Shop Talk: Former DCCC IE Director Heads to Three Point Media
Travis Lowe, the independent expenditure director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is joining Three Point Media as a partner.
“Last year, DCCC Chairman Steve Israel called Travis Lowe a ‘political pit bull,’” the firm’s partners, Clare Gannon, Mattis Goldman and Mo Elleithee, wrote in an email. “Today we’re proud to call him our new partner.”
Previously at the DCCC in the 2010 cycle, Lowe served as a campaign director and Midwest political director for the 2010 cycle. The Iowa native worked on former Democratic leader Richard A. Gephardt’s presidential campaign in the Hawkeye State.
Moving Up on the List
EMILY’s List, the Democratic group that backs female candidates who support abortion rights, announced its senior leadership team for the 2014 cycle this week:
Campaigns Director Jonathan Parker, who previously served as the group’s political director.
Political Director Denise Feriozzi, who comes to the post from the WOMEN VOTE! division of EMILY’s List, is a veteran of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.
Communications Director Jess McIntosh has served as a deputy in that department since 2010. She is a former spokeswoman for Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.
Research Director Kate Black previously served as the group’s 2012 deputy director for research and communications.
Executive Director Amy Dacey and Development Director Amalia Stott will remain in their positions.
Meet Virginia Operatives
Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe announced last week he has hired two Virginia political veterans for his gubernatorial campaign.
Ellen Qualls of Qualls Communications will serve as a senior adviser. She previously worked with President Barack Obama, then-Gov. Mark Warner and then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Alan Moore will serve as McAuliffe’s direct-mail consultant. A former executive director of the Virginia Democratic Party, Moore ran mail programs for the president, Warner, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and former Virginia Democratic Reps. Glenn Nye and Tom Perriello.
McAuliffe has moved quickly to bring on staff for his 2013 campaign. In recent months, he hired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Northeastern regional spokesman, Josh Schwerin, to be his press secretary. Schwerin joined his colleague Robby Mook, the DCCC’s 2012 executive director, on the campaign. McAuliffe has also hired former state party Executive Director Levar Stoney.
On the GOP side, former National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Jahan Wilcox has signed on with state Attorney General Ken Cucinelli’s gubernatorial campaign.
Smarter Than the Average Bear
Aaron Murphy, a former communications guru for Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., joined Hilltop Public Solutions last week. He will work out of the group’s Billings, Mont., office.
A former Yellowstone Park Ranger, Murphy kicked off his political career in television news, working for stations in Montana and Oregon.
Another Term at the DFL
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party re-elected its chairman, Ken Martin. In a written statement, Martin said his priorities will include getting Gov. Mark Dayton and Sen. Al Franken re-elected in 2014.
The party also re-elected Marge Hoffa as vice chairwoman, Jacob Grippen as secretary, Tom Hamilton as treasurer and Eric Margolis as outreach and inclusion officer.
Twice as Dwight
Washington State Democrats unanimously re-elected their state party leader, Dwight Pelz, to another tour of duty over the weekend. Pelz ran unopposed.
Vice Chairwoman Valerie Brady Rongey, Secretary Rob Dolin and Treasurer Habib Habib were also re-elected.
Forever Young
Stephanie Young has been named national press secretary for Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md. Young is a former spokeswoman for the Congressional Black Caucus. Most recently she worked on Obama’s 2012 Florida efforts and for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
Will to Win
The Republican State Leadership Committee President Chris Jankowski has named GOP operative Scott Will as the group’s new deputy political director. Previously, Will ran a statewide campaign in West Virginia and congressional races in Connecticut and Kentucky. He was also a field director in the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Comms A-Prentice
Matthew Dennis has been named Democratic communications director for the Appropriations Committee. He previously served in that role in the personal office of the committee’s ranking member, Rep. Nita M. Lowey, D-N.Y.
Mark Prentice, a veteran of the Glover Park Group and Arizona Democratic Rep. Ron Barber’s re-election campaign, will succeed him as Lowey’s press secretary.
Please send news of developments in the political industry to shoptalk@rollcall.com and follow us on Twitter @RCShopTalk.