the country, trailing only Texas in natural gas production. Despite carbon emissions dropping due to natural gas taking the place of fossil fuels, the state has a long way to go if it wants a renewable energy grid. “We actually view natural gas as a very sustainable source of baseload energy here,” Smith said. “We have an all-theabove energy strategy and we think that natural gas actually is a critical piece of that puzzle.”
”I think we need to get ahead of this and realize [its] potential.” – Wayne Langerholc
Pennsylvania must ensure its electric vehicle network is accessible to different communities throughout the state.
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Colton Brown, an energy program specialist with DEP, said rural and urban communities alike face difficulties when it comes to accessibility to the new technology that powers electric vehicles. “They’re certainly different struggles, whether it’s a rural area or urban area,” said Brown. “Urban areas are much more likely to have issues with charging … there’s a much higher percentage of people that cannot charge where they park their vehicle overnight. But then the rural areas have issues with having charging somewhere nearby. So, we’re definitely thinking about all of those pieces and trying to ensure that everybody gains access to charging.” PennDOT is currently developing a mobility plan to look at key destinations across the state to determine how electric vehicles remain safe during emergency responses, such as majors floods or snowstorms. The state faces a lot of barriers as it looks to become a leader in electric vehicle infrastructure and development, but experts in the field say the federal funding boost should get the commonwealth’s network off the ground. Still, there may be more questions than answers when it comes to the state’s future in transportation.
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The show must go on December 2021
City & State Pennsylvania
What campaigning looks like in the age of COVID.
By Justin Sweitzer & Harrison Cann
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T THE END OF EVERY election cycle, there’s always one candidate that celebrates a hard-fought victory and another that comes up short. What separates the two often comes down to not just the candidates in question, but also the campaigns they’ve run. The keys to a successful campaign vary, but political operatives and organizers alike agree that every winning campaign is built from a few foundational principles: things like strong fundraising, relentless fieldwork and effective communication. But in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world of campaigning on its head, forcing candidates and campaigns to adapt and get creative in order to achieve the type of results they sought in pre-pandemic times. For many, that meant the days of door-knocking, hand-shaking, baby-kissing campaigns had to be completely and immediately reimagined in a year when hundreds of state legislative seats – let alone the presidency – were on the line. In-person town halls became Zoom-based town halls. Door-knocking efforts were shifted to virtual platforms, placing a much stronger emphasis on phone-banking and text message campaigns. And candidates running for office had to find new ways of connecting with voters, be it through Facebook Live, TikTok or other digital means. In short, the nature of campaigning changed drastically. And fast. “When the pandemic hit in 2020, we were thrown for a loop,” said Eliza Booth, a lead organizer for Lancaster Stands Up. The organization works under Pennsylvania Stands Up, a grassroots group dedicated to advocating for progressive candidates and issue-based campaigns across the state. “As an organizer, all I’ve ever known is being with people in-person – to figure out what does it mean to organize during a pandemic and how do we do that – that was a question we really struggled with.” Political operatives were coming out of the 2016 and 2018 elections with new mindsets, and although the pandemic caused industries to shift overnight, some of the lessons learned have stuck around. Mike DeVanney, a Republican political strategist and a founding partner of ColdSpark, said the 2016 election taught people
December 2021
that the impact of the press was lessened and the impact of reaching underserved voters was amplified. “When you’re running a statewide race for governor or for senator, you can’t take any region for granted,” DeVanney said. “You really do need to have a full-throttle 67-county campaign because that’s what’s happening.” Reesa Kossoff, executive director of the Pennsylvania SEIU State Council, oversees the labor organization’s political programs. She said the pandemic’s impact on the union’s fieldwork was particularly pronounced. “At SEIU, we really believe in the power of knocking on doors and one-on-one personal interactions to move hearts and
”These are seismic shifts for people who’ve been doing this for a long time.” – Mike DeVanney
minds … We oftentimes focus our political programs on moving infrequent voters in underserved communities and communities of color who may not generally engage in the political world or feel like the political process serves them right,” she said, adding that the pandemic forced the union to halt its door-knocking in 2020. “To not have that program was a pretty significant loss.” Kossoff said that in addition to pandemic-forced changes, SEIU also had to help voters navigate new election rules set by Act 77 of 2019, the state law that brought mail-in voting to Pennsylvania for the first time. “Our job became not only to secure a vote for any preferred candidate, but we also had to take voters through a whole new process on how to vote, of which there was a much higher potential error rate in voting by mail than traditionally going to
NATE KRESGE/GK VISUAL
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Mike DeVanney is a founding partner at ColdSpark, a firm that provides strategic counsel to elected officials, trade associations and candidates for public office throughout the Keystone State.
December 2021
City & State Pennsylvania
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December 2021
Jake Corman, the top Republican in the state Senate, is eyeing the governor’s mansion this November. With the help of his advisers, he might have a good shot at it.
Act 77, which Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law in 2019, significantly expanded access to mail-in voting for all Pennsylvanians.
ing how they consume news,” DeVanney said. “Digital becomes a huge component. Messages are not just mass broadcast, but can be highly individualized. The advent of analytics and that more targeted ability to talk to others, that’s been a significant change over the last 20 years.” Technology had taken a hold of political operations well before the pandemic. But as offices closed and Zoom meetings took over, even tech-savvy campaigns had to adjust to remote work. Ray Zaborney, founder of the Harrisburg-based Red Maverick Media, said they’ve been able to find efficiencies in the work despite campaigns
lacking the camaraderie of large field offices. “It’s actually feasible that you can run a statewide campaign so much more efficiently than before because the talent acquisition is easier,” Zaborney told City & State. “You can literally have a functioning and efficient office that isn’t an ‘office.’ It doesn’t all have to be centered around a single office and I think that’s something that campaigns are gonna look back on and be thankful that they were forced to learn.” DeVanney said the flexibility and innovations of online campaigns have been a silver lining of the pandemic. He noted
SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE; JASON DOIY/GETTY IMAGES
the polls,” Kossoff added. Consultants have also dealt with changing demographics, district lines and more – all while adjusting to politics in the pandemic world. Across the commonwealth in the last few years, DeVanney said, Democrats have picked up power in the suburbs around Philadelphia, while Republicans have gained ground in areas of western Pennsylvania. “These are seismic shifts for people who’ve been doing this for a long time,” he said. Amid the ever-changing political landscape, consultants have been required to change their ways. Successful campaigns have adapted to not only the political climate, but the technological one, as well. Lancaster Stands Up adapted, shifting away from in-person meetings and doorto-door canvassing and welcoming a pandemic-driven digital era marked by Zoom, text campaigns and other virtual outreach efforts. “The in-person interaction has just completely went away,” Booth said. “Basically everything is done virtually. Obviously, like everybody else, we’ve gotten very acquainted with Zoom and Google Meet, and all that kind of stuff. And we learned how to use that to organize.” “You can’t do everything with just television, as we see the way people are chang-
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”As with everything nowadays, there’s some polarization between the two parties on how they’re dealing with this.” – Ray Zaborney
that younger people are much more interested in working or volunteering because they’re able to do so from the comfort of their own homes. Those remote advantages aren’t limited to campaign workers either. “The candidate can be in a very detailed conversation in Elk County, with folks who care about that area and are from there on Zoom, and be at an event in Philadelphia the same day, whereas that was not possible before,” Zaborney said. “The downside is there’s not that personal contact … It’s a challenge to balance that out.” Booth also said that the shift to digital means of organizing has presented
more opportunities for campaigns to connect with others doing similar work. “We know how to share ideas and help each other through the challenges of organizing COVID,” she said. “And that’s been really helpful.” During the pivotal 2022 primary and general elections, campaigns are attempting to balance the need for a personal touch with the overall concern for public health. “As with everything nowadays, there’s some polarization between the two parties on how they’re dealing with this,” Zaborney said. “Democrats, by and large, are operating under pandemic-level protocols,
whereas Republicans seem to have gone back to in-person events, some more traditional type of approaches.” He noted that Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has been holding his campaign events outdoors, while Republicans, such as state Sen. Jake Corman, kicked off their candidacies with in-person rallies. DeVanney emphasized that campaigning will vary by region depending on voters’ comfortability with door-knocking or in-person events. He said recent successful candidates have been the ones who “were able to read their audience, knew what was the respectable level of campaigning with respect to how folks felt, and embraced that.” For others, however, the pandemic pushed political operatives out of their comfort zones just enough, allowing them to reassess their strategies in a new light. “Once you’ve been in this business for long enough, you can get into your comfort zone about how things are supposed to operationalize,” Kossoff said. “You can very easily do the same things over and over again just because that’s what you’ve been doing all along. So, I would say that it did force a whole lot of new thinking and new creativity.”
