Presidential election New Hampshire staffers, 2016

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See also: Presidential election in New Hampshire, 2016
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New Hampshire has held the first primary election in the nation since 1920, and state law requires that the secretary of state ensure the primary is held seven days before any other state.[1] According to ABC News, "New Hampshire is important because of its timing, the momentum it can bestow and the attention it receives from candidates and media."[2] Because New Hampshire is so early in the nomination process, it is often seen as an important first step to receiving a party's nomination. Thus, many presidential hopefuls fill out their staffs with "operatives who have worked tirelessly on Senate and House campaigns" throughout the state.[3]

The following is a list of all the New Hampshire staffers that Ballotpedia has profiled for the 2016 presidential election. A fuller individual profile—including the staffer's background, previous experience and campaign work—can be found by clicking on the link in each staffer's name. Clicking the link in the campaign logo on the right will take you to Ballotpedia's comprehensive profile of that candidate's 2016 campaign.

A note on the following table: Alicia Preston is a New Hampshire advisor for We the People, Not Washington PAC, a Super PAC that supports George Pataki's (R) candidacy. Preston cannot coordinate with the campaign itself, but she is listed here because of her influence for Pataki in New Hampshire. Likewise, Paul Collins is associated with New Day for America, a 527 group that supports Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R). Kasich announced his candidacy on July 21, 2015, and is expected to finalize his campaign staff in the coming weeks.[4]

Republican Campaigns
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 Paul Young: In May 2015, Young joined Lindsey Graham's testing the waters committee as the New Hampshire state advisor.[5] Young is the founder and president of Novus Public Affairs, a communications firm in Portsmouth. He has consulted on five presidential campaigns, including Sen. John McCain's 2008 run. For that campaign, Young was the New Hampshire consultant on coalition outreach.[6]
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 Paul Collins: Paul Collins is the New Hampshire state director for New Day for America, a 527 group aligned with John Kasich's 2016 presidential campaign.[7] Collins has extensive political experience in New Hampshire, including work with the campaigns of former Governor John H. Sununu (R-N.H.), former U.S. Senator John E. Sununu and on presidential campaigns for Pete du Pont (1987), Steve Forbes (1995), Pete Wilson (1995) and Jon Huntsman (2012). New Hampshire Union Leader reporter John DiStaso notes that Collins' particular strength is "his knowledge of grassroots organizing and coalition-building."[8]
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 Michael Biundo: In July 2014, Michael Biundo and his firm RightOn Strategies were hired by Rand Paul's leadership PAC, RAND PAC. Biundo was hired as a chief strategist for New England.[9] In the 2012 election cycle, Biundo worked as Rick Santorum's national campaign manager and then as Mitt Romney's deputy national director of coalitions.[10][11] NH Journal writer John DiStaso called Biundo "one of the best grassroots organizers and coalitions builders in the state, if not the country."[12]
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 Alicia Preston: In February 2015, Alicia Preston became the New Hampshire consultant and press secretary for We the People, Not Washington PAC, a Super PAC in support of George Pataki.[13] Preston previously worked as the communications director and press secretary for former New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson.[14] She has also consulted on campaign communications with Meridian Strategies—a firm founded by Rand Paul strategist Michael Biundo—and at the PReston Group.[15][16]
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 Mike Dennehy: On March 11, 2015, the New Hampshire Journal reported that RickPAC, Rick Perry's leadership PAC, had hired Mike Dennehy as a state senior advisor.[17] Dennehy remained in that role after Perry officially announced his candidacy.[18] The campaign, however, was suspended on September 11, 2015. Previously, Dennehy worked on New Hampshire gubernatorial campaigns for Stephen Merrill (R) and Craig Benson (R) in addition to two New Hampshire primary victories for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2000 and 2008. Dennehy co-founded and is a partner at Dennehy & Bouley, a New Hampshire-based public affairs firm.[19]
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 Jim Merrill: In February 2015, Jim Merrill was hired as a senior advisor for Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign, leading his strategy in New Hampshire and the Northeast.[20] Merrill directed the New Hampshire primary efforts for both of Mitt Romney's presidential campaigns, first in 2008 and again in 2012.[21] According to People's Pundit Daily, "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."[22]
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 Matt Ciepielowski: On February 25, 2015, Matt Ciepielowski joined Donald Trump's exploratory committee as the New Hampshire state director.[23] Previously, Ciepielowski worked as the New Hampshire field director for Americans for Prosperity, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization focused on limited government.[24] He has also been an organizer with Young Americans for Liberty and with Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign.[25][26]
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Democratic Campaigns
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 John Bivona: On May 20, 2015, John Bivona was named the New Hampshire state director for Martin O'Malley's presidential campaign.[27] Previously, Bivona worked as the deputy campaign director for Alex Sink's (D-Fla.) 2014 U.S. House campaign and as a field representative for President Barack Obama's first presidential campaign in 2008. He was also the coordinated campaign director for the New Hampshire Democratic Party.[28]
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References

