J. Warren Tompkins
| J. Warren Tompkins | |||
 | |||
| Basic facts | |||
| Role: | PAC manager | ||
| Location: | South Carolina | ||
| Expertise: | Campaign strategy | ||
| Affiliation: | Republican | ||
| Education: | University of South Carolina (B.A., political science) | ||
| Website: | Official website | ||
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| Connections | |||
| Terry Sullivan, Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, Jim DeMint, Lindsey Graham, George H.W. Bush | |||
J. Warren Tompkins is a Republican political operative hailing from South Carolina. He has been described by Time Magazine as "the most powerful non-elected man in Palmetto State politics."[1]
Tompkins was the manager of Marco Rubio's super PAC, Conservative Solutions PAC.[2] According to the PAC's Facebook page, Tompkins said the following about Rubio's presidential candidacy:[3]
| “ | Support for Marco’s positive conservative vision and his potential presidential run is growing every day, and I’m honored to help in that effort. This race will be won by the candidate with the best vision for where to take this nation and the resources to ensure that message is heard. Marco has the vision – few have laid out in as much detail where they’d like to lead this country – and we’re going to spend the next two years ensuring that the resources are there and used to effectively share that vision with voters.[4] | ” |
| —J. Warren Tompkins | ||
Career
According to his biography on his company's website, "J. Warren Tompkins has had an enduring impact on South Carolina politics for nearly three decades. Highly regarded as a shrewd political strategist, his advice has been sought throughout the Southeast in local, state and national races."[5]
Tompkins' illustrious career began while he was still a student at the University of South Carolina. During this time, he volunteered for local campaigns, his first being a 1974 magistrate’s race. He was volunteering for Strom Thurmond's (R) 1978 Senate campaign when he was tapped to be Thurmond's statewide coordinator of special events due to the dedicated effort he'd shown while volunteering. Tompkins assisted Thurmond during multiple campaigns, serving as senior advisor to those in 1984, 1990 and 1996.[5]
Tompkins served as the political director for the pro-Ronald Reagan (R) group, Reagan for President, during the South Carolina primary of 1980. After the success of that campaign, Tompkins was tapped to be executive director for the South Carolina Reagan/Bush campaign during the general election. He returned to this role during the 1984 re-election campaign and served as a strategist for George H.W. Bush's (R) 1988 presidential campaign.[5]
In 1981, at the age of just 29, Tompkins was appointed the executive director of the Republican Party of South Carolina. Under his guidance, the party found itself in the black after suffering a sizable deficit in the budget, bringing its number of donors from less than a thousand to over 10,000. Three years later, Tompkins led a successful voter registration drive, signing up more than 100,000 new voters. As a result, the number of Republicans in the state legislature doubled.[5]
In 1986, Tompkins set out to help Congressman Carroll Campbell become the second Republican Governor of South Carolina, first serving as campaign manager and then as director of Campbell's transition team after he won the election. Campbell subsequently appointed Tompkins his chief of staff where he oversaw the administration's economic development strategy, education reform policy, tax cuts, environmental protection policy and government restructuring.[5]
Tompkins opened his own firm, J. Warren Tompkins, Inc. Public Affairs Company, in 1991. This group later merged and became Tompkins & Kinard, LLC. A year later, Tompkins again worked for H.W. Bush, serving as the senior Southern Advisor for Bush's re-election campaign. In 1994, he found himself in the middle of another governor race, becoming a strategist for Beasley for Governor, the pro-David Beasley campaign. After Beasley's win, Tompkins worked as a co-chairman for the new Governor's transition committee and again served as his advisor for the 1998 re-election campaign.[5]
The year 1996 was a busy one for Tompkins, as he served on two high-profile campaigns. He was the senior advisor for Senator Thurmond's re-election campaign and the senior Southern advisor for Bob Dole (R). After proving invaluable to H.W. Bush's South Carolina strategy, Tompkins did the same for his son, filling the role of senior advisor and chief strategist for South Carolina's presidential primary for George W. Bush's (R) 2000 campaign. According to Tompkins' bio, "Bush’s victory in the South Carolina primary is credited to saving his bid for president and set off a series of victories solidifying his nomination." He assisted with Bush's re-election campaign in 2004, acting as senior advisor and Atlantic region chair.[5]
