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Jim Merrill
| Jim Merrill | |||
 | |||
| Basic facts | |||
| Organization: | The Bernstein Shur Group | ||
| Role: | New Hampshire director | ||
| Location: | New Hampshire | ||
| Affiliation: | Republican | ||
| Education: | • Gettysburg College (1994, B.A., political science) • Franklin Pierce Law Center (2001, J.D.) | ||
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Jim Merrill is a Republican political operative from New Hampshire. He works as the New Hampshire State Director of The Bernstein Shur Group, Bernstein Shur law firm's political and communications consulting branch.[1]
Career
After receiving a bachelor's degree in political science from Gettysburg College in 1994, Merrill served as liaison to the executive council in New Hampshire Governor Stephen Merrill's (R) administration from 1995 through 1997. He moved on to fill the role of New Hampshire field director for George W. Bush's (R) 2000 presidential bid. He worked for Bush again during his 2004 re-election campaign, serving as New Hampshire grassroots co-chairman.[1][4]
In 2001, Merrill received his law degree from Franklin Pierce Law Center. He then started working as an attorney at Devine Millimet & Branch, where he worked with and befriended Ovide Lamontange.[5] Merrill held this role until 2013. During this time, he also worked as the managing director for Devine Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm, from 2008 through early 2013. In February of that year, he started his current position as New Hampshire state director for the Bernstein Shur Group.[1] As a consultant, Merrill directed Lamontagne's 2010 U.S. Senate run and was a senior advisor for Lamontagne's 2012 gubernatorial campaign.[6][7]
Merrill directed the New Hampshire primary efforts for both of Romney's presidential campaigns, first in 2008 and again in 2012.[8]
Merrill left Devine, Millimet, & Branch in 2013 to start a New Hampshire branch of the Maine-based public relations firm Bernstein Shur. At the time of the move, WMUR reported, "Merrill will assist the firm’s clients in public affairs, strategic communications and political consulting. Merrill's hire was announced as part of a six-member team that will do the same work in Maine and Vermont."[9]
In July 2016, Merrill signed on as a senior advisor for Manchester, New Hampshire, Mayor Ted Gatsas' gubernatorial campaign. According to WMUR, Merrill's hiring indicated he would "have a major role in helping to shape the Gatsas campaign’s political, communications and fundraising operations."[10]
Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016
- See also: Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016
On April 13, 2015, Rubio announced his presidential run on a conference call with donors. He referred to himself as "uniquely qualified" for the nomination. The call came hours before a scheduled campaign rally in Miami. Rubio wasted no time in surrounding himself with a small but seasoned staff.[11]
After Romney declined to run again in 2016, several potential 2016 contenders had their eyes on Merrill. Merrill ultimately signed on with Rubio in February 2015, echoing what Romney said when he announced he would not run again: “What Mitt said was right: It’s time for the next generation of Republican leadership." He also said Rubio was “the most exciting candidate in the field."[8]
When Merrill was hired, People's Pundit Daily reported that he would "be Rubio’s go-to man in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire. He was in charge of Romney’s successful 2012 Granite State operation, which he perfected after his unsuccessful 2008 bid. Merrill is well-known and is equally well-respected in New Hampshire Republican circles. He is a senior adviser to Rubio’s PAC and is not only the right man to lead Rubio’s New Hampshire team, but his entire Northeastern GOP quarters."[12]
Merrill believed Rubio could win the New Hampshire primary, saying, “I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think he could. He knows what it means to engage voters, do town halls, run personal, door-to-door campaigns. I’ve never seen a more talented guy.”[8]
Rubio suspended his presidential campaign on March 15, 2016.[13]
2016 Republican National Convention
- See also: Republican National Convention, 2016
| James F. Merrill | |
| Republican National Convention, 2016 | |
| Status: | Delegate |
| State: | New Hampshire |
| Bound to: | Marco Rubio |
| Delegates to the RNC 2016 | |
| Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • Delegate rules by state • State election law and delegates • Delegates by state | |
Merrill was a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from New Hampshire. Merrill was one of two delegates from New Hampshire bound by state party rules to support Marco Rubio at the convention.[14] Rubio suspended his campaign on March 15, 2016.
