Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
MONDAY, JULY 29, 2019

Bustos Statement on DCCC Leadership

I’m proud to announce Jacqueline Newman will serve as the DCCC’s Interim Executive Director. Jacqui brings many cycles’ worth of experience to this short-term role, and I am confident she is more than prepared to lead the building at this time.”

Jacqui replaces former Executive Director Allison Jaslow who resigned on Monday.

“Today has been a sobering day filled with tough conversations that too often we avoid, but I can say confidently that we are taking the first steps toward putting the DCCC back on path to protect and expand our majority, with a staff that truly reflects the diversity of our Democratic caucus and our party.

“Allison Jaslow is a combat veteran who understands at her core that the mission must always come first, and I’m saddened that I must accept her resignation.

“I am extraordinarily proud of our team at the DCCC, and I am proud to Chair this Committee in the same way I have raised my own family: owning my mistakes, and learning from them, at the same time I celebrate what we have accomplished. Today, I recognize that, at times, I have fallen short in leading these talented individuals. To my colleagues, who I have the upmost respect for, I hear your concerns, and we can and must do better.

“I have never been more committed to expanding and protecting this majority, while creating a workplace that we can all be proud of. I will work tirelessly to ensure that our staff is truly inclusive.
“Members of our senior leadership team are now part of an Executive Council as we conduct a national and open search for our new Executive Director: Charles Benton, Jackie Forte-Mackay, Daniel Kazin, Kory Kozloski, Samantha McClain, Dennis Raj, Jillian Shweiki, Alexandra Smith, Michael Smith and Ryan Thompson. Jacqui will serve as Chair of the Council. I value their leadership, and look forward to working with them to create a truly inclusive workplace we can all be proud of.”

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Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019

DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos Announces 2020 Finance Leadership

Representatives Don Beyer and Debbie Dingell will serve as National Finance Co-Chairs

Today, DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos announced the DCCC’s new Finance leadership to carry the Committee through the 2020 election cycle. Representatives Don Beyer and Debbie Dingell will serve as National Finance Co-Chairs to help fortify and expand Democrats’ new majority.

Rep. Beyer returns after expertly leading the DCCC’s fundraising efforts in 2018 and 2016. Rep. Dingell served as co-chairwoman of the committee’s 2018 WomenLEAD program, which helped to recruit an unprecedented number of female candidates and help them build successful campaigns last cycle.

“Our fundraising efforts are off to an incredible start at the DCCC, with contributions primarily coming from small-dollar donors who are determined to strengthen the Democratic House Majority,” DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos said. “Reps. Don Beyer and Debbie Dingell are committed to doing the hard work to defend and expand our majority. I am thrilled to welcome them to the DCCC’s senior leadership team as we continue to harness grassroots energy across the country.”

“The Democratic majority in the House is already delivering for working families. I am delighted to commit to a third term as National Finance Co-Chair and to work with supporters across the country to defend that majority, which reflects and represents the values of civil rights and tolerance that we hold dear in America,” said Representative Don Beyer (D-VA).

“House Democrats have important responsibilities to deliver for the people on critical issues of healthcare, bringing down the cost of prescription drugs, investing in infrastructure, and promoting transparency. As Finance Co-Chair with my colleague and friend Don Beyer, our job is to ensure House Democratic candidates across this country have the resources and support they need to win,” said Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI).

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2019

DCCC Announces Rep. Dan Kildee as Heartland Engagement Chair

Kildee to focus on engaging rural and working families

Today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that Rep. Dan Kildee will serve as the Heartland Engagement Chair for the 2020 campaign cycle. Kildee, who represents rural and working-class communities like Bay City, Saginaw and Flint, Michigan in Congress, takes over in that role from DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos.

As Heartland Engagement Chair in the 2018 cycle, Bustos helped oversee a historically large House map, as well as Democratic victories in rural districts around the country. In his capacity as Chair, Kildee will serve on the DCCC’s leadership team and will help to direct campaign efforts in rural communities, including by mentoring candidates and incumbent members, as well as by campaigning in key districts.

Throughout, Kildee will remain focused on the kitchen table issues that Democrats successfully campaigned on in 2018, including lowering the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and working to expand greater economic opportunity to communities across the country that have been left out and left behind.

“Dan Kildee understands the economic challenges and aspirations of middle-class families, and he’s proven himself to be a strong voice in Congress for them and communities across the heartland,” said DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos. “I’m excited to have Dan on our team as we build on our landmark successes in 2018 and continue to compete in districts in every corner of our country in 2020.”

“Democrats believe that regardless of where you live in America, you should be able to find a good-paying job that allows you to support your family and retire with dignity. Championing pro-growth economic policies and listening to working families in America’s heartland is a top priority of the New Democratic majority in Congress. As the Chair of Heartland Engagement, I’m excited to strengthen the relationship Democrats have with our country’s small towns, rural communities and blue-collar neighborhoods,” said Heartland Engagement Chair Dan Kildee.

