Organization  |  MARCO RUBIO page  

Pro-Rubio Organizations:
Conservative Solutions PAC

(page updated June 28, 2015)        

...pro Rubio super PAC re-filed with the FEC on Feb. 24, 2015.
conservative solutions pac logo for link to their website

Director  Warren Tompkins

(first reported by the New York Times on March 19, 2015)  Principal at First Tuesday Strategies.  Alantic region chair for the Bush-Cheney ’04 campaign.  Advisor to U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint in his successful 2004 bid for U.S. Senate.  General consultant to Lindsey Graham in his successful 2002 bid for U.S. Senate.  Chief strategist for George W. Bush’s 2000 South Carolina presidential primary campaign.  Started a political consulting practice, in 1991; this became Tompkins, Kinard & Associates,  Strategist for the 1988 Bush presidential campaign.  Tompkins helped elect U.S. Rep. Carroll Campbell governor in 1986 and served as Campbell's chief of staff, supervising a staff of more than 230 people and budgets totaling more than $91 million.  Executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party starting in 1981. Executive director of both South Carolina Reagan-Bush campaigns (1980 and 1984), the first at age 28.  Statewide coordinator of special events and volunteer on Sen. Strom Thurmond's 1978 campaign.  First campaign was a 1974 magistrate’s race.

Finance Director  Jon Graham

(reported April 9, 2015)  Co-founder (Jan. 2009) of Gula Graham. joined Mike Gula & Associates in 2006 as vice president.  Also a co-founder of Prime Advocacy, "a leading Washington, D.C. fly-in consulting firm."  Finance director for U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola (R-IN) in the 2004 and 2006 election cycle.

Communications Director  Jeff Sadosky

(reported April 9, 2015)  Senior vice president at Forbes-Tate.  Managing director of communications for the Biotechnology Industry Organization from Oct. 2013.  Communications director for Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), after working on Portman's 2010 U.S. Senate campaign.  Communications director on Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)'s campaign for governor from end of July 2009.   Regional communications director on McCain-Palin 2008; previously spokesman on Fred Thompson's presidential campaign from Aug. 17, 2007.  Ccommunications director for the Florida Republican Party.   Press secretary to Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH).  A regional press person for Bush-Cheney '04.  Worked at TNSMI/Campaign Media Analysis Group from 2001-04.  Graduate of James Madison University with a degree in international affairs.twitter

Media  Jon Lerner

(reported April 9, 2015)  Founder and principal of Red Sea, LLC and Basswood Research; has worked in politics and campaigns for over 20 years.  Pollster and advisor on Pawlenty for President.  "In 2010 alone, Lerner played leading roles in the successful campaigns of U.S. Senators  Pat Toomey (R-PA), Tom Coburn (R-OK), and Mike Lee (R-UT), Governors Nikki Haley (R-SC) and Sean Parnell (R-AK), and Congressman Tim Scott (R-SC-1) (+).  For many years, Lerner has also worked extensively with the Club for Growth, one of America's leading free market advocacy organizations. In 2009, Lerner was the chief strategist for the 7.4 million dollar independent expenditure the RGA ran on behalf of Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ)."  Managed Sen. Al D'Amato's unsuccessful re-election bid against Chuck Schumer in 1998.   Degrees from George Washington University, the London School of Economics, and the University of Chicago Law School.  Originally from Minneapolis.

Big Financial Backer  Norman Braman

(Washington Post's Ed O'Keefe and Matea Gold reported on March 5, 2015 that Braman could "put as much as $10 million into a pro-Rubio super PAC)  Billionaire chairman of Braman Management, "an umbrella company for his automotive businesses encompassing 23 franchises in Florida and Colorado;" started in the auto business buying a Cadillac dealership in Tampa, FL in 1972.  Former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles football team; became sole owner in 1986 and sold the team in 1994.  President and CEO of Philadelphia Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics.  Founded Keystone Stores, a chain in central Pennsylvania.  Worked in marketing and sales for Seagram's Distributors.  Degree in business administration from Temple University.



Conservative Solutions Project
...nonprofit focused on issue education, formed Jan. 2014.

Warren Tompkins

(reported by National Journal's Scott Bland on April 10, 2015)  Principal at First Tuesday Strategies.  Alantic region chair for the Bush-Cheney ’04 campaign.  Advisor to U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint in his successful 2004 bid for U.S. Senate.  General consultant to Lindsey Graham in his successful 2002 bid for U.S. Senate.  Chief strategist for George W. Bush’s 2000 South Carolina presidential primary campaign.  Started a political consulting practice, in 1991; this became Tompkins, Kinard & Associates,  Strategist for the 1988 Bush presidential campaign.  Tompkins helped elect U.S. Rep. Carroll Campbell governor in 1986 and served as Campbell's chief of staff, supervising a staff of more than 230 people and budgets totaling more than $91 million.  Executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party starting in 1981. Executive director of both South Carolina Reagan-Bush campaigns (1980 and 1984), the first at age 28.  Statewide coordinator of special events and volunteer on Sen. Strom Thurmond's 1978 campaign.  First campaign was a 1974 magistrate’s race.

Joel  McElhannon

(reported by National Journal's Scott Bland on April 10, 2015)  Managing partner at The Parlay Family of Companies: Parlay Marketng Partners, LLC and Parlay Political, LLC based in Georgia, from Sept. 2013.  President of South Public Affairs Consulting, LLC, Jan. 2000-Sept. 2013.  "A veteran of hundreds of statewide, federal, judicial, legislative, and local campaigns in nearly every southeastern state."  B.A. in political science from The University of Georgia, 1994.


Pat Shortridge

President of PCS Consulting since Jan. 2007.  Interim program director of GWU's Graduate School of Political Management.  Chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota, elected Dec. 31, 2011 to April 2013.  Campaign manager on Dino Rossi for U.S. Senate, 2010.  Midewest regional political director at the NRCC, 2009-10.  Senior advisor/strategist/manager to Marco Rubio, 2009-10.  Founder of the New Majority Project, 2007-09.  Chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy, 2002-06.  Director of special projects to U.S. Rep. Dick Armey, 1991-2002.  B.A. in history, philosophy from Macalester College, 1990.  twitter



See:

Shane Goldmacher.  "Marco Rubio's secret (money) legacy."  Politico.  Mar. 28, 2016.

Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21.  "Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 Call for Justice Department Investigation of Group Supporting Rubio Campaign and Improperly Claiming 501(c)(4) Status."  Nov. 5, 2015.  press release  |  letter [PDF]

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.  "CREW Files Complaint Against Rubio, Tillis Groups."  Oct. 20, 2015.  press release | complaint [PDF]

Scott Bland.  "Secret-Money Group Tied to Marco Rubio Super PAC Has Been Researching Presidential Primary Voters."  National Journal, April 10, 2015.



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