Bob Wickers
| Bob Wickers | |||
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| Basic facts | |||
| Organization: | The Wickers Group | ||
| Role: | Founder | ||
| Location: | San Francisco, Calif. | ||
| Expertise: | Polling and campaign media | ||
| Affiliation: | Republican | ||
| Education: | San Francisco State University | ||
| Website: | Official website | ||
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Bob Wickers is a Republican pollster and campaign strategist with The Wickers Group in San Francisco, California. Wickers was the pollster and media strategist for Mike Huckabee's 2016 presidential campaign.[1]
Wickers previously worked as a senior advisor and media consultant for Mitt Romney's (R) 2012 presidential campaign and as the pollster and media strategist for Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign.[2]
Career
Early career
Wickers' early work in politics began with an internship with then-Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.) from 1983 to 1985. He then transitioned to work with California Senate Republicans.[3] Before working on Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign, Wickers worked for Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and Sen. Jim Jeffords (R-Vt.).[3]
Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, 2008
In Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign, Wickers gained national attention for his ads featuring Huckabee and his message. The ads that gained attention were those featuring Huckabee speaking directly to the camera about his beliefs. Of the ads, Wickers told The Wall Street Journal, "You don't hide a candidate like Mike Huckabee. He knows how to connect."[3] The paper claimed that Wickers' media strategy was "one of the least conventional presidential ad campaigns in years."[3]
Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012
In 2012, Wickers joined Mitt Romney's presidential campaign as a senior advisor. At the time of his hiring, the Romney campaign wrote: "Mr. Wickers will provide advice on message development and strategic communication to the campaign and will be critical to the campaign's effort to defeat President Obama in key battleground states in November."[4]
Other consulting
As president and CEO of The Wickers Group, Wickers has managed campaigns and polling for Alabama Governor Robert J. Bentley, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Florida Rep. Ted Yoho, and a host of foreign campaigns in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria.[2] In 2016, Wickers signed on as a pollster and media consultant for French Hill's campaign for U.S. House.[5]
Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, 2016
On May 7, 2015, Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign announced that Wickers would work as the pollster and media strategist.[1] The Wickers Group had worked with Huckabee previously, having run the media for his 2008 presidential campaign. According to The Dallas Morning News, Huckabee had also endorsed a number of Wickers clients in the past, like Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) in 2013: "Rival Republicans have noticed that Huckabee has endorsed several candidates, such as Patrick, who have hired San Francisco GOP political consultant Bob Wickers and his firm, The Wickers Group."[6]
Huckabee suspended his presidential campaign on February 1, 2016.[7]
Media
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 P2016, "News Release: Gov. Huckabee announces national campaign team," May 7, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wickers Group, "The Team," accessed May 29, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Wall Street Journal, "The Spirit Behind Huckabee's Advertising Approach," December 31, 2007
- ↑ University of California Santa Barbara American Presidency Project, "Press Release - Romney for President Announces Bob Wickers as Senior Adviser," accessed May 29, 2015
- ↑ ARkansas Business, "French Hill Names Warren Stephens, Others to Campaign Staff," January 7, 2016
- ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Huckabee, who backed Dewhurst last year, endorses Patrick," July 23, 2013
- ↑ USA Today, "Huckabee ends GOP presidential bid," February 1, 2016