When Lindsey Graham (R) sought to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Thurmond after his death, Tompkins served as a general consultant and helped Graham secure the position in 2002. Tompkins helped another high-profile South Carolina politician, Jim DeMint (R), win a Senate seat, serving as DeMint's senior advisor in 2004. Also in 2004, Tompkins served as the sergeant at arms for the GOP National Convention, reprising the role he filled during the 2000 Convention.[5]
In 2005, Tompkins joined forces with another formidable South Carolina operative, Terry Sullivan. The two founded First Tuesday Strategies "as an avenue to separate policy from politics." Though Sullivan, who serves as campaign manager to Rubio, left the firm, Tompkins is still a partner. Through First Tuesday Strategies, Tompkins consulted on DeMint's 2010 re-election campaign and also assisted various state and local campaigns.[5]
In 2008, Tompkins again found himself double-dipping on federal campaign work, acting as a consultant to Graham's re-election campaign and serving as the senior Southern advisor to Mitt Romney (R). He received criticism during the Romney campaign for creating the website PhoneyFred.org, which attacked one of Romeny's GOP opponents, Fred Thompson (R). Tompkins again partnered with Romney during the former Governor's 2012 presidential bid, serving as a consultant.[5][1]
Tompkins has also served on various boards throughout South Carolina, including the Board of Visitors to the Medical University of South Carolina and the Board at the Governors School for Math and Science Foundation. As of May 2015, he is serving as the Vice President of the Cockaboose Railroad Corporation and is a member of the Capital City Club Board of Directors.[5]
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.[6]
In May 2015, The Washington Post noted that Rubio was "laying a foundation, often informally, in the vital early nominating state" of South Carolina, where both former Presidents George H.W. Bush (R) and George W. Bush won with the help of Tompkins' efforts. The paper added that South Carolina was particularly important for both Rubio and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (R) ahead of Florida's primary election, saying: "Both candidates are eager to return to their home state with a win already under their belts."[7]
That both Tompkins and his former business partner, Terry Sullivan, signed on to work for Rubio's super PAC and campaign was seen as one sign that Rubio had invested heavily in South Carolina. Due to Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations, as someone working with a super PAC Tompkins cannot coordinate with Rubio or members of his staff. However, according to the May article in The Washington Post, "[Tompkins' and Sullivan's] familiarity with each other’s style makes for a formidable tag team effort, Republicans say."[7] In February 2016, ahead of the state's primary election, Bloomberg noted Rubio's expenses in South Carolina: "Rubio's presidential campaign has paid more than $1.1 million to South Carolina operatives and political consultants, more than triple the amount of all his opponents combined."[8]
Rubio suspended his presidential campaign on March 15, 2016.[9]
See also
- Marco Rubio
- Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016
- Marco Rubio presidential campaign key staff and advisors, 2016
- Terry Sullivan
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Time, "Warren Tompkins Plays Dirty? No Way!!" September 11, 2007
- ↑ Washington Post, "Marco Rubio gets a super PAC," April 9, 2015
- ↑ Conservative Solutions Facebook page, "About Conservative Solutions PAC," accessed May 24, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 First Tuesday Strategies, "The Team," accessed May 21, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "He's in: Marco Rubio's presidential challenge," April 13, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Washington Post, "How Rubio’s aggressive South Carolina strategy threatens Bush," May 8, 2015
- ↑ Bloomberg, "Rubio and Allies Made Big Investment in South Carolina Insiders, Filings Show," February 17, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Marco Rubio Suspends His Presidential Campaign," March 15, 2016
