Potomac Flacks

RNC Chair McDaniel Names Mahoney Comms Director

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced additional key senior staff positions, including Ryan Mahoney as Communications Director for the 2018 cycle.

Mahoney is a seasoned communications operative and takes over as Communications Director after serving as the RNC’s Deputy Communications Director during the 2016 election cycle.

He was a Regional Press Secretary for the RNC during the 2012 election and oversaw all regional communications for the committee during the 2014 cycle.

In 2014, Mahoney also spearheaded theRNC’s press efforts surrounding the committee’s site selection for the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Prior to joining the RNC, Mahoney served as Communications Director for the Maryland Republican Party and held various positions in the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s communications and political departments.

He's a graduate of The University of Wisconsin-Madison.(PF tipster)

Former Walker, RNC flack Kukowski to Manage Communications at 2016 GOP Convention in Cleveland

Kirsten Kukowski has been named Communications Director for the 2016 GOP Convention in Cleveland.

Kukowski was Communications Director for Scott Walker’s presidential campaign, and served as Press Secretary for the RNC and on Mark Kirk’s U.S. Senate campaign in Illinois.

Elleithee Leaves DNC to Start Institute of Politics and Public Service at Georgetown

Roll Call reported that Democratic National Committee (DNC) Communications Director Mo Elleithee has left the DNC to serve as the first Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service at the McCourt School of Public Service.

He was a founding partner of political consulting firms Hilltop Public Solutions and Three Point Media, from which he’s been on leave while at the DNC. He’s also advised countless Senate and gubernatorial candidates, working extensively with Virginia Democrats

In 2012, he was a media adviser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s independent expenditure campaign. Six years earlier, he ran the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s independent expenditure effort against then-U.S. Sen. George Allen (R-VA).

He’s worked on four presidential campaigns, most recently as Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2008 spokesman.

Georgetown feels like home for Elleithee. A proud and vocal Hoya fan, he graduated from the School of Foreign Service in 1994. Since 2011, he’s been an adjunct professor at McCourt, where he teaches a class on campaigns.

Elleithee is a native of Tucson, AZ.  (Roll Call)

RNC News: Spicer Promoted, Moore Named Press Secretary, Short Leading Rapid Response, Kukowski to Walker

This week three announcements were made at the Republican National Committee.

Sean Spicer, who has served as Communications Director at the RNC since 2011, will now also serve as Chief Strategist for the 2016 presidential campaign cycle.

Allison Moore has been named National Press Secretary for the RNC, after working the 2014 cycle as Press Secretary for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) successful reelection campaign.  She previously worked in the Senate Republican Communications Center, first as Deputy Press Secretary, then as Broadcast Communications Advisor.

Michael Short has been promoted to Director of Rapid Response at the RNC for the 2016 cycle, after serving most recently as a Regional Press Secretary at the RNC.  In 2012 he was Virginia Communications Director at the RNC, in addition to working on Capitol Hill, at the NRSC and on U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) 2008 reelection campaign. 

Moore is replacing Kirsten Kukowski, who has worked at the RNC for the past four years and is now joining Our American Revival, the 527 started by Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), as Communications Director.  Kukowski is a veteran of the 2008 McCain presidential campaign, the Mark Kirk’s 2010 U.S. Senate campaign and as spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Republican Party. (PF tipster)

NRCC’s Bozek Named Communications Director for NRSC

Roll Call broke the news that NRSC chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) named Andrea Bozek as the Communications Director for the 2015-2016 cycle.

Bozek served as Communications Director at the NRCC during the 2012 cycle.  She first worked at the NRCC during the 2006 cycle.

In between stints there, she worked as a Research Analyst and Regional Coordinator on the McCain presidential campaign in 2008, as Press Secretary for U.S. Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-NY) and as Communications Director for U.S. Rep. Chris Lee (R-NY) both in his office and on his campaign.

She returned to NRCC in 2011 to serve as a Regional Press Secretary.

She is a graduate of John Carroll University and a native of Buffalo.  (Roll Call and PF reporting)

Wilcox Named RNC Director of Rapid Response

Roll Call’s “Shop Talk” column exclusively reports that Jahan Wilcox is the new Director of Rapid Response for the Republican National Committee.

According to an RNC statement, his portfolio will include the 2014 midterms and using RNC ‘research to frame the 2016 presidential debate.’

Wilcox has previously worked for the gubernatorial campaign of Ken Cuccinelli (R-VA), the National Republican Senatorial Committee and for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in the Senate Republican Communications Center.

Wilcox is returning to the RNC, where he previously served under then-Communications Director Brian Jones and then-Deputy Communications Director Danny Diaz.

Wilcox is a native of Minnesota.  (Roll Call)

Elleithee Named DNC Communications Director

First reported by Politico’s Mike Allen, the Democratic National Committee has named Mo Elleithee as the successor to Brad Woodhouse as Communications Director, starting Friday.

Elleithee is a 17-year veteran of Democratic politics specializing in communications. He's worked on four different presidential campaigns, including as traveling press secretary for Hillary Clinton's 2008 bid; worked in senior communications roles for candidates across the country including Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), and Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM); and has advised various Democratic party committees including the DSCC, DCCC and Democratic Party of Virginia.

For the past three years, he's been on the faculty of the Georgetown Public Policy Institute. 

Elleithee will be taking a leave of absence from his firm, Hilltop Public Solutions, to join the DNC full-time.

He received his undergraduate degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and his Master of Arts from The Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University.  (Politico’s Mike Allen)

NRCC Hires Clark as Digital Press Secretary

Per Roll Call’s “Shop Talk,” Andrew Clark has been hired as Digital Press Secretary at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).  Previously, Clark worked at Hynes Communications, where his portfolio included Gabriel Gomez’s special-election U.S. Senate bid in Massachusetts.

Clark is a native of Newport Beach, CA and a graduate of The George Washington University.  (Roll Call’s “Shop Talk”)

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)

DNC Flack Roussell Appointed HUD A/S for Public Affairs

Melanie Roussell, the DNC Press Secretary since August 2011, has been appointed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.

Roussell returns to HUD where she served as Press Secretary from 2009-2011.  Previously she was spokesperson for the 2008 presidential Inaugural Committee and southern Regional Communications Director for the Obama campaign.  She was also Communication Director for the House Judiciary Committee (majority) under Chairman John Conyers (D-MI).

Roussell graduated from Florida A&M University and earned a Master’s from American University.  (PF tipster)