Delegate rules
In New Hampshire, presidential candidates were required to submit lists of preferred delegates prior to the state primary election on February 9, 2016. After the primary, if a candidate was allocated any delegates, he or she was allowed to select an official delegate slate from the list they submitted prior to the primary. New Hampshire delegates were bound on all ballots. Delegates were to be released and unbound if a candidate "withdraws" from the race.
New Hampshire primary results
| New Hampshire Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
 Donald Trump |
35.6% | 100,735 | 11 | |
| John Kasich | 15.9% | 44,932 | 4 | |
| Ted Cruz | 11.7% | 33,244 | 3 | |
| Jeb Bush | 11.1% | 31,341 | 3 | |
| Marco Rubio | 10.6% | 30,071 | 1 | |
| Chris Christie | 7.4% | 21,089 | 0 | |
| Carly Fiorina | 4.2% | 11,774 | 0 | |
| Ben Carson | 2.3% | 6,527 | 0 | |
| Rand Paul* | 0.7% | 1,930 | 0 | |
| Total Write-ins | 0.5% | 1,398 | 0 | |
| Jim Gilmore | 0% | 134 | 0 | |
| Totals | 283,175 | 22 | ||
| Source: New Hampshire Secretary of State | ||||
*Rand Paul dropped out of the race on February 3, 2016, but his name remained on the ballot in New Hampshire.[15]
Delegate allocation
New Hampshire had 23 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, six were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's two congressional districts). District-level delegates were allocated on a proportional basis; each candidate who won at least 10 percent of the statewide vote was entitled to receive a share of New Hampshire's district delegates.[16][17]
Of the remaining 17 delegates, 14 served at large. At-large delegates were allocated on a proportional basis; each candidate who won at least 10 percent of the statewide vote was entitled to receive a share of the state's at-large delegates. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention.[16][17]
See also
- Marco Rubio
- Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016
- Marco Rubio presidential campaign key staff and advisors, 2016
- Mitt Romney
- George W. Bush
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 LinkedIn, "Jim Merrill," accessed June 1, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "The power players behind Marco Rubio's campaign," April 13, 2015
- ↑ Union Leader, "Marco Rubio hires Jim Merrill," February 9, 2015
- ↑ The American Presidency Project, "Mitt Romney," accessed May 1, 2015
- ↑ New Hampshire Union Leader, "John DiStaso's Granite Status: Ovide Lamontagne headed to D.C. as Americans United for Life general counsel," April 14, 2013
- ↑ Politico, "New Hampshire's new kingmaker," April 29, 2011
- ↑ NH Journal, "Ovide taps Paul Collins for Campaign Manager," March 27, 2012
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 New York Times, "Rubio, Eye on 2016, Hires a Coveted Former Aide to Romney," February 9, 2015
- ↑ WMUR, "Leading NH GOP strategist changes jobs," February 7, 2013
- ↑ WMUR, "NH Primary Source: Big staff hire, big endorsements at home; huge challenge in Cleveland," July 14, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "He's in: Marco Rubio's presidential challenge," April 13, 2015
- ↑ People's Pundit Daily, "Meet Team Rubio 2016: Players, Pollsters And Pockets Behind The Campaign," April 19, 2015
- ↑ The New York Times, "Marco Rubio Suspends His Presidential Campaign," March 15, 2016
- ↑ NH SOS, "Republican Delegates and Alternates to 2016 National Convention," accessed May 3, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Rand Paul drops out of White House race," February 3, 2016
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Republican National Committee, "2016 Presidential Nominating Process," accessed October 6, 2015
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 CNN.com, "Republican National Convention roll call vote," accessed July 20, 2016
