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Chris LaCivita

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Chris LaCivita
Chris LaCivita.jpg
Basic facts
Current Campaign:Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign
Role:Founder
Location:Midlothian, Va.
Affiliation:Republican
Education:Virginia Commonwealth University


Chris LaCivita is a political consultant who serves as president of Advancing Strategies LLC. La Civita was a co-campaign manager for Donald Trump's (R) 2024 presidential campaign.

He previously worked as a senior advisor to U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's (R-Wis.) 2022 re-election campaign and Rand Paul's (R) 2016 presidential campaign. LaCivita was a media advisor to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an organization that played a key role in the 2004 presidential election. [1]

Biography

LaCivita received a bachelor's degree in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1989.[2] After college, he joined the United States Marine Corps during the Persian Gulf War, serving from 1989 to 1991.[3]

LaCivita began working in politics in Virginia in the early 1990s, and began working in national politics in the early 2000s.[3] In 2025, he worked on a campaign for conservative Democratic Party of Albania leader Sali Berisha.[4]

Work and activities

Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2024

See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2024

In 2022, LaCivita joined Donald Trump's (R) 2024 presidential campaign as a co-campaign manager.[5]

Profiles and interviews

Key staff members

See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign staff, 2024

The table below shows a partial list of national campaign staff members, including the campaign manager, senior advisors, political directors, communications directors, field directors, and the national press secretary. They are presented alongside their positions in the campaign, their most recent positions prior to the campaign, and their Twitter handles. To recommend additions, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

See also: Presidential election campaign managers and key staffers, 2024
Donald Trump presidential campaign national staff, 2024
Staff Position Prior experience Twitter handle
Chris LaCivita[6] Co-campaign manager[7][8] Partner, FP1 Strategies @LaCivitaC
Susie Wiles[6] Co-campaign manager[7][8] Chief executive officer, Save America PAC @susie57
Alex Bruesewitz[9] Senior advisor Co-founder and chief executive officer, X Strategies @alexbruesewitz
Taylor Budowich[9] Senior advisor Executive director, MAGA Inc. @tayfromca
Brian Jack[6] Senior advisor Political advisor, Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) @briantjack
Corey Lewandowski[10] Senior advisor Chairman, UltraMaga PAC @CLewandowski_
Jason Miller[6] Senior advisor Chief executive officer, GETTR @JasonMillerinDC
Tim Murtaugh[9] Senior advisor Principal, Line Drive Public Affairs, LLC @TimMurtaugh
Alex Pfeiffer[9] Senior advisor Founder and principal, Pfeiffer Public Affairs @__Pfeiffer
Steven Cheung[6] Communications director Advisor and spokesman, Jim Renacci (R) 2022 Ohio gubernatorial campaign @TheStevenCheung
Karoline Leavitt[11] National press secretary Spokeswoman, Make America Great Again Inc. @kleavittnh


Presidential election, 2016

Rand Paul presidential campaign, 2016

See also: Rand Paul presidential campaign, 2016

In January 2015, LaCivita became a senior advisor to Rand Paul's (R) 2016 presidential campaign. The Wall Street Journal reported that LaCivita was expected to work heavily in his native South Carolina. Of Paul's campaign, LaCivita told the paper: "We have to nominate a conservative who can win. Rand is first and foremost a conservative, but he’s not afraid to expand the party’s tent by competing for nontraditional GOP voters like young people and minorities."[1]

Paul suspended his presidential run on February 3, 2016.[12]

Republican National Committee

See also: Republican National Committee

In April 2016, as the prospect of a contested convention became more likely, the Republican National Committee hired LaCivita, along with former Rand PAC advisor Steve Munisteri as a strategist to assist with state selection of delegates. According to The New York Times, the two were hired to manage the process by which each state selected its delegates to the national convention. The paper wrote, "Mr. LaCivita and Mr. Munisteri, a former chairman of the Texas Republican Party, add heft and experience to the committee’s work."[13]

Pat Roberts, 2014

In September 2014, the National Republican Senatorial Committee dispatched LaCivita to Kansas in an effort to bolster the campaign of incumbent U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R). At the time of LaCivita's appointment, Roberts was running behind Independent Greg Orman. The Democratic candidate, Chad Taylor, dropped out of the race in early September.[14] When LaCivita arrived, he instituted a more aggressive media strategy, "relentlessly working to tie Mr. Orman to President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid," according to The Wall Street Journal.[15] Although the campaign received some backlash for the negative ads, LaCivita defended his media strategy, saying: "If you're given two months to run a campaign and you're faced with two options—run a campaign based on what your incumbent accomplished, versus educating the electorate on your opponent, especially when your opponent is essentially unknown—it's not a hard decision."[16]