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Congratulations Reesa Kossoff
for being named one of the top political consultants of 2022
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THE 2022 POLITICAL CONSULTANTS POWER 50
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The campaign pros propelling candidates into elected office in Pennsylvania.
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UNNING POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS is never easy, and in the ever-changing landscape of operations during the COVID19 pandemic, many on the job have been forced to adapt the tried-and-true approaches to typical campaign work. Much of it has become digital in many ways, pressing the top firms to find new efficiencies and make up for the personal touch lacking in COVID-era campaigns. Pennsylvania’s top political consultants include a variety of old and new, as well as national and local firms working to get candidates elected all across the commonwealth. It didn’t escape our notice that the final roster for this list is light on diversity in virtually every sense of the word. It’s dominated by
straight, white, middle-aged men. But no matter how you slice it, right now, this is an accurate reflection of the most powerful people in this arena. Our rankings are determined by the recent political consulting work done on behalf of candidates across Pennsylvania, factoring in wins and losses in statewide and local races and the campaign spending and prominence of candidates. City & State reached out to each operative on the list to learn their top clients and biggest accomplishments. Some shared, others passed, and we filled in the rest with our own research and reviews of public filings. Here are the 2022 Political Consultants Power 50.
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January 2022
1 RAY ZABORNEY FOUNDER Red Maverick Media Ray Zaborney has served as an adviser to some of Pennsylvania's top political leaders for more than 15 years. He’s grown Red Maverick Media into a powerhouse operation that represents dozens of Republican campaigns in Pennsylvania – his marquee client being
Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman – whose gubernatorial campaign he helped launch last year. Known in Republican circles as a results-driven political strategist, Zaborney is credited with helping a sizable chunk of GOP members win seats in the House and Senate. Key clients: Jake Corman, Dan Meuser, John Joyce, John DiSanto, Mike Regan, Frank Farry, Larry Hogan, Senate Republican Campaign Committee, House Republican Campaign Committee, Congressional Leadership Fund, Henry McMaster, Chris Christie (2016 SuperPAC) Biggest accomplishment:
“Helping Megan Sullivan win a statewide judicial seat and helping to launch Jake Corman’s gubernatorial campaign.”
2 JENNIFER ZABORNEY FOUNDER Maverick Finance Jennifer Zaborney has advised candidates on the local, state and federal levels for more than a decade. Her skill set
includes advising nonprofits and women towards their financial and political goals. She earned the Senate Republican Campaign Committee millions of dollars as finance director and executive director and helped to ensure the group's status as the only majority Republican Caucus in the northeast. The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Susquehanna Arts Museum are among her affiliations. Key clients: Jake Corman, Corbett for Governor, Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy Biggest accomplishment: “Jen worked to help launch the campaign of Senate President
JOEL THOMAS; J CONFER
Jen Zaborney has played a key role in advising some of the state's top political figures.
January 2022
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Jake Corman for Governor and continues to serve as an advisor to the campaign.”
when she became the nation’s first openly-gay attorney general in 2015.”
3
5
MARK HARRIS & MIKE DEVANNEY
MIKE MIKUS PRINCIPAL
FOUNDERS
Chartiers Group
ColdSpark Following graduation from George Washington University, Mark Harris ran in Pennsylvania's primary election to unseat an incumbent state representative. He was an advisor to U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey during the most expensive Senate reelection campaign in U.S. history. Today, Harris is one of the state's most sought-after consultants. Harris founded ColdSpark in 2011 and still leads its growing team. For the Supreme Court election in Pennsylvania last year, the team led an independent expenditure campaign. Known as a "top campaign operative," Mike DeVanney managed Bill Scranton's 2006 gubernatorial campaign and created advertising that won multiple Pollie and Reed awards. Together, Harris and DeVanney have run campaigns ranging from local elections to presidential super PACs to a one-time very costly bid for the U.S. Senate. As ColdSpark expands, digital advocacy and campaigning for causes are becoming increasingly important. Apart from being one of Pittsburgh's largest public relations firms, ColdSpark has satellite offices in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. Key clients: Club for Growth, Pittsburgh Works, Jake Corman for PA Governor, U.S. Term Limits, Darren Bailey for Illinois Governor, Guy Reschenthaler, Byron Donalds, Nikki Haley’s Stand for America, Russ Fulcher Biggest accomplishment: “Helping to guide the
Balaban is a partner at Technicolor Political, the largest majorityBlack-owned admaking firm in the country.
successful independent expenditure effort for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court election.”
4 J.J. BALABAN ADMAKER & STRATEGIST Technicolor Political During his 20 years as an admaker and strategist, J.J. Balaban wrote and created TV ads for Democratic campaigns in 36 states, 72 congressional districts and 120 media markets. After graduating from Princeton University, he served as the press secretary for U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski.
After 17 years as an admaker at The Campaign Group, in 2021, he became a partner of Technicolor Political, the nation's largest majorityBlack-owned advertising company. Key clients: Madeleine Dean, The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Donald Norcross, Chris Coons, Lisa Blunt Rochester Biggest accomplishment: “J.J. made the ads/strategy for U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones in his history-making win in upstate New York to become the first openly-gay Black U.S. Rep. in American history in 2021. This follows on the heels of making the ads for Colorado’s Jared Polis when he became the nation’s first openly-gay governor in 2019 and making the ads for Massachusetts’ Maura Healey
Maust has run successful campaigns throughout the country since 2005.
