Episodes
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Over the last three decades, Ron Klain has literally been in the room for many of the biggest political moments of the last three decades—from Clarence Thomas’ controversial Supreme Court confirmation process to Al Gore’s hanging chads to Barack Obama’s efforts to combat a deadly epidemic.
Heralding from the Hoosier state, Ron graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and is widely considered to be one of the foremost legal and political minds on the left side of the aisle today. As a result, he has amassed a long and distinguished record of service—including serving as a clerk to the Supreme Court, leading the confirmation processes of multiple Supreme Court justices, playing a senior role behind the scenes on multiple presidential campaigns, serving as a close advisor to two presidents and the chief of staff to two vice presidents, and leading the federal government’s response to the Ebola virus.
But it’s not just politics! Ron has also had an extensive career in private law practice, serving as a partner and National Practice Group Chair at O’Melveny & Myers LLP. He currently works as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel at the venture capital firm Revolution LLC. And perhaps most notably, he is our only guest to have been played by Kevin Spacey in a major motion picture.
If you want to learn more about Ron, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Christina Reynolds is one of the most well-liked, respected and influential people in progressive politics—and if you listen to this podcast regularly, you’ve already heard her name invoked on multiple occasions by our other guests, so none of that should be news to you.
A proud daughter of Jacksonville, N.C., Christina got her start as an opposition researcher on John Edwards’ successful first campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1998, then subsequently worked for the senator twice more when he ran for president in 2004 and 2008.
Since those humble beginnings in her home state, she’s made the often-challenging pivot from research to communications—and gone on to work for the absolute biggest names in the Democratic Party, like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and at some of its most important institutions, like the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in addition to a wildly successful stint in the private sector at the storied Glover Park Group.
Today, Christina serves as the Vice President of Communications at EMILYs List, where she’s working to help pro-choice Democratic women across the country run strong campaigns that will produce big wins in November.
If you want to learn more about Christina, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
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Sara Fagen is a former director of the White House Office of Political Affairs under George W. Bush, who also remains the youngest person to ever hold that prestigious title.
A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Sara got her big break in politics when she was recruited by Karl Rove to put her intimate knowledge of her electorally crucial home state to work helping elect then-Texas Governor Bush to the White House in 2000—a job that put her smack-dab in the middle of one of the biggest political stories of the past century.
She went on to work for President Bush for eight years in total, including multiple roles in the White House and a stint as a senior strategist for his successful 2004 reelection campaign, where she earned her peers’ respect and a reputation for being one of the smartest, most data-savvy operatives in the Republican Party.
Since leaving the White House in 2007, Sara has founded or co-founded several successful companies in the data, analytics and strategic consulting spaces, making her one of the most in-demand strategists for businesses and issue advocates on the right side of the aisle. Today, she’s a partner at DDC Public Affairs, in addition to remaining involved with her several other ventures—but she says her best job is being a mom to her young son, Isaac.
If you want to learn more about Sara, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Lily Adams may come from a long line of Democratic Party royalty, but she’s now blazing her own trail as one of her party’s leading communicators and strategists.
Hailing from Austin, Texas, Lily is the granddaughter of legendary Texas governor Ann Richards and the daughter of the iconic former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards. However, her own resume is impressive in its own right, seemingly littered with a “who’s who” of top-notch political leaders—like Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Senators Tim Kaine and Richard Blumenthal.
In 2016, Lily worked as a top press aide for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, including running communications in the crucial Iowa caucuses. Today, she serves as communications director for Senator Kamala Harris of California, one of the brightest rising stars in progressive politics and a surefire future leader of the Democratic Party, in one form or another.
If you want to learn more about Lily, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Sam Cornale is a veteran of the Obama Administration, who is currently charged with helping guide the Democratic Party toward a better, brighter future.
Sam spent nearly two full presidential terms at the Department of Labor, where he steadily rose through the ranks to become one of then-Secretary Tom Perez’s top advisors. And somewhere in there he also took a break from government to get out on the trail as the Pennsylvania state policy director for the president’s reelection campaign.
After helping turn out the lights at the end of the Obama administration, he helped his long-time boss, Mr. Perez, get elected as the chair of the Democratic National Committee, where he now serves as Chief of Staff.
If you want to learn more about Sam, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Andrea Purse is one of the most experienced communicators in the Democratic Party. A native of McMurray, Pa., she has bounced around virtually every corner of our national politics—from her early days on Capitol Hill to her time on the presidential campaign trail to helping lead D.C.’s top progressive think tank to working in the White House itself.
