Friends of John Delaney
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 28, 2019
CONTACT: Ahmed Elsayed

Delaney Announces Key Campaign Hires

FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS, MD – Today, presidential candidate John Delaney announces several key hires and lead consultants including his Campaign Manager, Deputy Campaign Managers, Senior Communications team, Pollster, and Policy Director.

Iowa native John Davis will serve as Delaney’s Campaign Manager. Davis brings to the Delaney campaign extensive political experience. Davis managed Congressman Leonard Boswell’s reelection campaign in 2004, was presidential candidate John Edwards’s Traveling Chief of Staff, and was Congressman Bruce Braley’s Chief of Staff from 2009-2014. Davis has also served as Congresswoman Louise Slaughter’s Chief of Staff, as Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Amy Klobuchar, and as a Committee Staffer to Senator Maria Cantwell.

Delaney’s media firm is AL Media of Chicago. Last cycle, AL clients included Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Senator Bill Nelson, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.   

Delaney’s Pollster is Harrison Hickman of Hickman Analytics, Inc. Hickman has been a top Democratic public opinion researcher and political consultant for almost four decades, working in over 400 elections.  His previous presidential clients include Bob Kerrey, Al Gore, Jr., and John Edwards.

Delaney has 25 campaign staff in Iowa and six in New Hampshire.

Delaney Senior Staff and Lead Consultants

John Davis – Campaign Manager

Xan Fishman – Deputy Campaign Manager: Fishman was Chief of Staff and Legislative Director in Delaney’s House office and has worked for Delaney since 2011.
Tracey Friedlander – Deputy Campaign Manager: Friedlander joined the campaign after serving as an international legal and policy advisor in the public, private, and government sectors, most recently at the Inter-American Development Bank, working on war crimes issues at the State Department, and advocating for disadvantaged youth on issues of juvenile justice, homelessness, and education.

Will McDonald – Communications Director: McDonald was Communications Director in Delaney’s House office and has worked for Delaney since 2011. McDonald is a University of Iowa graduate (Ph.D. English).

Michael Hopkins – National Press Secretary: Hopkins was a Senior Communications Strategist for CateComm, where he consulted on Andrew Gillum’s campaign for Governor. Hopkins worked on Secretary Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and for President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.

Ann Rakestraw – Communications Strategist: Rakestraw was most recently Associate General Counsel at Verizon. During her 17 years at Verizon, she worked on a variety of litigation, regulatory, and policy matters.

Samantha Price – Policy Director: Price was a Senior Legislative Assistant in Delaney’s House office.

Ahmed Elsayed – Deputy Press Secretary: Elsayed was Communications and Advocacy Director for the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’  Representatives and worked on Congressman Josh Gottheimer’s election campaign in 2016.

Monica Biddix – Iowa State Director: Biddix was Iowa gubernatorial candidate Andy McGuire’s Campaign Manager and was past Communications Director for the Iowa Democratic Party.

Chris MacKenzie – New Hampshire State Director: MacKenzie is a New Hampshire native and a former Communications Director to Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Communications Director for U.S. PIRG. 

AL Media
Ann Liston – Media Consultant
Eric Adelstein – Media Consultant
Andy Meyer – Digital Consultant

Hickman Analytics
Harrison Hickman – Pollster

Bergmann Zwerdling Direct
Achim Bergmann – Direct Mail Consultant
Alex Zwerdling – Direct Mail Consultant

Pacific Campaign House
Cheryl Hori – Digital Consultant