Potomac Flacks

REMAINDERS: McDowell joins Blue Engine; Beirne & Vargas To WH; Gor to Rand 2016

Occasionally, we miss some important flack-related items.  Here are a few:

• First reported in Politico’s “Playbook,” Amber McDowell has joined DC-based strategic communications firm Blue Engine Message & Media.  She was most recently Communications Director for U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA).  She also was Speechwriter and Press Secretary for Gov. Phil Bredesen (D-TN) and Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM).  She worked on the Obama-Biden re-elect and at the 2012 DNC Convention in Charlotte.  (Politico’s “Playbook”)
• Katherine Vargas is the new Director of Hispanic Media at the White House.  She was previously Communications Director for the National Immigration Forum, and also worked at the National Immigration Law Center and the International Rescue Committee.  She is a native of Colombia who immigrated to the U.S. in 1997.
• Katie Beirne, the Staff Director for the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Center has replaced Jennifer Palmieri as Deputy Communications Director at the White House.  According to Politico, she will be in charge of outreach to surrogates and message coordination with outside groups.  (Politico)
• Sergio Gor has been named Spokesman for RAND PAC, the political action committee, and presidential campaign in waiting, of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).  Gor was formerly spokesman for Rep. Michele Bachman (R-MN) and on the campaign of Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA. (Politico)

RGA’s Schrimpf to run comms for IL-GOV candidate Rauner

First reported in Politico, Republican Governors Association Communications Director Mike Schrimpf is leaving to work for expected gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner (R-IL).

To date, Rauner has created an exploratory committee, raising $1.3 million, including a $250,000 contribution from himself.

Schrimpf has served at RGA since 2008.  He previously served as Communications Director for the Center for Competitive Politics.  He got his start working in Hamilton County government in Cincinnati, OH.

Schrimpf is a 2005 graduate of Tufts University.  (Politico)

Christie Shuffles Staff: Roberts and Morss to Campaign; Hires Reed

First reported by the New Jersey Star-Ledger, Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) has moved two press aides from his office to his re-election campaign and hired another to replace them.

Deputy Press Secretary Kevin Roberts is moving over to the re-election campaign, beginning April 15.  Roberts has been in the Governor’s office for three years and previously worked on the 2006 gubernatorial campaign of Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) and for the California GOP.  He first came to New Jersey to serve as Communications Director for the New Jersey GOP in 2009.

Foster Morss has also moved over to be the campaign’s Research Director.  New Jersey native Morss worked on the 2008 presidential campaign of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-New York City) and as Deputy Press Secretary at the RNC.

Replacing Roberts is Colin Reed, a former Communications Director for former U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-MA).  Reed previously worked for then-Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) and for VP nominee Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK).  He also worked for the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2010.  (New Jersey Star-Ledger)

Booker Hires Griffis to run comms on expected U.S. Senate campaign

First reported by the New Jersey Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ mayor and likely U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker (D-Newark) has hired Kevin Griffis to run communications for his expected U.S. Senate campaign in 2014.

Griffis is currently a principal at The Podesta Group.  He was most recently Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he served for three years.  Griffis also served as Communications Director for the 2008 Obama campaign in several early primary states.

Earlier in his career Griffis served as Communications Director for the Democratic Party of Virginia and the state’s Coordinated Campaign during Tim Kaine’s successful bid for Governor in 2005.  He then joined Obama for America as an early state communication director, serving in South Carolina.  After running communications in Virginia in the general election, he went on to serve as a spokesperson for President-elect Obama’s inaugural committee.

Griffis began his career as a journalist in Maryland and Atlanta.

He is a graduate of Beloit College. (New Jersey Star-Ledger)

Campaign Vet Wilcox Joins Cuccinelli Campaign as Comms Director

Jahan Wilcox has been named Communications Director for the 2013 gubernatorial campaign of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R-VA).

Wilcox is a well-traveled campaign vet, having served as Press Secretary at the NRSC last cycle, a regional Press Secretary in the 2010 cycle and in the communications office of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).  (PF tipster)

Obama Campaign Vet Young Returns to Capitol Hill as Press Secretary for House Minority Whip Hoyer

First reported in Politico’s “Huddle,” House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer has named Stephanie Young as Press Secretary in his leadership office.

Young most recently served as Director of Constituency Press for the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee and, prior to that, as the Director of Regional Press in Florida for President Obama's re-election campaign.

She previously served on Capitol Hill as Communications Director for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).  (Politico’s “Huddle”)

Murphy’s U.S. Senate Campaign Staffs up with Dem Comms Vet Phillips

Rep. Chris Murphy's (D-CT) U.S. Senate campaign this week welcomes Mike Phillips as its new Deputy Chief of Staff in a move signaling a more aggressive posture against Republican nominee Linda McMahon.

Phillips took a leave from his post as Chief of Staff of Communications for the education reform group StudentsFirst, founded by Michelle Rhee, who is the former DC schools chief.  While at StudentsFirst, Phillips managed day-to-day communications strategy and planning for the organization. Prior to that, he served StudentsFirst as Manager for National Research, where he managed the organization's research and rapid response efforts.

Last cycle, Phillips served as Research Director for then-appointed U.S. Senator Michael Bennett's (D-CT) successful election to a full term.  Earlier in his career, he worked at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and on the 2008 presidential campaign of Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT).

Phillips is a graduate of The George Washington University.  (PF tipster)

Cornyn Flack Brandewie Takes Leave for Maine U.S. Senate Campaign

Reported by the Portland Press Herald, Drew Brandewie, the press secretary for U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has taken a leave of absence to work as Communications Director for the U.S. Senate campaign of Charlie Summers in Maine.

Brandewie currently works for Cornyn and had served on the staff of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) before that.

Brandewie is a 2007 graduate of Vanderbilt University and a native of The Woodlands, TX.  (Portland Press Herald)

Diaz Joins Boston Rapid Response

As the Washington Post first reported, the campaign hired Danny Diaz as a senior adviser, with a specific focus on rapid response.  Diaz, co-founder of the public affairs firm FP1 Strategies, is a former communications director of the Republican National Committee and served as deputy communications director for Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) 2008 presidential campaign.

Diaz was a deputy press secretary at the National Republican Congressional Committee in the 2002 cycle and was Southwest regional press secretary on President George W. Bush’s re-election campaign.  (Roll Call’s “Shop Talk”)

Romney Names VP Senior Staff

Romney for President today announced that Randy Bumps will serve as Director of Operations for the vice presidential candidate and Kevin Sheridan will serve as Communications Director for the vice presidential candidate.

Bumps previously served as Political Director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Regional Political Director for the Republican National Committee and three terms in the Maine House of Representatives. Bumps is currently an Executive Vice President at the public affairs firm Direct Impact.

Sheridan is a former RNC spokesman and director of regional media where he served throughout the 2004 re-election campaign of President Bush. He is currently on leave as senior vice president at the public relations firm Edelman.  (PF tipster)