Having overseen campaigns ranging from county judge to Congress in 16 states, Mike Mikus has nearly 30 years of experience in politics. Before launching his firm, Mikus managed former U.S. Rep. Mark Critz’s special election victory in 2010 and later guided Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s upset in 2011, overcoming a 27-point polling deficit to win by double digits. He was one of the key components in Gov. Tom Wolf's gubernatorial wins in 2014 and 2018 and became a regional political director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee after graduating from Washington & Jefferson College. Key clients:Tom Wolf, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Rich Fitzgerald, Mark Critz, Dan Pastore for Congress, The Voter Project Biggest accomplishment: “Worked to beat back Donald Trump and the Republican Party's efforts to delegitimize the results of the 2020 presidential election.”
6 ADAM MAUST OWNER Atlas & Might Adam Maust has been running campaigns nationwide since 2005. Maust's leadership role at Atlas & Might allows him to approach every campaign from multiple angles, examining it analytically,
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part of successful campaigns including for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Gov. Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Key clients: Josh Shapiro, Raphael Warnock for Georgia, JB Pritzker, The Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Vote.org Biggest accomplishment: “Being a part of the campaign team for Sen. Raphael Warnock has been the biggest accomplishment over the past year. The successful run-off campaign decided the balance of the U.S. Senate and flipped it to a majority for the Democrats. I was honored to be part of such a historic election and campaign team.”
8 JOSH NANBERG PRESIDENT & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ampersand Strategies
7 MIKE D’ETTORRE PRESIDENT Grassroots Media Mike D’Ettorre got his start in politics working on former Gov. Ed Rendell’s primary campaign in 2002, before joining Shorr Johnson Magnus as a media assistant. He became manager of the media department during his 16 years at Shorr Johnson Magnus, gaining expertise in working on down ballot races at the state and local levels. Across the commonwealth and for nearly 20 years, D’Ettorre has been an integral
As a campaign manager, political consultant and communications strategist, Josh Nanberg has earned an impressive record of success. His work as the political director for the Montgomery County Democrat Party in 2003 led him to serve as research director for the campaigns of U.S. Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards in Pennsylvania the following year. Nanberg has worked with Reps. Patrick Murphy and Matt Cartwright and since 2018, he's advised the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, helping to flip seven seats in that time. Key clients: Derek Green, Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, Jay Costa, Jim Brewster, Vincent Hughes, Steve Malagari, Jessel Costa Biggest accomplishment: “In 2021, we helped Labor beat back the recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, worked to increase vaccination rates in Georgia and worked with great candidates in Pennsylvania and across the country. We
Long and Nyquist teamed up in 2006 to form their own political consulting firm, Long Nyquist and Associates.
expanded our operation with a Nashville office and expanded our work into new states.”
9 DANIEL FEE PRESIDENT The Echo Group An expert at developing and leading strategic communications plans for corporations, governments and political leaders, longtime political consultant Dan Fee advises both corporate and governmental leaders across Pennsylvania. His clients include corporations and nonprofits, as well as former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, the Allegheny County executive, the mayor of Philadelphia, members of the Pennsylvania legislature and members of all three statewide appellate courts. In 2018, he helped elect a new Democratic majority to
the Pennsylvania Supreme Court – one that struck down Pennsylvania's gerrymandered congressional maps. Key clients: Ed Rendell, Debra Todd, Dan Onorato, Pennsylvanians for Judicial Reform, Prosperity First Committee, Donald Norcross, Allan Domb
10 MIKE LONG & TODD NYQUIST PARTNERS Long, Nyquist & Associates Originally from Lebanon County, Mike Long is a wellknown and respected leader for his 25 years at the helm of the Pennsylvania State Senate, where he developed a strong Republican majority throughout that period. As a result of his efforts, he teamed up with Todd Nyquist in 2006 to form Long, Nyquist & Associates – along with LN Consulting, where he recently
BP MILLER/CHORUS PHOTOGRAPHY; LONG NYQUIST AND ASSOCIATES
creatively and microscopically to yield the best results. Prior to taking on his current role, Maust served as political director for the Pennsylvania House Republican Campaign Committee and served for seven years as a partner at Red Maverick Media. As a developer, he is currently working on renovating the Atlas Building, a centuryold landmark in Uptown Harrisburg that has sat vacant for many years. Key clients: Supreme Court race for Kevin Brobson, Stacy Wallace, Megan Sullivan, Tim DeFoor, Megan McCarthy King and House and Senate victories in 2020 Biggest accomplishment: “Adam has executed multiple and consecutive successful statewide campaign efforts in Pennsylvania and that has been the biggest accomplishment in the last election cycles.”
January 2022
Congratulations to MIKE LONG and TODD NYQUIST of LN Consulting and Long Nyquist & Associates on being named to City & State’s Political Consultants Power 50!
POLITICAL CONSULTING
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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
COMMONWEALTH
CAMPAIGNS
POLITICAL FUNDRAISING
DIGITAL MEDIA
Riverview Communications PUBLIC RELATIONS
1 2 1 S TAT E S T R E E T, H A R R I S B U R G , PA 1 7 1 0 1 • ( 7 1 7 ) 2 3 4 - 5 4 2 4 • W W W. LO N G N YQ U I S T.CO M
CONGRATS TO OUR PRESIDENT AND PRINCIPAL AUBREY MONTGOMERY FOR BEING RECOGNIZED AS A CITY & STATE PA TOP 50 POLITICAL CONSULTANT!
Rittenhouse raises more money. 121 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 251-0585 RittenhousePolitical.com
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Erikson is the founder and CEO of Princeton Strategies, based out of Philadelphia.
provided consulting services to state Sen. Chris Gebhard and Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli, both of whom went on to win their most recent races. As the former top aide to the Republican Senate majority in the State Senate, Todd Nyquist could be considered the main driver of growing the Republican majority and making sure that it continued to function. As a staff administrator for the Senate Republican Caucus, Nyquist kept a close eye on legislative, budgetary and personnel issues before co-founding Long Nyquist & Associates with Long. A well-regarded expert in policy and politics, he contributed to the election of 30 Republicans to the Senate in the last few years. Key clients: Dave White for Governor, Carla Sands for Senate, Pennsylvania Senate Republicans, Lloyd Smucker, Mike Kelly, Daniel Meuser Biggest accomplishment: “Served as consultant to state Sen. Chris Gebhard, consulted for Nicole Ziccarelli, the first woman to ever be elected district attorney in Westmoreland County, and Dave White retained us to run his gubernatorial race.”
