Spring 2015 Political Campaigning Newsletter UF MA/PC Program Director’s Corner For those who don’t know us very well, the workshops. They also may take elective courses University of Florida’s Graduate Program in outside the department on such topics as political Political Campaigning is a two-year program communication, fundraising, and speechwriting, of study leading to an M.A. degree in political and are required to complete an internship during Dr. Stephen Craig science, with a certificate attesting to the spe- the summer between their first and second years. cialization in applied politics (campaigns and In this issue... otherwise). From an entering class of just two in 1985, the DNC Chair Returns to Campaigning Program typically has about 12-15 Gainesville It is designed to provide students who want a students enrolled at any given time. While some Learning the Best from career in politics or public service with tech- growth is anticipated in the future, it is our desire the Best nical skills related to strategy formation, mes- that the Program remain what it has always been : sage development and communication, re- a unique and highly personalized educational ex- Political Campaigning source management, polling, and other key perience in which students receive a degree of Conference 2015 aspects of professional politics in the 21st personal attention and regular contact with in- Interview with consult- century — as well as a broad understanding of structors they might not get at another school. ant Dr. David Hill why some strategies and tactics succeed but Q&A with Special Assis- others fail. In sum, the Campaigning Program provides an tant to Tampa Mayor excellent opportunity for students to learn about Campaigning Students Campaigning students take a mix of academ- politics and make the kinds of contacts that will get involved in local ic and practical courses, the latter taught by help them get started in their professional ca- elections experienced professional consultants and reers. If you know someone looking to embark on augmented by frequent guest lectures and Alumni Spotlights such a career, let them know about UF! DNC Chair Returns to Gainesville — Dallas Rawlins (MA/PC 2016) Perhaps the most famous graduate of the Political Campaigning Program is U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who completed her degree in 1990. While many former gators have gone on to enjoy success in the political arena, she is probably the most recognizable (if controversial) figure active today. After serving in both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, she was elected to Congress in 2014. The first Jewish congresswoman ever elected from the state of Florida, she has served since 2011 as chair of the Democratic National Committee. On March 14th, 2015, Rep. Wasserman Schultz visited her old digs in the Political Sci- ence Department at UF. In town for meetings with local Democrats and members of the Gainesville Jewish community, she took time to stop by Anderson Hall and re- connect with several of her old professors and to meet with students who are currently U.S. Representative and enrolled in the Political Campaigning Program. Continued on Page 2 DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz Political Campaigning Newsletter Where Are They Now? The Political Campaigning Program is Paul Sherman - Institute of Justice proud of its strong alumni network. Paul is a senior attorney with the Insti- Graduates have had a great success tute of Justice, litigating constitutional in a variety of fields, including general cases relating to First Amendment rights. campaign consulting, polling, market- ing and advertising, grassroots organ- Mitchell Norton - Dept. of Commerce izing, fundraising, and many others. Mitch is a communications specialist for Here is what some Campaigning grads the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, and over- are doing today: sees the Select USA Investment Summit. Graduation Day 2015: Chris Vail - Amazon Media Group Sagar Sane - The Sorin Group Ansley Tuten, Joel Mendelson, Chris is Manager of Advertising Sales Sagar is Business Development Manager and Chad Smith with Dr. Craig at for Amazon and oversees the compa- for The Sorin Group, a major internation- the Swamp. ny’s product marketing. al company that specializes in the devel- opment of medical devices. Rebecca Guerra - ProGeorgia Rebecca is the Deputy Director of Pro- Scott Laster - Southern Strategy Group Georgia, a non-profit that advances Scott is a senior political advisor for the progressive social change in Georgia. Southern Strategy Group based in North Carolina. DNC Chair Returns to Gainesville continued from page 1 The representative talked about her days as a stu- Campaigning students were grateful to Rep. Wasserman dent in the Program, and then fielded questions on Schultz for interrupting her busy schedule to spend time a variety of topics. One student asked about candi- with them. Her willingness to do this (on short notice, no date recruitment, which is a key responsibility