Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Jill Alper
| Jill Alper | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Alper Strategies |
| Role: | President |
| Location: | Detroit, Mich. |
| Affiliation: | Democratic |
| Education: | •Boston College (political science and philosophy, 1987) |
Jill Alper is a Democratic political consultant. In February 2017, she founded Alper Strategies, a political consulting firm. Previously, she worked in the Michigan offices of the Dewey Square Group. She first became active in Democratic Party politics in 1991, when she worked for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. She has worked with local and state candidates in Michigan, such as Jennifer Granholm, as well as national candidates, such as Hillary Clinton.[1]
Career
Alper studied political science and philosophy at Boston College from 1983 to 1987 before becoming the deputy political director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 1991. She worked there until September 1992, focusing on recruiting candidates and incumbent protection projects. In 1991, Campaigns & Elections named her a "rising star." For the 1992 election cycle, Alper worked as the Michigan state director of Bill Clinton's presidential campaign.[2][3][4]
In 1994, Alper became the national coordinated campaign director for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) where she handled national voter contact programs and field operations for the Democratic Party. She remained in this position until 1997, when she became the political director of the DNC. As political director, Alper oversaw the political and electoral operations of the national Democratic Party for the 1998 election cycle. She worked as political director until 1999.[3][2]
Beginning in 1999, Alper worked as a political consultant. As a vice president of Democratic political consulting firm Squier Knapp Dunn, now SKDKnickerbocker, Alper managed state-specific media for former Vice President Al Gore's (D) presidential campaign and subsequent recount from 1999 to 2000. At the same time she was a consultant for the DNC national coordinated campaign.[2][3]
Dewey Square Group
In 2001, Alper became a partner at the Dewey Square Group, a public affairs consulting firm with offices around the United States that aims to "help clients navigate any challenge, from national grassroots/grasstops campaigns, to multicultural outreach, to strategic communications and advertising, to recruiting supporters around an issue." Alper led its Michigan office and managed the firm's media and campaign efforts.[2][3][5]
Upon joining the Dewey Square Group, Alper worked with several campaigns and organizations:[2][3]
- John Kerry (D-Mass.), electoral strategist for his presidential campaign from 2001 to 2004
- Hillary Clinton (D), consultant for her presidential campaign from 2007 to 2008
- David Bing (D-Mich.), strategist for his campaign for Mayor of Detroit, Mich., from 2008 to 2009
- Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich.), strategist for both of her gubernatorial campaigns and administrations from 2001 to 2011
- Michigan Stem Cell Amendment, Proposal 2 (2008), strategist, 2008
- Democratic Governors Association
In 2007, Alper was named "Democratic Campaign Manager of the Year" by the American Association of Political Consultants. Aristotle, Inc, a Washington, D.C.-based company that provides technology to political campaigns and organizations, named Alper "Democratic Dream Team Campaign Manager" in 2010. Alper left Dewey Square Group in February 2017.[6][3]
2016 presidential election
In March 2016, a column in The Detroit News reported that Alper was a Democratic superdelegate committed to supporting Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.[7]
2016 Democratic National Convention
- Delegate to the 2016 DNC (click to expand)
- See also: Democratic National Convention, 2016
Jill Alper Democratic National Convention, 2016 Status: Superdelegate State: Michigan Supporting: Hillary Clinton Delegates to the DNC 2016 Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • State election law and delegates • Superdelegates by state Alper was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from Michigan.[8] Alper was one of 17 superdelegates from Michigan. Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus results to support a specific presidential candidate. Alper supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.[9]Clinton formally won the Democratic nomination for president on July 26, 2016.[10]
What is a superdelegate?
Superdelegates in 2016 were automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, meaning that, unlike regular delegates, they were not elected to this position. Also unlike regular delegates, they were not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate, and they were not bound by the results of their state's presidential primary election or caucus. In 2016, superdelegates included members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, and distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. All superdelegates were free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.[11]
Michigan primary results
- See also: Presidential election in Michigan, 2016
Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in the Michigan Democratic primary election. Polling in early March and late February showed Clinton with a lead over Sanders ranging from 11 to more than 30 points. But, as Ballotpedia senior writer Jim Barnes wrote in an analysis leading up to March 8, "Michigan has a history of delivering presidential primary upsets." Sanders won 50 to 48 percent.
Exit poll data, a representative sampling of voters as they left their precinct polling stations, showed that several major voting groups were sharply divided between Clinton and Sanders. Clinton won women 51 to 46 percent, while Sanders won college graduates 51 to 48 percent and voters without college degrees 49 to 48 percent. Voters with incomes under $50,000 supported Sanders over Clinton 51 to 46 percent. Voters with incomes above $50,000 backed him 50 to 49 percent. With other groups, the divide was more significant. Clinton won older voters 61 to 36 percent and African-Americans 65 to 31 percent. Sanders, on the other hand, outperformed Clinton with white voters 57 to 41 percent and younger voters 67 to 32 percent. Voters between the ages of 18 and 24 backed him over Clinton 87 to 13 percent. Fifty-eight percent of Democratic primary voters in Michigan said international trade "takes away U.S. jobs." Sanders, who took stances against international trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, won a majority of those voters.[12] 130 pledged delegates were at stake. For more on Sanders' win, see How Sanders won Michigan.Michigan Democratic Primary, 2016 Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates 
Bernie Sanders 49.7% 598,943 67 Hillary Clinton 48.3% 581,775 63 Martin O'Malley 0.2% 2,363 0 Roque De La Fuente 0.1% 870 0 Other 1.8% 21,601 0 Totals 1,205,552 130 Source: Michigan Secretary of State and The New York Times Delegate allocation
Michigan had 147 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 130 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.[13][14]
Seventeen party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[13][15]
See also
- Michigan
- Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
- Democratic National Committee
- Democratic Governors Association
- Bill Clinton
- John Kerry
- Hillary Clinton
- Jennifer Granholm
- Michigan Stem Cell Amendment, Proposal 2 (2008)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Jill Alper, "Profile," accessed June 6, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Linkedin, "Jill Alper," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Dewey Square Group, "Jill Alper," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Campaigns & Elections, "Rising Stars Archive," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Dewey Square Group, "What We Do," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Dewey Square Group, "Jill Alper Makes 2010 Aristotle Campaign Dream Team!" March 24, 2010
- ↑ The Detroit News, "Column: Superdelegates trump votes of voters," March 3, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia's list of superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention is based on our own research and lists provided by the Democratic National Committee to Vox.com in February 2016 and May 2016. If you think we made an error in identifying superdelegates, please send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.
- ↑ The Detroit News, “Mich. Dems say they'll help Clinton win nomination,” April 13, 2015
- ↑ To find out which candidate a superdelegate supported, Ballotpedia sought out public statements from the superdelegate in other media outlets and on social media. If we were unable to find a public statement that clearly articulated which candidate the superdelegate supported at the national convention, we listed that superdelegate as "unknown." If you believe we made an error in identifying which candidate a superdelegate supported, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Michigan exit polls," March 8, 2016
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
- ↑ The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
- ↑ Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