  1. ↑ Conservative Review, "Why the New Hampshire Primary Remains Important," April 16, 2015
  2. ↑ ABC News, "New Hampshire for Dummies: Why the First Primary Is Important," January 10, 2012
  3. ↑ National Journal, "A Challenge for Iowa, N.H. Members: Keeping Campaign Staff," April 27, 2015
  4. ↑ CNN, "John Kasich makes 2016 bid official in freewheeling announcement," July 21, 2015
  5. ↑ WMUR, "Veteran GOP strategist Paul Young named senior adviser to Lindsey Graham," May 4, 2015
  6. ↑ Democracy in Action, "John McCain-Organization, New Hampshire," accessed June 10, 2015
  7. ↑ WMUR, "Veteran strategist Paul Collins joins Kasich organization," May 26, 2015
  8. ↑ New Hampshire Union Leader, "John DiStaso's Granite Status: Innis hires political veteran Paul Collins as campaign manager," January 23, 2014
  9. ↑ NH Journal, "Rand Paul taps Manchester’s Biundo as chief strategist for PAC in New England," July 8, 2014
  10. ↑ P2012.org, "Santorum Campaign Names National Campaign Manager," accessed May 11, 2015
  11. ↑ Washington Post, "Romney hires Santorum’s campaign manager," April 26, 2012
  12. ↑ NH Journal, "Attention presidential candidates: NH Journal’s top 60 ‘most wanted’ Republicans," December 23, 2014
  13. ↑ P2016, "Pataki for President," accessed June 23, 2015
  14. ↑ Concord Monitor, "Benson has left the building," January 7, 2005
  15. ↑ New Hampshire Insider, "New Hampshire Public Relations Professional Alicia Preston Joins Guinta for Congress Effort," August 7, 2009
  16. ↑ Sea Coast Online, "Hampton's Phil Bean, Alicia Preston launch new company," June 24, 2013
  17. ↑ New Hampshire Journal, "Perry’s PAC names Dennehy, Vitagliano, Selmi to NH team," March 11, 2015
  18. ↑ Concord Patch, "Republican Perry Back in NH, Announces Leadership Team," June 7, 2015
  19. ↑ Dennehy & Bouley, "Our Team," accessed June 15, 2015
  20. ↑ Union Leader, "Marco Rubio hires Jim Merrill," February 9, 2015
  21. ↑ New York Times, "Rubio, Eye on 2016, Hires a Coveted Former Aide to Romney," February 9, 2015
  22. ↑ People's Pundit Daily, "Meet Team Rubio 2016: Players, Pollsters And Pockets Behind The Campaign," April 19, 2015
  23. ↑ NH Journal, "Trump moves toward candidacy; hires NH’s Lewandowski as senior political adviser," February 25, 2015
  24. ↑ LinkedIn, "Matt Ciepielowski," accessed June 29, 2015
  25. ↑ Young Americans for Liberty, "Matt Ciepielowski," accessed June 29, 2015
  26. ↑ Free State Project, "Newsletter September 2013," accessed June 29, 2015
  27. ↑ New Hampshire Union Leader, "Martin O'Malley hires 2 key NH staffers," May 20, 2015
  28. ↑ LinkedIn, "John Bivona," accessed June 20, 2015
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2016 Presidential Candidate Key Staffers and Advisors
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General election campaigns
Suspended campaigns
Democratic Party Lincoln Chafee presidential campaign key staff • Martin O'Malley presidential campaign key staff
• Bernie Sanders presidential campaign key staff • Jim Webb presidential campaign key staff
Republican Party Jeb Bush presidential campaign key staff •Ben Carson presidential campaign key staff
•Chris Christie presidential campaign key staff • Ted Cruz presidential campaign key staff
• Carly Fiorina presidential campaign key staff • Lindsey Graham presidential campaign key staff
• Mike Huckabee presidential campaign key staff • Bobby Jindal presidential key staff
•John Kasich presidential campaign key staff • George Pataki presidential campaign key staff
• Rand Paul presidential campaign key staff • Rick Perry presidential campaign key staff
• Marco Rubio presidential campaign key staff • Rick Santorum presidential campaign key staff
• Scott Walker presidential campaign key staff
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