John McGough
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| John McGough | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Paul LePage gubernatorial administration |
| Role: | Former chief of staff |
| Location: | Augusta, Maine |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Education: | University of Maine |
John McGough is a Republican political consultant in the state of Maine. He formerly served as the chief of staff for Gov. Paul LePage (R), a role he took after LePage was elected in 2010. He resigned on January 8, 2018, in order to accept a position with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.[1][2]
Career
After graduating from the University of Maine with a bachelor's degree in public administration, McGough began working as a legislative aide in the Maine House of Representatives for the chamber's Republican office. He became the Republican office chief of staff in 1998, leaving the position to work as the human resources director for the city of Waterville, Maine in 2000.
After leaving his position in Waterville, McGough held a number of positions, including work with the Maine Public Employees Retirement System and with the city of South Portland, Maine.[3]
Paul LePage advisor
Gubernatorial campaign, 2010
In 2010, McGough took a leave of absence from his job as director of human resources for the city of South Portland to work as Paul LePage's deputy chief of staff for his gubernatorial campaign.[1] He also served as the campaign's policy director, according to his bio with the governor's office.[4]
Chief of staff
After LePage was elected in November 2010, he announced that McGough would serve as his administration's chief of staff.[5] As chief of staff, McGough was involved in a number of policy decisions, including a 2011 negotiation with the Maine State Employees Association. In an opinion piece for the Bangor Daily News, McGough wrote of the negotiations, "Gov. Paul LePage, as chief executive officer of the state of Maine, is one tough negotiator when it comes to representing the interests of Maine taxpayers at the bargaining table. ... MSEA mistakenly equates an unwillingness to agree to their demands as bad faith bargaining. We consider it protecting Maine taxpayers."[6]
McGough resigned on January 8, 2018, in order to accept a position with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He was succeeded by Holly Lusk.[2]
Chief of staff
- See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In 2017, Ballotpedia identified John McGough as a gubernatorial chief of staff. A chief of staff is the lead staff member of an administration and is responsible for implementing the governor's agenda.
The role is both a managerial and advisory position, although specific duties vary by administration. The chief of staff typically has the following responsibilities, according to the National Governors Association (NGA):[7]
- Control access to the governor and manage the governor's calendar;
- Monitor the flow of information to the governor on policy issues;
- Oversee gubernatorial Cabinet and staff; and
- Manage and communicate the governor's policy agenda to the state legislature and the public.
In terms of policymaking, the NGA notes that a chief of staff is responsible for bringing policy and communications together: "The chief is responsible for overseeing the development of the governor’s policy agenda. The policy director or advisor is typically responsible for shaping the general concepts and specific details of the agenda with input from the communications director, policy staff and cabinet members. The chief often must take charge and bring the pieces together coherently."[7]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'John McGough'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Maine Today, "LePage names transition team," November 6, 2010
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Seattle Times, "Maine governor’s longtime chief of staff steps down," January 8, 2018
- ↑ LinkedIn, "John McGough," accessed August 21, 2017
- ↑ Office of Gov. Paul LePage, "John McGough," archived August 21, 2017
- ↑ The Associated Press, "Maine gov-elect starts to organize administration," November 5, 2010
- ↑ Bangor Daily News, "LePage will stand tall against Maine state union," November 23, 2011
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 National Governors Association, "The Many Roles of the Governor’s Chief of Staff," accessed April 20, 2021
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