11 ADAM ERICKSON FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL Princeton Strategies Adam Erickson has extensive campaign management and fundraising experience. Prior to starting Princeton Strategies, he worked on several races throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Erickson managed then-state Rep. Brendan Boyle’s congressional campaign in 2013 and received an award for his grassroots campaigning in New Jersey. He also notes one of his accomplishments in 2021 is the eight local Democratic candidates the firm helped get elected in races for city council and judgeships. Key clients: Isaiah Thomas, Wade Herring, Brian Sims
12 MATT BEYNON SENIOR STRATEGIST BrabenderCox Matt Beynon joined BrabenderCox in 2017 and has advised more than a dozen successful campaigns. In 2021, the company helped clients navigate pandemic restrictions without sacrificing creativity. Beynon was Rick Santorum's communications adviser for nearly two decades and served on his 2012 and 2016 campaigns. As a member of the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, he supports cancer charities throughout northeast Pennsylvania. Currently, he chairs the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Northeast Pennsylvania's Man and Woman of the Year Campaign. Key clients: Rick Santorum, Dave White for Governor, Tiffany Smiley for U.S. Senate, Fred Keller, Mike Kelly, Nicole Malliotakis, Dan Meuser, Lee Zeldin Biggest accomplishment: “Helping our clients successfully navigate the shifting pandemic
Beynon is heavily involved in cancer charities throughout northeastern PA.
restrictions and regulations without missing deadlines or sacrificing advertising creativity and quality."
13 BRIAN NUTT PRESIDENT Ignite Strategies, LLC Brian Nutt has been a knowledgeable Pennsylvania political consultant since 1999. Prior to becoming chief of staff to then-Gov. Tom Corbett, Nutt acted as campaign manager for his successful gubernatorial campaign. He also served as managing partner of BrabenderCox's Harrisburg office for several years before launching Ignite Strategies as a comprehensive consulting firm specializing in strategic communications, marketing, fundraising and government relations.
14 ROB BROOKS MANAGING PARTNER Hallowell, Brooks & Pontarelli At every level of government, Rob Brooks has worked on and led campaigns that presented him with an opportunity to use his extensive knowledge of campaign organization, management and advertising. Among other positions, he served as executive director of the Republican Party
SENIA LOPEZ PHOTOGRAPHY; RACHEL BROOKS
Biggest accomplishment: “2021 was a tough year for Democrats in both Pennsylvania and nationally, yet we helped eight different Democrats get elected to City Council, Common Pleas and Municipal Judge and a successful State Representative Special Election in Pennsylvania. As a firm, Princeton Strategies raised over $4.5 million in 2021 for 29 different clients from Pennsylvania to South Carolina & Georgia.”
January 2022
of Pennsylvania and the Chester County Republican Committee. Throughout Brooks’ career as a consultant, he has consistently helped win state House seats in some of the more difficult Pennsylvania legislative districts. Key clients: Pennsylvania Republican Party, House Republican Campaign Committee, Bucks County Republican Committee, Montgomery County Republican Committee, Chester County Republican Committee, Cambria County Republican Committee, Gene Yaw, Tracy Pennycuick, Todd Stephens, Meghan Schroeder, Shelby Labs, KC Tomlinson, Barry Jozwiak, Keith Gillespie, Craig Staats, Matt Weintraub Biggest accomplishment: “HBP worked alongside District Attorney Matt Weintraub and the Bucks County Republican Committee to re-elect Matt and take back all of the row office seats lost four years prior. Additionally, we helped re-elect Bensalem Mayor Gene DiGirolamo and elect Judge Steve Corr. Despite demographic shifts, our clients and we have found ways to win in southeastern Pennsylvania and even flip seats at the local, county and state levels.”
15 REESA KOSSOFF
LYNDI LEARY PHOTOGRAPHY; JPG PHOTOGRAPHY
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEIU Pennsylvania State Council In Pennsylvania, Reesa Kossoff is one of the leading advocates for working families. A native of Bucks County, Kossoff worked on a range of electoral and issue campaigns in Indiana, Ohio and Washington State before landing back in Pennsylvania. Among the former Obama campaign veteran's victories are the election of a pro-labor Supreme Court candidate in
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2015, the re-election of Gov. Tom Wolf and the election of more union-friendly candidates in 2018.
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Montgomery serves on several boards that prioritize increasing the number of women in elected office.
VINCENT GALKO SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Mercury Public Affairs In his 20-plus years of experience working on national, state and local campaigns, Vincent Galko has helped several members of Congress, several U.S. senators and a Pennsylvania governor clinch big wins. Galko was a deputy director of President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign in Pennsylvania and was executive director of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania in 2005. He’s overseen or assisted in several key GOP victories, including the campaigns of Lou Barletta, Jim Gerlach, Pat Toomey, Rick Santorum and Jim Cawley. He has been involved in electing judges both at the state and county levels. Key clients: Greg Rothman, Christian Nascimento for Congress, Responsible Solutions for Pennsylvania, Pat Browne, The Volpe Report Biggest accomplishment: “Tina Boyd won both Democrat and Republican nominations for Berks County Judge. David Ritter won election for Lehigh County Judge. Bruce Beemer won both Democrat and Republican nominations for Allegheny County Judge. Lou Mincarelli won the Republican primary for Chester County
Judge. Swept Lower Saucon Council races on behalf of our client Responsible Solutions for PA. Played a key role working with Common Sense Coalition in achieving "Yes" vote victory in the May primary.”
17 CHRISTOPHER NICHOLAS PRINCIPAL Eagle Consulting Group Christopher Nicholas has carved out a career as an established expert in state politics, political redistricting and its demographic shifts. In his role as campaign manager, he has implemented successful Independent Expenditure programs nationwide. He was appointed to oversee former Sen. Arlen Specter's $21 million reelection campaign in 2004, which ranked among the country's most contentious Senate races. His direct mail, digital and electronic media have been recognized with numerous Pollie awards from the American Association of
Political Consultants. Key clients: The Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce, Keystone Free Enterprise Fund, Steve Oroho, Gerow for Governor, The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, LV Strong, ProtectPA Biggest accomplishment: “Helping keep the legislature in the GOP column; Helping turn Judge Kevin Brobson into Justice Kevin Brobson; and Spearheading the first debate among the GOP candidates for governor.”
18 AUBREY MONTGOMERY PRESIDENT & PRINCIPAL Rittenhouse Political Partners Founded in 2013, Rittenhouse Political Partners is a Philadelphia-based fundraising firm led by Aubrey Montgomery. She raised millions of dollars in more than a decade in more than a dozen states. Before establishing RPP, Montgomery headed the campaign finance department for former U.S. Rep. Allyson
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19 NEIL OXMAN & DOC SWEITZER COFOUNDERS The Campaign Group Having been a political ad maker for more than 30 years, Neil Oxman knows how to get a message across. From local office-seekers to candidates for the House, Senate and even the presidency, the firm represents a wide range of clients. Oxman provided national media consulting for Al Gore's 1988 presidential primary campaign, worked with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and even helped talk show host Jerry Springer when he served as Cincinnati's mayor. Thomas M. “Doc” Sweitzer's experience covers political campaigns, as well as corporate and nonprofit clients. Sweitzer is a veteran of more than 600 campaigns,
Many may not know that in addition to running JFH Strategies, Hanley is also a birding enthusiast.
other county row offices and MDJ candidates win their elections for office.”
21 REBECCA MCNICHOL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Emerge Pennsylvania
and has been successful in electing more than 50 governors, senators and members of Congress. Sweitzer’s past clients include Gov. Ed Rendell, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, Gov. Jack Markell of Delaware, and Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri.