Scott Rigell, 2010 and 2012

In 2010, Scott Rigell defeated incumbent Democratic candidate Glenn Nye in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. A former car dealer in Virginia, Rigell ran on a platform of reducing government spending. His campaign slogan was: "28 years of business experience to lead in making prudent reductions in spending."[17] LaCivita served as a senior advisor on the campaign, which he saw as one that would "bring back commonsense conservative leadership to Virginia’s Second District."[18]

Ken Cuccinelli, 2009 and 2013

In 2009, then-Virginia State Senator Ken Cuccinelli (R) ran for the office of attorney general on a message of reducing government spending, according to Richmond Biz Sense: "Cuccinelli’s approach to policy is to limit government as much as possible. The attorney general’s job includes enforcing the law of the land, but Cuccinelli adds that it is also about eliminating unneeded and overly burdensome regulation."[19] LaCivita headed the campaign, which Cuccinelli won with 58 percent of the vote.

LaCivita also served as the chief campaign strategist for Cuccinelli's unsuccessful run for governor of Virginia in 2013. In that race, Cuccinelli struggled to find financial support, according to The Washington Post: "About two-thirds of Republican Gov. Robert F. McDonnell’s top donors in 2009 have given Cuccinelli little or nothing."[20] After Cuccinelli lost the race, LaCivita put some of the blame on the lack of national Republican support for his candidacy: "There are a lot of questions people are going to be asking and that is, was leaving Cuccinelli alone in the first week of October, a smart move?"[21]


Swiftboat Veterans Ad on John Kerry

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, 2004

In the 2004 presidential election, LaCivita worked as a media consultant for the 527 group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, later renamed Swift Vets and POWs for Truth. The group encouraged voters to consider what they called Democratic nominee John Kerry's "false 1971 testimony that American troops routinely committed war crimes."[22] The New York Times described LaCivita's role as a media advisor: "Mr. LaCivita described his role as providing advice on the news media and placing advertisements."[23]

George Allen U.S. Senate Campaign, 2000

In 2000, former Virginia Gov. George Allen (R) successfully ran against incumbent Sen. Chuck Robb (D). LaCivita managed the 2000 campaign. He had also managed Allen's successful bids for the U.S. House in 1991 and Governor of Virginia in 1993. CNN noted that the 2000 campaign "was among the most expensive contests in the Commonwealth's history" and that the basic strategy was to put the two candidates' personalities in competition: "Robb stood in contrast with voters to Allen's more personable manner."[24]

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wall Street Journal, "Rand Paul Taps Veteran Adviser for Likely 2016 Campaign," January 12, 2015
  2. ↑ Legistorm, "Chris LaCivita," accessed July 25, 2025
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Richmond Times-Dispatch, "About Chris LaCivita," June 12, 2011
  4. ↑ Politico, "Trump’s election maestro works to topple Albanian prime minister," May 9, 2025
  5. ↑ Reuters, "Who are Trump's top presidential campaign aides?" February 1, 2024
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Axios, "Inside Trump's campaign makeover for 2024," March 20, 2023
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Identified based on reporting from Reuters.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Reuters, "Who are Trump's top presidential campaign aides?" February 1, 2024
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Politico, "Trump campaign brings Corey Lewandowski back on board," August 15, 2024
  10. ↑ Politico, "Trump campaign brings Corey Lewandowski back on board," August 15, 2024
  11. ↑ Twitter, "NH Journal on January 15, 2024," accessed April 11, 2024
  12. ↑ Politico, "Rand Paul dropping out of White House race," February 3, 2016
  13. ↑ The New York Times, "Republicans Hire Veteran Strategists to Help With Conventions," April 7, 2016
  14. ↑ Washington Post, "Democratic nominee Chad Taylor drops out of Kansas Senate race," accessed May 8, 2015
  15. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Chris LaCivita, the GOP’s Hard-Charging ‘Commando’ Operative," accessed May 8, 2015
  16. ↑ National Journal, "Inside Chris LaCivita's Plan to Save Pat Roberts," accessed May 8, 2015
  17. ↑ Daily Press, "BIO: Scott Rigell," accessed May 8, 2015
  18. ↑ Bearing Drift, "Chris LaCivita Joins Scott Rigell Campaign," accessed May 8, 2015
  19. ↑ Richmond Biz Sense, "Monday Q&A: Attorney general candidate Ken Cuccinelli," accessed May 8, 2015
  20. ↑ Washington Post, "Republican Ken Cuccinelli, running hard, has been hobbled in race for Virginia governor," accessed May 8, 2015
  21. ↑ CBS News, Could Ken Cuccinelli have won the Virginia governor's race?" accessed May 8, 2015
  22. ↑ To Set The Record Straight, "To Set The Record Straight," accessed May 8, 2015
  23. ↑ New York Times, "Bush Campaign's Top Outside Lawyer Advised Veterans Group," August 25, 2004
  24. ↑ CNN, "GOP narrowly retains control of Senate," accessed May 8, 2015
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