Today, she works as the Managing Director for Communications at The Hub Project, where she’s constantly cooking up all sorts of creative ideas to keep progressives on the offensive and moving our ideas forward.
Andrea lives in Silver Spring, Md., with her husband, Jimi, and two children, McKenna and Keaton, who are aspiring political organizers—and who like to practice canvassing their own house and their neighbors on behalf of progressive causes.
If you want to learn more about Andrea, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Adam Hodge is a veteran strategic and crisis communications tactician with experience in government, political campaigns and on Capitol Hill. Hailing from the heavenly island of St. Croix, this Wesleyan alum got his start on the Hill in the early 2000s before taking a sabbatical of sorts. However, the pull of politics proved too much to withstand and The Swamp sucked him back in—and we’re all better for it.
Since then, Adam has spent his time leading communications for members of the House Democratic leadership, the Treasury Department and multiple party committees—including getting a front row seat to the rise of Donald Trump and the fallout of the Russians’ attacks on our democracy when he served as Communications Director for the Democratic National Committee during the stretch run of the 2016 election.
Today, he works at SKDKnickerbocker, one of the leading public affairs agencies in Washington, D.C., where he serves as a Vice President.
If you want to learn more about Adam, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Back when Matt Klapper was just a junior in high school, he met a young Newark city councilman named Cory Booker who came to speak at his school assembly—and a partnership was born.
In the nearly 20 years since, Matt has played an instrumental role in Booker’s rise, standing next to his boss nearly every step of the way in his meteoric ascent—from the city council to mayor and, eventually, to the United States Senate, where he now serves as Senator Booker’s chief of staff.
But reducing him to his political success would be to miss the bigger picture of who Matt truly is. Even as he was helping put out political fires during the day, he was also giving up his nights and weekends to put out actual fires, serving his community as a firefighter—something he did in addition to his demanding work in government for more than a decade.
We can’t wait to introduce you to one of the most loyal, idealistic and hardest-working people in politics!
If you want to learn more about Matt, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Kristen Soltis Anderson is one of the smartest strategists on the right side of the aisle—and our first Republican guest!
Hailing from Orlando, this proud Florida Gator has spent the last decade-plus working her way to the top of the polling game here in Washington, first at the widely respected GOP firm The Winston Group and currently as the co-founder of her own research and analytics shop, Echelon Insights.
But as if that wasn’t enough, she’s also got a lot more keeping her busy: She is the creator and co-host of The Pollsters, a popular podcast that takes a look at the polls that are driving news in politics, tech, entertainment and pop culture. And she is also the acclaimed author of The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials Are Leading America (And How Republicans Can Keep Up)—in addition to being a constant fixture on your TV news dial as a commentator and analyst for ABC News.
If you want to learn more about Kristen, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
John Bisognano has worked behind the scenes on some of the most historic races of the last decade—and now he’s taking on one of the least sexy yet most important fights facing the Democratic Party today: redistricting.
Currently the Director of Campaigns and State Engagement for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, this proud son of Milton, Massachusetts is best known simply as Biz to many who’ve worked with him.
He was part of the team that twice elected Barack Obama to the Oval Office, and he also served our 44th president in the White House Office of Public Engagement—with additional stops at the Democratic National Committee and other key party posts along the way.
If you want to learn more about Biz, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Meredith Kelly is the tip of the spear for Democrats’ efforts to retake the House of Representatives in 2018. Hailing from Sharon, Massachusetts, this Boston College alumna cut her teeth in Senator Chuck Schumer’s legendary press shop—where she spent five years rising through the ranks and got a front-row seat to some serious history-making along the way.
Since 2015, she’s been putting everything she learned there to use, helping guide House Democrats’ communications efforts as a top aide at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, where she currently serves as Communications Director. And if there really is going to be a “Blue Wave” in the 2018 midterm elections, as some analysts predict, this proud Bay Stater is going to be the one who helps her party’s candidates figure out how to successfully surf it to victory.
If you want to learn more about Meredith, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Mo Elleithee has had more jobs in the last 25 years than most people could have in four lifetimes. The employers on his resume read like a who’s who of Democratic politics—Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine, Terry McAuliffe, Mark Warner, Tom Udall, and many more—so his record speaks for itself.
But this proud son of Egyptian immigrants isn’t just a legendary campaign road warrior. He’s also an accomplished businessman, who helped build one of the country’s premier public affairs shops from scratch.
Today, Mo has left the practice of politics behind and is happily playing the role of teacher and molder of young minds in his current role as the founding Executive Director of the Institute of Politics and Public Policy at Georgetown University, where he’s hard at work shaping our next generation of leaders.