20 JOHN HANLEY OWNER JFH Strategies LLC In his role as a political strategist, John Hanley draws on 30 years of experience. Nationally, he has advised campaigns, political parties and candidates. His areas of expertise include digital strategy, electronic media and direct mail. He worked for Pathfinder Communications and Red Maverick Media before starting his own consulting business. Prior to that, Hanley was executive director of the Pennsylvania House Republican Campaign
Committee and was instrumental in helping secure the largest House Republican majority in decades. Key clients: Mike Regan, Pat Stefano, Wayne Langerholc, Curt Sonney, Jim Marshall, Lori Mizgorski, Bud Cook, Ryan Warner, Bob Brooks, George Dunbar, Eric Davanzo, Abby Major, Donna Oberlander, Kathy Rapp, Martin Causer, Jesse Topper, Dawn Keefer, Stan Saylor, Sue Helm, David Millard, Tina Pickett, Karen Boback, Aaron Kaufer Biggest accomplishment: “2021 was an off-year election and all about county and local races for John. He was especially excited to serve clients who won long-held Democrat seats in Fayette County (Treasurer Melissa Tzan), Washington County (Sheriff Tony Andronas) and Greene County (Judge Jeff Grimes) in addition to helping
Throughout Rebecca McNichol's nearly 20-year career, she has managed political campaigns, led a super-PAC and built a statewide advocacy coalition. She has also created state and national issues advocacy campaigns. McNichol also operated as executive director of the Coalition for Labor Engagement and Accountable Revenue (CLEAR Coalition). In 2006, she worked as the political director for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey when he defeated Rick Santorum. Prior to her current position, McNichol served as the state director of the super PAC For Our Future. Key clients: Emerge Pennsylvania Biggest accomplishment: “I am most proud to be working to create a more reflective democracy and working to elect underrepresented women. In 2021, 22 women who graduated from the Emerge PA training program ran for office, 59% of our candidates identify as part of the New American Majority and 40% identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC). In 2021, 16 out of the 22 Emerge PA trained candidates won their election, that is a 73% win rate. Of the 16 Emerge PA alums that won, 50% are BIPOC.”
As a mom, McNichol wants to see more women rise to leadership posts in politics.
JOEL THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY
Schwartz's campaign for governor. She is a member of the American Association of Political Consultants and a founding board member of the National Association of Political Fundraisers. Key clients: The PA Alliance, Fairness PA PAC, Vincent Hughes, Ken Lawrence, Kenyatta Johnson, Derek Green, Kathy Gilmore Richardson, Jamie Gauthier, Bobby Henon, Steve Irwin for Congress, Philadelphia 3.0, Ed Gainey for Mayor, Val Arkoosh for Senate, Lovitz for State Rep. Biggest accomplishment: “We've been very excited to work with a number of amazing candidates from western Pennsylvania in the last year. One of our team's greatest accomplishments was Ed Gainey's successful campaign for Pittsburgh mayor. We also helped Tyler Titus run a very competitive race for Erie County Executive.”
January 2022
Building a Foundation for What's Possible.
Groundwork Strategies is a certified women-owned and operated public affairs and political consultancy firm that uses data-driven strategies to win. Visit us at groundworkstrategies.org
CONGRATULATIONS to Senior Communications Strategist
MATT BEYNON on being named to the
TOP 50 POLITICAL CONSULTANTS IN PA.
PITTSBURGH
NEW YORK
WASHINGTON, DC.
HILTON HEAD
DALLAS
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In his free time, Jones coaches football for the Hershey Youth Football Association.
22 JOHN JONES ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PSEA John Jones joined the PSEA in 2016, where he coordinates the political activities of its members – more than 180,000 public school teachers and educational support staff. He was previously a partner at the WS Group, a Harrisburgbased political consulting firm that provided direct mail, fundraising, polling and strategy services to a wide range of clients, including the PSEA, the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee, Democratic state
representatives and other candidates running for local office.
23 JASON ROBERT HENRY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pennsylvania Democratic Party Taking over a major statewide political party is no easy feat. Add in a global pandemic and an unprecedented 2020 presidential election cycle and that only adds to the difficulties. This was Jason Robert Henry's reality when he became the executive director of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in 2020. Under Henry’s watch, Joe
24 BRIAN RENGERT
2020, Rengert extended his party's majority in the state House. Biggest accomplishment: “Expanding the majority in the State House despite being outspent three to one in 2020.”
25 CODY HARBAUGH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee Cody Harbaugh worked for the state Republican Party and ran political campaigns before joining Red Maverick Media in 2019. In 2021, he was appointed as Senate Republican Campaign Committee executive director, making him a major player in Pennsylvania's fundraising community. According to campaign finance reports, between 2018 and 2020, it raised just under $10 million to bolster the GOP's Senate majority. Harbaugh is now a key component of seeing the SRCC remain successful.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
TREVOR SOUTHERLAND
Pennsylvania House Republican Campaign Committee
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A native of central Pennsylvania, Brian Rengert has risen in the ranks from door-to-door canvassing to managing field operations. As executive director of the Pennsylvania House Republican Campaign Committee, he has developed grassroots plans for campaigns, overseen many polling and research projects and devised successful statewide strategies for candidates. Even though he was outspent three to one in
Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee Trevor Southerland was named executive director of the House Democratic Campaign Committee by state Rep. Joanna McClinton in April following a nationwide search. He came to the commonwealth after spending six years with the Virginia House Democratic Caucus, where the party took the state House majority back during his tenure. Prior to his time in Virginia, he served as finance
JENNIFER STATLER; NATE KRESGE/GK VISUAL
Biden won the state of Pennsylvania, and in 2021, Democrats flipped a seat on the Commonwealth Court. He previously served as campaign manager for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey's 2018 re-election campaign. Key clients: Bob Casey, Bob Merski, Shannon Sneed, Martha Robertson, Katie McGinty Biggest accomplishment: “Aside from the 2020 election, my most significant recent accomplishment was overseeing the most extensive odd-year election effort in PA Dems history, which flipped a seat on the Commonwealth Court with Judge Lori Dumas. The 2021 election also netted positive local results in the crucial battleground counties of Chester, Delaware, Lehigh and Northampton.”
January 2022
director for the Michigan State Democratic Fund and the annual fund director of the Democratic Party of Georgia. Key clients: Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee Biggest accomplishment: “Building the House Democratic Campaign Committee program to win the majority in 2022 including a first-of-its-kind among legislative campaign committees, deep canvassing program.”
27 TORI SHRIVER POLITICAL DIRECTOR
NADINE SHERMAN; DELIVER STRATEGIES
Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Tori Shriver has spearheaded political operations for the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters since being named the union’s political director in the summer of 2021. In this role, she is charged with mobilizing the union’s 41,000 members in support of pro-labor policies and unionbacked candidates. Shriver also lobbies for policies designed to benefit workers and oversees Carpenters’ political endorsement process, recommending which candidates to endorse after
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studying a range of candidates who support her cause.
