What Makes a Presidential Campaign Work and How to Get on the Campaign Bus

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Presidential campaigns in the United States are unique—and lengthy—beasts. What are the core components of a successful campaign? What’s the best way to get involved in a late-stage campaign, and does volunteering for one have an impact if you don’t live in a battleground state? Join Louisa Terrell and campaign veterans, Betsy Ankney, Roger Lau and Matt Mowers, as we kick-off our Election2024 series with a 90-minute session organized in two parts: first, a survey of a presidential campaign’s infrastructure and how it scales to be successful, and second, a practical guide on how you can get engaged and make a difference in presidential campaigns. Lunch provided.

Betsy Ankney is a political strategist with over 15 years of experience on tough campaigns. She has been involved in campaigns and Super PACs at the national and state level and played a role in some of the biggest upsets in Republican politics. Betsy most recently served as Campaign Manager for Nikki Haley for President and as Political Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2020 cycle. 

Roger Lau is the interim Co-Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee. He's worked on campaigns for several senate and house congressional races and served in the Commerce Department during the Obama Administration. He most recently served as Campaign Manager for Elizabeth Warren for President. Along with Faiz Shakir from the Sanders campaign, Roger was one of the first Asian Americans to manage an American presidential campaign. 

Matt Mowers is a respected national public affairs strategist and former diplomat who serves as President of Valcour, a global strategy firm. He served as a senior official on the Trump-Pence Presidential campaign and the subsequent transition team, capping a ten-year career of advising political leaders including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and helping lead the New Hampshire Republican Party as its Executive Director. Matt is also a former Republican Congressional candidate. 

This event is part of Tisch College’s Election2024 series with Visiting Fellow, Louisa Terrell. It is cosponsored by JumboVote and the Tufts Democrats.