Congressman Kildee’s congressional district represents working class communities like Flint, Michigan, but also many rural counties, including Arenac, Iosco and Tuscola counties. In both 2016 and 2018, Congressman Kildee outperformed the top of the ticket in all six counties he represents. After the 2016 election, Congressman Kildee was recognized nationally as “one of a small cadre of Democrats in Congress who have learned how to win in working-class districts by emphasizing economic solutions.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

Moving Quickly to Defend and Expand the Democratic Majority, DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos announces Co-Chairs of Recruitment and Frontline Programs for 2020 cycle

Recruitment Committee will be Co-Chaired by Reps. Pete Aguilar, Val Demings and Donald McEachin

Frontline Program to be Co-Chaired by Reps. Ami Bera, Suzan DelBene and Brad Schneider

Bustos announces senior Political Department staffers Danny Kazin, Kory Kozloski and Molly Ritner

Washington, D.C. – Today, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairwoman Cheri Bustos announced that she is filling several high level positions with battle-tested leaders who will help steer House Democrats to a successful 2020 election cycle.

First, to maintain the pressure on vulnerable Washington Republicans who managed to survive the 2018 cycle, Bustos announced that Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Val Demings (FL-10) and Donald McEachin (VA-04) will work together as co-chairs of the Recruitment Committee. In this role, they will work to make sure Democrats elevate the next generation of diverse leaders to expand our Democratic House Majority.

And, with 63 Democratic freshmen members of the House, one of the DCCC’s top priorities will be shoring up members from tough districts. That’s why Bustos made it a priority to have leaders like Reps. Ami Bera (CA-07), Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Brad Schneider (IL-10)- who have firsthand experience succeeding in swing seats – working together to lead the Committee’s Frontline program.

To support the important work of the Recruitment and Frontline programs, Bustos also announced several high level staffers who will manage the DCCC’s Political Department which will be headed by Danny Kazin, the Committee’s new Deputy Executive Director and Director of Campaigns. Joining him will be Kory Kozloski, who will serve as the National Political Director for Frontline, and Molly Ritner, who will serve as the National Political Director for Campaigns & Recruitment.

“The best defense is a good offense and, at the DCCC, we are going to take the fight to Washington Republicans who have turned their backs on the needs of hardworking families across our nation,” Congresswoman Cheri Bustos said. “We won this Majority by working together, and that’s how we’ll grow it in 2020. I’m extremely proud to announce Reps. Pete Aguilar, Val Demings, Donald McEachin, Ami Bera, Suzan DelBene and Brad Schneider are stepping up into senior leadership positions at the DCCC so we can lock down and grow our new Democratic Majority. They know what it takes to win tough races, and I am humbled to have their voices at the DCCC’s leadership table. I’m also exceptionally proud to be building a political department with proven leaders like Danny, Kory and Molly who will lead the charge to protect our Democratic House.”

Danny Kazin has a decade of experience winning close, competitive Democratic campaigns across the country. This past cycle, he managed the U.S. Senate campaign in Nevada for Jacky Rosen, the only candidate in America to unseat a Republican Senator. He oversaw the DCCC’s western region in 2016 as a regional political director and is a veteran of close congressional campaigns, including serving as campaign manager on Rep. Ami Bera’s 2014 re-election and working on Bera’s 2012 win and Rep. Tim Bishop’s 2010 re-election. As Deputy Executive Director and Director of Campaigns, Danny will oversee the political, candidate fundraising, field, and analytics departments.

Kory Kozloski is the new DCCC National Political Director, overseeing efforts to protect the Democratic Majority in the House. From 2017-18, Kory was the Northeast Political Director for the DCCC, where he oversaw all DCCC campaign efforts in the Northeast region of the country, flipping 11 Republican held seats and holding two additional Frontline seats in Trump districts.  Prior to joining the DCCC, Kozloski served for two years as the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and four years as a Senior Associate and communications strategist at the Democratic media firm Adelstein | Liston. Kozloski has managed successful races at the state and local level, with previous roles including Caucus Director for the Wisconsin Senate Democrats, Director of the State Senate recall efforts in 2011, and Chief of Staff in the Wisconsin State Senate.

Molly Ritner is the new DCCC National Political Director, overseeing the committee’s offensive efforts in 2020.  Ritner served as the DCCC Midwest Political Director in the 2018 cycle. In that role, she competed and won in some of the most challenging districts in the country, successfully flipping 9 Republican seats. Ritner has previously served as a campaign manager and finance director on top tier gubernatorial, House and local races across the country. From 2013-2014, Ritner served at the committee as the Midwest Candidate Fundraising Director, where she helped Frontline and Red to Blue candidates raise millions.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2018

DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos announces first round of senior staff hires

Iraq combat veteran Allison Jaslow will lead the DCCC as the new Executive Director

Bustos hires Jalisa Washington-Price as DCCC Chief of Staff, Ryan Thompson as Chief Digital Officer and Jared Smith as Communications Director

Washington, D.C. – Today, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairwoman Cheri Bustos announced her first round of senior staff hires for the 2020 election cycle.As House Democrats prepare to fortify and expand its new majority, Bustos announced that a veteran of Frontline campaigns and combat in Iraq, Allison Jaslow will lead the charge as the DCCC’s new Executive Director.