28 JEF POLLOCK FOUNDER, PRESIDENT & CEO Global Strategy Group Jef Pollock’s Global Strategy Group clients include four governors, four senators and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Governors Association. Many organizations and companies use Pollock's research, including Comcast, MLB, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the University of Pennsylvania, Giffords, Ford Motor Company and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The University of Pennsylvania graduate is a lifelong Eagles fan from Huntingdon Valley. Along with acting in two major films, Pollock is an active SAG/ AFTRA member. Key clients: Josh Shapiro, John Carney, Dwight Evans, Val Arkoosh, Kevin Steele, Kathy Hochul, Kirsten Gillibrand, Joe Manchin, Ed Markey, Jacky Rosen
29 FIONA CONROY PARTNER Deliver Strategies An experienced political operative at one of the leading Democratic
A member of SAG/AFTRA, Pollock has appeared in two major motion pictures.
Conroy once worked as an adjunct professor of applied political communication at The George Washington University.
communications and direct mail firms, Fiona Conroy has managed campaigns and communicated strategies for more than a decade. Her campaign experience includes work for Gov. Tom Wolf, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, several congresspeople and local officials. The progressive campaign work history doesn’t stop there, as she also led the Pennsylvania Fund for Change in 2018 and is the former executive director of the state House Democratic Campaign Committee. Key clients: Tom Wolf, Josh Shapiro, Val Arkoosh, Dwight Evans, Susan Wild, Mary Gay Scanlon, Paige Cognetti, Matt Tuerk, Conservation Voters of PA, Planned Parenthood PA, PA Fund for Change Biggest accomplishment: “In 2021, I was proud to help Matt Tuerk become the Mayor of Allentown and Paige Cognetti win her first full term as Mayor of Scranton. Hardworking and talented local elected officials have
never been more important as we all work to make it through the pandemic.”
30 CHARLIE GEROW FOUNDER Quantum Communications Beginning as a political aide on President Ronald Reagan’s campaign, and most recently launching his own candidacy for governor, Charlie Gerow has a long history in Pennsylvania politics. He is the founder of the Harrisburg-based Quantum Communications and one of the leading political strategists in the commonwealth, as well as vice chair of the American Conservative Union and annual CPAC conference. Outside of his multiple runs for state and federal office,
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Gerow has continued to be an influential conservative voice and media commentator.
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DAVID DIX CO-FOUNDER, CHAIR & CEO
JEFF COLEMAN
Luminous Strategies
Churchill Strategies Jeff Coleman, a former state legislator who represented mostly Democratic constituencies in Pennsylvania's 60th district, announced in late 2021 that he would run for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor as a Republican. As a result of his decision to step down from politics in 2005, he and his spouse founded Churchill Strategies, a corporate consulting firm based in Harrisburg. His book, "With All Due Respect: Recovering the Manners and Civility of Political Combat," was published in 2017.
32 TRICIA MUELLER & MICHELLE MCMORMICK FOUNDERS Groundwork Strategies Groundwork Strategies is a certified, women-owned and operated public affairs and political consulting firm founded by Tricia Mueller and Michelle McCormick. The firm, which operates in Philadelphia and New Jersey, helps clients with political
Before joining the carpenters, Sanchez worked on campaigns in the south, midwest and in Philly.
strategy, issue advocacy, campaign management, research, communications and more. Mueller is the former political director of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners in America and a former state director for Obama for America. McCormick brings extensive strategic communications experience to the team as well, having served as a business administrator and project manager for several companies and organizations, including the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. Together, the Groundworks team is a leading voice in labor and women’s issues in the region. Some of their recent work includes running campaigns such as Rebecca Rhynhart for Controller, Carolyn Nichols for Superior Court Judge and Matt Wolf for Municipal Court Judge, and building out voter models on behalf of key Democratic clients. Key clients: Rebecca Rhynhart for Controller, Carolyn Nichols for Superior Court Judge, Matt Wolf for Municipal Court Judge, People for Parker Biggest accomplishment: “Working with various independent expenditure campaigns to build voter models and turn out identified voters in Pennsylvania on
behalf of key Democrats.”
33 MUNGU SANCHEZ DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Mungu Sanchez began working in politics more than two decades ago as a staffer for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. During this time, he discovered his political potential and passion for advancing social issues in his community. Currently, Sanchez serves on the planning committee of the North Star Convention, a coalition of African American state and local legislators, business leaders, union and community leaders working to improve the lives of African Americans in Pennsylvania. Biggest accomplishment: “Helping the Biden campaign win Pennsylvania was a major accomplishment for our union. The carpenters were able to put together a muscular field program to drive turnout in Philadelphia.”
During the past two decades, David Dix has built strong relationships with Republicans and Democrats by working closely with both parties. Before founding Luminous, Dix served in various key roles for former Pennsylvania governors Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker. As chair of the Republican Diversity Committee, in 2005, he helped elevate minority voices within the Republican Party. In 2007, Dix made a profound political shift and served as finance director for Obama for America in Pennsylvania. Later, he formed a relationship with then-President Donald Trump, which led to an executive order supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
35 BROCK MCCLEARY VICE PRESIDENT Cygnal As a recognized Republican pollster, Brock McCleary has served as a polling expert to various members of Congress, public policy groups and other organizations across the country. He got his start in Pennsylvania politics working on former Gov. Tom Ridge’s reelection campaign in 1998. More recently, McCleary served in several capacities at the National Republican Congressional Committee, including as former President Donald Trump’s chief battleground pollster. He founded Harper Polling in 2013 before selling the company to
MARY MCILVAINE; ZAIM FEELINGS
CO-FOUNDER
January 2022
City & State Pennsylvania
well; mentoring candidates at all levels of campaigns; strengthening county parties.”
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to alter and, in some cases, reimagine the political process led our clients to clean sweeps on Election Night this past November.”
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37 Corbin-Johnson is political director for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
Cygnal in 2020. Key clients: Fred Keller, Mike Kelly, Dan Meuser, Lloyd Smucker, GT Thompson, Senate Republican Campaign Committee, Shell, PA Partnerships for Children, PA Cannabis Coalition, Trump SuperPAC Save America, National Republican Campaign Committee, Congressional Leadership Fund, Senate Leadership Fund Biggest accomplishment: “From Labor Day to Election Day, Brock conducted 62 polls for President Trump’s reelection campaign. Brock and his team’s data analysis across every battleground state, including Pennsylvania, helped guide strategic and media execution and fuel the campaign’s fall resurgence.”
