Chuck Laudner
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| Chuck Laudner | |||
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| Basic facts | |||
| Location: | Rockford, Iowa | ||
| Expertise: | Iowa politics | ||
| Affiliation: | Republican | ||
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| Connections | |||
| •Michael Biundo •Steve King | |||
Chuck Laudner is a Republican strategist operating from the state of Iowa. He was the Iowa state director for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.[1] Laudner previously worked with U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and on Rick Santorum's (R) 2012 presidential campaign; he was also the head of the Iowa Republican Party from 2007 to 2008.[2]
Career
Chuck Laudner has worked in Iowa politics as a grassroots organizer and campaign manager. He worked on the first U.S. House campaign for Steve King in 2002 and served as King's first chief of staff.[3] From 2007 to 2008, Laudner served as the executive director of the Iowa Republican Party. In this position, he was one of the chief organizers of the 2008 Ames Straw Poll.[4]
In 2010, Laudner was one of the leaders in a successful campaign against the retention of three State Supreme Court Justices because of their stance on same-sex marriage.[5] The campaign, called Iowa for Freedom, featured Laudner as the executive director and was backed by influential Iowa conservative Bob Vander Plaats.[6] According to The Iowa Republican, "The anti judicial retention campaign increased Laudner’s influence among social conservatives and expanded his list of conservative contacts in the state."[7]
Laudner further increased his profile in 2012 as the director of Rick Santorum's Iowa operation.[3] Santorum campaigned across Iowa in Laudner's pickup truck, in contrast to the campaign buses and charter planes of the other contenders.[8] The pickup, known as the "Chuck Truck," became a campaign theme of its own for Santorum, according to Bloomberg News: "The truck has become part of Santorum’s narrative that he’s hardworking and spent the time to travel across the state."[9] Santorum won the Iowa caucus by 39 votes.[10]
In January 2015, The Des Moines Register reported that Laudner had joined the staff of the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Funds, a Super PAC in support of conservative candidates nationally.[11]
Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
- See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
On February 24, 2015, Breitbart News reported that Chuck Laudner had joined Donald Trump's presidential campaign as an advisor.[12] On June 16, 2015, Trump announced his bid for the presidency at Trump Tower in New York City.[13]
At the time of his hiring, Laudner told The Des Moines Register, "Conservatives just don't move the needle. We win some and we lose some, but we never move the needle. I think it's about time that maybe we go about this a different way."[2] According to the Washington Post, Laudner's hiring was a sign that Trump "intends to wage a serious campaign."[14] The paper also reported that Laudner gave voters a reason to look beyond Trump's celebrity status: "Some Iowa party leaders say Trump has earned a second look merely by bringing a well-respected consultant on board."[14]
In March 2016, Laudner confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that his contract with the Trump campaign had expired and that he no longer worked for the Trump campaign.[15]
Recent news
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See also
External link
Footnotes
- ↑ P2016, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.," accessed June 29, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Des Moines Register, "Trump hires Iowan with knack for shoestring campaigns," February 26, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Iowa Republican, "Chuck Laudner to Manage Clovis' Campaign," October 14, 2013
- ↑ CBS News, "The Man Behind The Straw Poll," August 9, 2007
- ↑ CNS News, "Push to ban gay marriage flagging in Iowa," July 5, 2012
- ↑ The American Prospect, "Disorder in the Court," September 19, 2011
- ↑ The Iowa Republican, "Chuck Laudner Endorses Santorum," November 7, 2011
- ↑ New York Times, "How the Candidates Roll," December 29, 2011
- ↑ Bloomberg News, "Santorum Surge in Iowa Puts Chrysler’s Ram Pickup Center Stage," January 3, 2012
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "GOP caucus results," accessed June 29, 2015
- ↑ The Des Moines Register, "Iowa GOP consultant takes PAC position," January 24, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart News, "'Major Coup': Donald Trump Picks Up Top Iowa Grassroots Operative for Potential 2016 Campaign," February 24, 2015
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Donald Trump Enters 2016 Presidential Race," June 16, 2015
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Washington Post, "How Donald Trump’s man in Iowa plans to mess with the GOP — and win," June 26, 2015
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Clinton Digs In as Trump Moves On," March 28, 2016
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