Joining her as the next Chief of Staff will be Jalisa Washington-Price, who previously served as the DCCC’s Director of Diversity.

Ryan Thompson, who was part of the team that raised more than $100 million last cycle, is being promoted to become the Chief Digital Officer at the DCCC.

And Jared Smith, who has served as Congresswoman Bustos’ Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director in her official office for the last three and a half years, will be the DCCC’s Director of Communications.

“If we want to make real progress in lowering the cost of health care, raising wages and cracking down on the corruption we’ve seen from Washington Republicans, we must protect the House in 2020,” Congresswoman Cheri Bustos said. “The DCCC did amazing work in 2018 to win 40 seats. Our challenge is to build on that progress, to fortify and expand our majority.

“America’s strength has always come from our diversity. That’s why I’m committed to building a leadership team that reflects the tremendous diversity of our House Democrats and our nation. With this first round of cornerstone hires, we are laying the foundation for a successful 2020 election cycle. I want to thank Allison, Jalisa, Ryan and Jared for being at the tip of the spear as we begin the difficult and exhilarating work of locking down our majority.”

Background:

Allison Jaslow – DCCC Executive Director

With a career that included boots-on-the ground in “Frontline” campaigns in New Hampshire and Wisconsin, Allison Jaslow signed up to be Congresswoman Bustos’ campaign manager in her first Congressional campaign in 2012.  Together, they defeated an incumbent Republican in Bustos’ “Red to Blue” campaign. Jaslow later served as the Chief of Staff in Bustos’ freshman Congressional office, where she helped her win re-election and lay the groundwork for long-term success in her swing seat.

A former Army Captain who served two tours of duty in the Iraq War, Jaslow most recently was Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the biggest nonprofit organization in the nation dedicated to supporting post-9/11 veterans. Her career also includes stints in the White House and U.S. Senate and as an advocate for advancing women in the workplace. Jaslow was also an original signatory on the TIME’S UP initiative.

Jaslow grew up in Arlington, Va., and graduated from the University of Central Missouri, where she attended on an Army ROTC scholarship.

“Allison Jaslow, as the next Executive Director of the DCCC, is quite literally a battle-tested leader who understands what it takes to win tough races, lockdown swing seats and run major organizations,” Bustos said. “Our goal is to develop and run a world class political operation. I am confident with today’s announcement, we will be on our way to doing just that.”

Jalisa Washington-Price – DCCC Chief of Staff

Jalisa Washington–Price has over a decade of campaign and government affairs experience. She served as Hillary Clinton’s South Carolina political director and Ohio regional political director in the 2016 Presidential election.

Most recently, she served as the National Director of the Office of Diversity for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). In this role, Washington-Price led all diversity and inclusion initiatives as well as the minority voter engagement strategy. She spearheaded the historic efforts to increase diversity in the areas of staffing and contracting at the DCCC. She developed and led efforts to recruit diverse political staffers, resulting in the highest minority hires in the history of the committee.

Washington-Price made strategic decisions as a part of the team that managed the DCCC’s historic $30 million minority voter engagement program. She also served as the liaison to the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Ryan Thompson – DCCC Chief Digital Officer

Ryan Thompson has been with the DCCC’s digital department for four years. Most recently, as Deputy Digital Director, he managed a $15 million email list-building budget that contributed to $106 million total raised for the committee before Election Day.

Thompson also served in a leadership role on the DCCC’s Year of Engagement, a $30 million program that mobilized communities of color across multiple voter contact streams. As a part of that, Thompson helped develop and execute a multi-million-dollar digital advertising program targeted toward more than 40 Congressional districts.

Jared Smith – DCCC Communications Director

For the last three and a half years, Jared Smith has served in Congresswoman Cheri Bustos’ office as her Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director. In this role, he helped Congresswoman Bustos bring her brand of kitchen table politics to the national scene – while never losing sight of the hardworking families she serves in Illinois.

Smith also helped lead Bustos’ work as a Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), where Bustos and the DPCC co-chairs, Congressmen Hakeem Jeffries and David Cicilline, developed the For the People agenda.

The For the People platform has widely been credited with bringing message discipline and a renewed focus on the challenges of everyday Americans to the House Democratic Caucus ahead of the 2018 election.

A native of Rochester, N.Y., and a graduate of Allegheny College with more than a decade of communications experience on campaigns and in Congress, Smith has also worked for U.S. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan and Congressman Anthony Brown of Maryland.