PROVIDED; RYAN DUNLEVY
36 SHAVONNIA CORBIN-JOHNSON POLITICAL DIRECTOR Democratic Party of Pennsylvania Before her run for Congress in 2018, Shavonnia Corbin-
Johnson held a variety of high-level positions, including chief of staff to state Sen. Katie Muth, deputy chief of staff to Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and senior staff assistant to Sen. Bob Casey. She was an adviser and assistant to the director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Obama administration. Her credentials include speaking five languages, having visited more than 20 countries and being a member of the Jewish Community Center, Helping Hands, Spanish American Center of York, as well as the local Rotary Club in her hometown of York. Biggest accomplishment: “Helping to flip Pennsylvania blue in 2020; creating a DNCrecognized Constituency Director program outreach to amplify and sustain outreach to Black, Latino, Hispanic and rural communities; working on solidifying programs for the APPI and LGBTQ+ communities, as
SAMUEL CHEN PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR The Liddell Group As head of the political strategy firm, The Liddell Group, Sam Chen has helped several county and municipal candidates get where they want to be. In addition to teaching political science at Northampton Community College, Chen hosts a television news show, "Face the Issues." He says he is able to integrate a “sabermetricesque” approach to data, giving him a sociological and psychological understanding of communications. This makes him a go-to expert in the Lehigh Valley, an everimportant swing region in the commonwealth. Key clients: Kevin Dellicker, Gordon Denlinger, several county and municipal commissioners Biggest accomplishment: “The Liddell Group takes pride in our innovative and interdisciplinary approach to strategy, the necessity for which took center stage amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Our ability
McDonald said he started co-writing political jingles during the pandemic.
The Win Company Tommy McDonald has been a media consultant and lead strategist over some of the biggest Democratic victories in the commonwealth in recent years, including those for State Supreme Court in 2015 and county government in 2019. He and his team have been responsible for some of the biggest recent Democratic power gains in the commonwealth, including the 2019 push to win county seats in the Philadelphia suburbs. Key clients: The Pennsylvania Democratic Party, the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Debbie Kunselman, Dan McCaffery, Ellen Ceisler, Carolyn Comitta, Marty Flynn, John Kane, Tim Kearney, Joe Ciresi, Liz Hanbidge, Leanne Krueger, Bridget Malloy Kosierowski, Jennifer O’Mara, Melissa Shusterman, Pam Snyder, Jared Solomon, Mary Gay Scanlon, SuperPAC for Andy Kim, Paige Cognetti, Jim Kenney Biggest accomplishment: “I started cowriting jingles during the pandemic!”
39 ANNE WAKABAYASHI MEDIA STRATEGIST The Win Company Anne Wakabayashi cut her teeth working communications for the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Campaign Committee and has managed
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in political consulting. More recently, Walls-Lavelle has worked with a number of the state’s leading progressive and social justice organizations on political and electoral strategies.
41 OBRA KERNODLE IV DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Delaware River Port Authority What do former President Barack Obama, Gov. Tom Wolf and former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter all have in common? The three Democrats have all had Obra Kernodle work on their respective campaigns – all of which were successful. Kernodle served as Obama’s Pennsylvania Southeast political director in 2012. He also worked as Wolf’s deputy campaign manager and political director and went on to serve on Wolf’s transition team after his 2014 victory in the state’s gubernatorial race.
42 40 JESSICA WALLS-LAVELLE PRESIDENT JWL Strategies LLC Before founding JWL Strategies, Jessica WallsLavelle served as the director of Gov. Tom Wolf’s southwest regional office and as a special advisor to the Pennsylvania Department of State's chief of staff during the implementation Act 77. As the founder and president of JWL Strategies, she brings nearly 20 years of experience
NAN MCLAUGHLIN FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL MJM Strategies As the founder and principal of MJM Strategies, LLC, Nan McLaughlin is one of the most prominent GOP fundraisers in the commonwealth. Her nearly 30 years of experience in Pennsylvania politics includes a number of senior advisory roles for former governors Tom Ridge and Tom Corbett and U.S. Rep. Fred Keller. Her Harrisburg-based firm continues to provide nonprofit fundraising, strategic consulting and event planning services both statewide and nationally.
Born in a union household, Maguire's father was president of the United Auto Workers Local 834.
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MICHAEL MAGUIRE
KATIE CONTER
LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR
POLITICAL CONSULTANT
AFSCME Council 13
McNees Strategic Solutions Group
Michael Maguire, whose father was president of United Auto Workers Local 834, was raised in a union household. Working with AFSCME Council 13, a public employee union representing more than 65,000 members, Maguire has served as the organization's legislative director since April 2019. He has assisted in initiatives to protect state, county and municipal employees’ rights to collectively bargain. Recently, he sat on the board of Keystone Research Center, a think tank in Harrisburg. Key clients: The AFSCME members and public service employees of Pennsylvania Biggest accomplishment: “Working with AFSCME members to elect Joe Biden as President of the United States.”
At the full-service government affairs and consulting group, Katie Conter plays a critical role in developing McNees’ clients’ relationships in the public, private and nonprofit sectors in the commonwealth. Conter has been a consultant since 2008, focusing on Democratic campaigns at the local and state levels. In 2017, she started KC Strategies, where she led her firm’s general consulting, fundraising and event planning services. Her current clients include state Sen. Marty Flynn and state Reps. Brandon Markosek, Mike Schlossberg and Pete Schweyer.
COMMONWEALTH OF PA; HEATHER SHELLEY; PROVIDED
campaigns up and down the ballot from city council to state Supreme Court. With her help, Pennsylvania's LGBTQ organization, Equality Pennsylvania, raised funds throughout 2013. Other campaigns she ran were Anne Lazarus' for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Allan Domb's for Philadelphia City Council. In addition to Wakabayashi’s extensive campaign experience, she served as national political director for Emerge Pennsylvania. Key clients: John Kane, Paige Cognetti, Brian Sims, Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee, Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, Ashley Ehasz Biggest accomplishment: “Out of State: Helping to elect the first queer Black woman (Crystal Hudson) to New York City Council. In State: Helping elect Mayor Paige Cognetti to her first full term in Scranton.”
January 2022
January 2022
45 TIM BUTLER PRESIDENT Communications Concepts Tim Butler leads the Eastonbased public relations and telecommunications consulting firm and has been providing services in local races in and around the Lehigh Valley since it was established in 2009. Butler previously worked at Precision Marketing and has worked for Republican campaigns, including for Northampton County Executive and County Council. More recently, Communications Concepts has contributed to Republican state lawmaker campaigns both locally and across the state, including state Reps. Ann Flood and Daryl Metcalfe, and state Sens. Patrick Browne and Kim Ward.
46 JIM LEE PRESIDENT, CEO & FOUNDER Susquehanna Polling & Research, Inc. & The Bartlett Group Jim Lee has conducted polling and research for top-name clients for more than 20 years. In addition to Lee's on-air role as a political analyst, his research and polling are featured frequently in national media publications such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Fox News and MSNBC. In 2016, Lee’s firm acquired The Bartlett Group, an independent focus group specializing in qualitative research for consumers and political clientele. Key clients: The Federalist, Bryan Cutler,
City & State Pennsylvania
The State of Delaware, the National Newspaper Association, the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association, Lou Barletta for Governor, David G. Argall Biggest accomplishment: “[Being] profiled on two different segments of CBS's ‘Inside Edition’ program in Oct/Nov 2021 for unmatched accuracy in its POTUS polling in five battleground states. SP&R received a B+ rating from FiveThirtyEight for its accurate polling in 2020 – the same grade given to Gallup.”