for less), and the openness and candor of her answers to their anyone who chairs one of the national party com- questions, make a powerful impression. If nothing else, it mittees. Rep. Wasserman Schultz confirmed the demonstrated that being a graduate of the Campaigning importance of that role, especially at a time when Program is a proud tradition that can provide a channel to Democrats have had mixed success in elections at a successful career in the field of politics. Heck, you could all levels. even wind up in Congress someday. She fielded questions from the Republicans in at- tendance with characteristic humor and aplomb, and revealed something that the rest of the country would learn about three days later — that she will not be a candidate for Marco Rubio’s U.S. Senate seat in 2016. Many questions dealt with her experi- ence as a student and, specifically, with how the Campaigning Program helped her to take advantage of the political opportunities that came her way. She replied that the Program had been critical in helping her land a job as legislative assistant to Florida Rep. Peter Deutsch, whose seat she later won when Campaigning students with Congresswoman and DNC Deutsch decided to run for the Florida Senate. And Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. the rest, as they say, is history. Page 2 Spring 2015 Learning the Best from the Best — Nathan Harvey (MA/PC 2016) The Political Campaigning Program at As for learning practical skills, Cam- the University of Florida is truly a paigning students are also fortunate to unique program in that it combines ac- learn from a number of leading profes- ademic rigor with professional practi- sionals. cality. The Program provides students with a strong foundation of academic Each year, first-year campaigners take learning backed by research methods an introductory course in campaign and data analytics, while also empha- management, covering all aspects of sizing the importance of practical skills. campaigns from strategy to messaging It is this powerful combination that has to polling to paid media to fundraising, made our graduates so successful in and much more. This course is taught their respective fields. by Roger Austin, a veteran political strategist for races at all levels. Austin On the academic side, Campaigning previously served as the political direc- students benefit from having some of tor and legal counsel for the Republi- Our PC Class of 2015 award the foremost experts on political behav- can Party of Florida. This course fea- winners (from left): Ansley Tu- ior, public opinion, political parties, and tures guest lecturers at various times ten, who received the Ralph E. general American politics just down the during the semester. In fall 2014, Gonzalez Independent Spirit hallway. High-level political jobs today these guests included Alex Patton, a Award; and Joel Mendelson, require one to be well-versed in the local political consultant who discussed winner of the Walter “Skip” underlying theories dealing with these the evolving role of social media in Campbell Leadership Award. topics. Having regular access to our campaigns; and Eric Conrad, who was distinguished faculty is a terrific re- Communications Director for Gwen source for students who wish to under- Graham’s successful race in Florida’s stand the “how and why” of politics. 2nd Congressional District. Both speak- Many of these professors are recruited ers provided valuable insights into their on a regular basis as experts by the prior campaign experiences. media. Continued on page 7 Post-Election Workshop 2015 On January 30, 2015, members of academia, the political community, and other gathered along with students in the Political Campaigning Program, as well as several Political Science undergrads, for our biennial election workshop at the Hilton University of Florida. As always, the day began with a retrospective on the last election (emphasizing the race between Rick Scott and Charlie Crist for governor), and continued with a lively discus- sion of what we might look forward to in 2016 both nationally and here in Florida in 2016. Sharing their insights was an impressive mix of political experts. Second-year campaigners with some Academics included UF professors Daniel Smith, Michael McDonald, and of the panelists at the 2015 Political Campaigning workshop. Participants Michael Martinez, plus Susan MacManus from USF. These panelists were included a mix of academics, former joined by political practitioners David Hill, Adam Goodman, David Beattie, elected officials, journalists, and pro- Jim Kane, Jim Kitchens, Steve Schale, Scott Simpson, and Roger Austin. fessional political consultants. Also present were Adam Smith from the Tampa Bay Times and former Florida Senator Paula Dockery. Continued on page 7 Page 3 Political Campaigning Newsletter An Interview with Dr. David Hill — Looking Forward to 2016 How is the 2016 election cycle shaping up so far? On the Republican side, because there are so many candidates, voters should be able to find someone who fits their sensibilities.