If you want to learn more about Mo, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Xochitl Hinojosa is one of the principle people responsible for shaping the message of the Democratic Party every single day. (No pressure!)
This proud Texan—and really, is there any other kind?—has spent the last decade working in virtually every corner of national politics. In fact, she’s one of the rare folks you’ll find who has actually “hit for the cycle” (to borrow a baseball analogy): working on the campaign trail, on Capitol Hill, inside a presidential administration, and most recently, at a party committee.
Currently, Xochitl is the Communications Director for the Democratic National Committee, one of the most deeply important yet consistently misunderstood organizations in American politics—and she’d love to help set the record straight.
If you want to learn more about Xochitl, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Jamal Simmons has worked at the nexus of media and politics for more than 20 years. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, he has done just about every job in the game—and done them all exceptionally well.
From presidential campaigns to government agencies and congressional offices to high-powered consulting firms, he’s basically seen it all—and he has more than a few good stories to tell, so we’re happy to have him join us on Party People.
A proud graduate of Morehouse College and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Jamal currently works as a host and contributor for The Hill, where he will host a new digital video series slated for release in the coming months.
If you want to learn more about Jamal, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com.
Note: This episode of Party People features a single instance of strong language. Listener discretion is advised. -
Amy Dacey started her prolific political career at the ripe old age of 8 years old when she volunteered on her dad’s school board race in her native Upstate New York. Needless to say, she caught the campaign bug early and has now spent more than 20 years running winning campaigns at every level all across the country and helped build some of the Democratic Party’s most important institutions in the process.
No matter if it’s in a dingy campaign office or on the biggest stages of American politics, you’ll always find this master strategist with her head down, putting in the work and getting things done. Those who know this humble hero best will tell you that she’s ceaselessly selfless and incredibly loyal—and if you need someone who knows how to keep calm and carry on in a crisis, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather call.
If you want to learn more about Amy, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Josh Schwerin is one of the Democratic Party’s fastest rising stars. Hailing from Saratoga Springs, New York, this communications whiz kid has pretty much done it all—and has become one of the smartest strategists on the left side of the aisle in the process.
Most recently, he played a key role on the biggest stage in American politics and had a front-row seat to history (for better or for worse) as one of the original members of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign team.
Now, he’s the Communications Director for Priorities USA, one of the largest progressive Super PACs in the game, where he’ll undoubtedly have a huge impact on the upcoming 2018 elections and Democrats’ efforts to take back Congress.
If you want to learn more about Josh, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Margie Omero is one of the best pollsters in the game. Over more than 20 years, this proud daughter of the Garden State has worked in several of the smartest research shops in town—and even started her own.
Currently a Partner at GBA Strategies, she’s advised some of the biggest names in Democratic politics, progressive causes, and the business world—like the Democratic National Committee, EMILYs List, Everytown for Gun Safety, Facebook, and of course, hundreds of campaigns across the country.
But that’s not all. She’s also a podcasting powerhouse in her own right. She’s the creator and co-host of The Pollsters, a popular podcast that takes a look at the polls that are driving news in politics, tech, entertainment and pop culture.
So while you may or may not know her name yet, you’ve almost certainly seen her face on your favorite cable news station—and you won’t forget her once we’re done here.
If you want to learn more about Margie, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Robby Mook is not only one of the smartest strategists in the Democratic Party—he’s also one of the best people you’ll ever met anywhere in politics to boot.
A native of Sharon, Vermont, Robby got his start working local races in the Green Mountain State and has gone on to help Democratic candidates win in just about every other state in the union too. Along the way, he helped change the way modern campaigns are run during his time working for Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential race; stumped Barack Obama’s historic campaign by beating him in four different primary states in 2008; and led House Democrats to pick up 7 seats against the odds in 2012—while also becoming one of the patron saints of our host's political career in the process.
He was most recently the campaign manager for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, where he helped make history as his candidate became the first woman nominated by a major party. And he is currently a Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center, where he’s working to arm campaigns and state election officials with the tools they need to prevent foreign actors from disrupting our democracy—again.
If you want to learn more about Robby, visit our website at www.partypeoplepodcast.com. -
Party People is a new podcast that introduces you to the people behind the politicians—the staffers and strategists that silently shape our politics from behind the scenes. Every week, Democratic strategist Steve Pierce will sit down with one of them for an intimate conversation that pulls back the curtain and explores who they are, how they got here, and what inspires them to do what they do.