47 GABBY RICHARDS ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR BerlinRosen Gabby Richards is no stranger to helping Democratic candidates achieve success. She has helped recruit and train women to run for office as a member of Emerge PA and started Persist Strategies in 2017 to provide full-service communications services geared towards women. Richards served as U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon’s communications director and led the congresswoman's communications team during the COVID-19 pandemic and both impeachments of former President Donald Trump. Key clients: Mary Gay Scanlon, Katie Muth, Emerge PA, Represent PA PAC, New Georgia Project, SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective Biggest accomplishment: “Gabby led the organization
of over 500 congressional staffers in response to the violent Jan. 6 insurrections, co-authoring the staff letter to the Senate in support of impeachment and safer work conditions.”
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Katie Muth’s successful 2018 campaign and as a finance director and consultant for Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and several other city officials.
48 BRITTANY SMALLS FOUNDER BSM Strategies, LLC The founder of her own political consulting firm, Brittany Smalls works at the cross section of consulting, communications, fundraising and voter engagement. Her consulting work focuses on Black and millennial communities, an area that builds off of her past experience working to boost political engagement and voter turnout among people of color. Smalls previously served as the Pennsylvania state coordinator for the Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute. She also was the president and a founding member of Millenials in Action. Biggest accomplishment: “I am pleased to have been in support of a candidate elected to a statewide judicial seat.”
49 AMANDA DEMARIA FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL DeMaria Consulting, LLC Leading her own firm for more than five years now, Amanda DeMaria has a track record of fundraising and consulting for progressive candidates and organizations at the federal, state and local levels in the commonwealth. DeMaria’s previous experience includes time as policy and finance director for state Sen.
50 CRAIG SNYDER PRESIDENT Ikon Public Affairs After serving as a former chief of staff to Pennsylvania’s longest-serving U.S. senator, Arlen Specter, Craig Snyder co-founded Ikon Public Affairs with Roger Stone in 1997. Now in its 25th year, Ikon has played a role in nearly every presidential campaign since 1996. Snyder has served as a senior strategist for numerous gubernatorial, senatorial and congressional campaigns throughout Pennsylvania. In 2021, Snyder was a candidate in the GOP race for U.S. Senate, and this year, he will be serving as state leader for the conservative Renew America Movement. Key client: Renew America Movement Biggest accomplishment: “Building off of five years of a national presence in the “Never Trump” wing of the Republican Party, Snyder’s 2021 political work was personal – conducting an exploratory campaign for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania. That campaign ended late last year.”
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January 2022
CITY & STATE PENNSYLVANIA MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING Publisher Susan Peiffer speiffer@cityandstatepa.com Group Publisher Tom Allon Event & Sales Director Lissa Blake Vice President of Operations Jasmin Freeman Comptroller David Pirozzi
Who was up and who was down last month
CREATIVE Creative Director Andrew Horton Senior Graphic Designer Aaron Aniton Photo Researcher Michelle Steinhauser Junior Graphic Designer Izairis Santana
LOSERS THE BEST OF THE REST
EUGENE DEPASQUALE Former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale may not be in public office anymore, but he found himself back in the headlines after he intervened in a viral fight at the Peach Bowl and shielded a woman who got caught in the scuffle and fell to the ground. It was a laudable move from DePasquale, who said that besides the fight, he enjoyed his time at the Peach Bowl. SETH BLUESTEIN Seth Bluestein ended 2021 on a high note after Mayor Jim Kenney appointed him to the board of the Philadelphia City Commissioners. Bluestein will replace his boss and outgoing Commissioner Al Schmidt, who is leaving to lead the good government group Committee of Seventy. Bluestein, along with the city’s two other commissioners, will be charged with overseeing the city’s elections during a very tumultuous time.
MICHAEL RASHID Now the former Philadelphia Commerce Director, Michael Rashid resigned from his role last month after reports surfaced he made anti-Semitic remarks and verbally abused his staffers. Rashid’s resignation also comes following the departures of several senior department leaders and staffers, some of whom blame Rashid’s behavior as the reason they left.
ADVERTISING advertising@cityandstatepa.com Senior Sales Executive Michael Fleck mfleck@cityandstatepa.com Sales Executive Frank Feinberg ffeinberg@govexec.com Sales and Events Coordinator Laura Hurliman events@cityandstatepa.com DIGITAL Digital Director Michael Filippi mfilippi@cityandstateny.com Marketing & Special Projects Manager Caitlin Dorman cdorman@cityandstateny.com Digital Marketing Associate Ben Taha ADVISORY BOARD Chair Governor Ed Rendell Board members Leslie Gromis-Baker, Gene Barr, Samuel Chen, Joseph Hill, Teresa Lundy, Anne Wakabayashi, Ray Zaborney, Tricia Mueller
THE REST OF THE WORST
ANTHONY NERO Eagleville’s Anthony Nero could face up to 15 years in prison after he fired three shots at a Montgomery County Democratic Party office last year. Nero pleaded guilty to the charges in early January and blamed his actions on heightened political tensions resulting from COVID-19 and his beliefs that the 2020 general election was stolen. Sentencing is scheduled for April. JENNIFER RILEY A major blow was dealt to Jennifer Riley, executive director from Marsy’s Law for PA – and advocates for victims’ rights last month – after the state Supreme Court ruled that Marsy’s Law can’t be approved into law under a single measure. The justices determined that the 15 provisions in the constitutional amendment attempted to make too many changes at once. Riley said she was “disappointed,” but will keep fighting.
Vol. 2 Issue 1 January 2022 Town halls? Distanced. Fundraisers? Curbed. Debates? Zoomed.
Covidʼs Campaign Conundrums How pols are adapting to this year’s lackluster landscape.
The state's top
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@CIT YANDSTATEPA
JANUARY 2022
Cover illustration: Victor Juhasz
CITY & STATE PENNSYLVANIA is published 18 times a year by City & State NY, LLC, 61 Broadway, Suite 1315, New York, NY 10006-2763. Subscriptions: 202.964.1782 or subscribe@cityandstatepa.com Copyright ©2022, City & State NY, LLC.
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AUSTIN DAVIS Attorney General Josh Shapiro tapped state Rep. Austin Davis as his running mate, despite the fact that Pennsylvania voters must elect lieutenant governor candidates in separate elections. The planned endorsement is a big boost to Davis, given that Shapiro is widely expected to be the Democratic nominee for governor come November.
OUR PICK
OUR PICK
WINNERS
With each new year comes an opportunity to reflect and renew – you know, the whole “New Year, New Me” thing. And that certainly holds true in the political world, too. Politicians are hoping that the new year will bring new beginnings – from a state rep. eyeing his first statewide race to a former city official looking for a new gig after allegedly making anti-Semitic remarks. Here are some people poised for a strong 2022 and others hoping the new year will bring a much-needed change.
EDITORIAL editor@cityandstatepa.com Editor-in-Chief Jenny DeHuff jdehuff@cityandstatepa.com List Editor Greg Salisbury gsalisbury@cityandstatepa.com Senior Reporter Justin Sweitzer jsweitzer@cityandstatepa.com Staff Reporter Harrison Cann hcann@cityandstatepa.com
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