Kristina Rasmussen
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Is this person no longer a chief of staff? Please contact us with any updates. |
| Kristina Rasmussen | |
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| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Bruce Rauner gubernatorial administration |
| Role: | Chief of staff |
| Location: | Springfield, Ill. |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Education: | •Randolph-Macon Woman's College •George Washington University |
Kristina Rasmussen is a Republican political advisor in the state of Illinois, and was the chief of staff for Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a position she took on in July 2017 after former chief of staff Richard Goldberg returned to the private sector. She left the role in October 2017.[1][2]
Career
Education and early career
After receiving a bachelor's degree in political science from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in 2004, Rasmussen went on to George Washington University, where she earned a master's degree in political management in 2006. During her time at GWU, Rasmussen also worked as a public policy analyst at the National Federation for Independent Business.[3]
National Taxpayers Union
From 2005 to 2009, Rasmussen was the director of government affairs at the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), a group that advocates constitutional limits on government taxes, spending, and debt.[4] While at the NTU, Rasmussen also wrote pieces on tax policy and public spending for the organization's blog.[5]
Illinois Policy Institute
- See also: Illinois Policy Institute
In 2009, Rasmussen became the executive vice president of the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI), a conservative 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on free market economics and taxes in the state. She became the organization's president and chief operating officer in June 2016.[6]
Opinion piece on tax increases, June 2017
On June 29, 2017, as Rauner and the Illinois General Assembly debated a budget that included a tax increase, Rasmussen wrote an opinion piece based on IPI's polling about taxes. In the piece, she wrote:[7]
| “ | The political calculation behind Gov. Bruce Rauner’s embrace of the tax hike budget plan backed by certain Republicans in the Illinois General Assembly would seem to be one of self-preservation. The benefit of appearing to back a solution – even one with over $5 billion in economically damaging tax hikes – might seem to outweigh the risk of standing firm on pro-taxpayer principle. But new polling results show otherwise. ... The results reveal that in supporting a tax hike budget plan, the governor is pursuing a politically disadvantageous course. The budget the governor is backing is unpopular with his own base of support.[8] | ” |
Bruce Rauner chief of staff
In July 2017, after the Illinois General Assembly overrode Rauner to pass a budget that included increased taxes, Rauner's chief of staff Richard Goldberg left to work in the private sector. Four days after the budget override, Rauner hired Rasmussen to take the position.[1] After taking the position, she told staff that her policy priorities as chief of staff included publicizing the need for state-level reforms, saying, "We’re going to share incredible stories of the men, women, and children who deserve a revitalized Illinois."[9] In October 2017, Rasmussen left the role.[2]
Chief of staff
- See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In 2017, Ballotpedia identified Kristina Rasmussen 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):[10]
- 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."[10]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Kristina Rasmussen'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 CBS Chicago, "Governor Rauner Taps New Chief Of Staff," July 10, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chicago Tribune, "Rauner parts ways with chief of staff from conservative think tank," October 6, 2017
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Kristina Rasmussen," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ National Taxpayers Union, "Kristina Rasmussen," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ National Taxpayers Union, "Illinois Hands Out Money It Doesn't Have," July 15, 2010
- ↑ Illinois Policy Institute, "Former Illinois Policy Institute President Kristina Rasmussen has been appointed chief of staff to Gov. Bruce Rauner," June 21, 2017
- ↑ Illinois Policy Institute, "Tax Hike Budget Is Politically Risky For Rauner, Illinois Republicans," June 29, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ NBC Chicago, "Read the Full Memo From Gov. Rauner's New Chief of Staff," July 11, 2017
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 National Governors Association, "The Many Roles of the Governor’s Chief of Staff," accessed April 20, 2021
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