America Leads (super PAC supporting Chris Christie) organization and staff

America Leads

(page updated August 13, 2015)

...pro-Christie super PAC filed with the FEC on Feb. 23, 2015.

(senior leadership team announced on June 22, 2015)

Executive Director Phil Cox

(reported by AP's Jill Colvin on March 12, 2015, initially senior advisor for Leadership Matters for America PAC) Executive director at the Republican Governors Association in the 2012 and 2014 cycles (announced Jan. 3, 2011 to Dec. 2014); in the 2010 cycle Cox served as a member of the RGA's political team working on states including FL and PA; he was also director of Gov. Bob McDonnell's Opportunity Virginia PAC/senior political advisor to McDonnell. Campaign manager for Bob McDonnell's successful 2009 campaign for governor of Virginia, then served as transition director. Director of development at Americans for Prosperity in 2006. Campaign manager or general consultant to more than one hundred campaigns over the past decade. Graduate of the University of Virginia. Native of Hingham, MA.

Advertising and Media Strategy Doug McAuliffe

(announced June 22, 2015) Chairman and president at Doug McAuliffe Strategic + Creative (DMS+C) in Old Town, Alexandria, VA, since Dec. 1996. Chairman and president at McAuliffe Message Media from Dec. 1996-April 2011. Began his political career as a political director for Sen. Bob Stafford (VT), as an executive assistant to Gov. Richard Snelling (VT), chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Bill Schuette (MI) and as a regional political director at the NRCC.

Direct Mail Mike Leavitt

(announced June 22, 2015) Co-founder of Red Maverick Media. Chief of staff at the RNC from April 2010 and previously deputy chief of staff for external communications. Vice president of political affairs at Freedom’s Watch. In the first part of 2007 he served as Mid-Atlantic regional political director on McCain’s presidential campaign. Managed Michael Steele's campaign for U.S. Senate in Maryland starting March 2006. Executive director of the Maine Republican Party. Political director on Sen. Olympia Snowe’s (R-ME) 2000 campaign. Graduate of University of Maine, 1995.

Polling Gene Ulm

(announced June 22, 2015) Partner at Public Opinion Strategies in Alexandria, VA; active in Republican campaigns for 25 years.

Advisor for Strategy and Communication Tucker Martin

(reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch on May 10, 2015) Communications director to Gov. Bob McDonnell (VA) from Jan. 2010-Jan. 2014; communications director on McDonnell's 2009 campaign for governor; and communications director for McDonnell starting in 2006 when he was Attorney General-elect. Deputy communications director to Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, and deputy press secretary on Kilgore's 2005 campaign for governor. Press secretary to Virginia Hose Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith, 2004. Worked for a media firm. Undergraduate degree from Randolph-Macon College, 2000. twitter

Finance Paige Hahn

(reported by AP's Jill Colvin on March 12, 2015) Finance director at the RGA from May 2011 through 2014. President of Hahn Group, Inc., funderaising firm since Nov. 2007. Oversaw the fundraising operations for Bob McDonnell’s 2009 gubernatorial campaign in Virginia and in 2010 helped launch McDonnell’s Opportunity Virginia PAC. Finance director at American Solutions for Winning the Future, Feb.-Nov. 2007. Vice president of sales and business development at the DMA, 2005-07. Director of corporate development at the US Chamber of Commerce, 2000-05. Finance director for various political organizations, 1997-2000. Bachelor's degree in finance from University of Arkansas, Fayatteville, 1996. twitter

Finance Cara Edmundowicz

President of 1735 Group, LLC, a fundraising firm she founded in Washington, DC. Worked for five years at the RGA, running the (individual) major donor program and also the RGA's Capital Campaign. Prior to joining the RGA, Cara worked at a polling firm in DC. B.A. in political communication and journalism and mass communication from The George Washington University; Master's degree from GW's Graduate School of Political Management. Originally from St. Louis, MO.

Finance Consultant Meredith O'Rourke

(reported by AP's Jill Colvin on March 12, 2015) Owner of Forward Strategies and The O'Rourke Group in Tallahassee, FL. Republican Eagles at the RNC, Jan. 1997-Oct. 1998. Finance director for the Republican Party of Virginia, July 1995-Feb. 1996. B.S. in political science from Virginia Commonweath University, 1994.

Digital Kurt Luidhardt

(announced June 22, 2015) Vice president and co-founder (2006) of The Prosper Group. Previously managed large government consulting projects for Nexpointe Strategies. Manager of political affairs for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Key Backer Ken Langone

Co-founder of Home Depot. >

July 14, 2015

America Leads Raises $11 Million
Finishes Period with $10.7 Million On Hand
Super PAC Announces Initial New Hampshire TV Buy and Reserves Time From Mid-November Through Primary Election Day

ALEXANDRIA, VA - America Leads, the Super PAC supporting Governor Chris Christie's presidential campaign, has raised $11 million since its launch in February, more than doubling its goal. The group spent a mere 3% during the period, leaving the organization with $10.7 million on hand.

In addition, America Leads also announced it has reserved television time in New Hampshire from mid-November through primary election day, and will place its first TV buy beginning July 20th in the Manchester and Boston markets.

Phil Cox, who directs America Leads, noted, “Thanks to the generous support of a diverse set of donors from across the country, we exceeded our goal for the quarter and are in strong position as the campaign gets under way. People are responding to Governor Christie’s strength, substance and willingness to tell it like it is.”

Said Cox, “We set a goal of raising $15-$20 million by the end of the calendar year, with roughly one-third of that to be achieved by June 30th, and we are now well on our way to hitting and exceeding that benchmark. We have been judicious with our resources, spending only 3% of the money raised, which gives us the ability to begin communicating Governor Christie’s message to voters across the country.”

America Leads will begin advertising on broadcast and cable in New Hampshire on July 20th, with an initial television and digital buy totaling $1.1 million. In addition, America Leads has reserved $2.8 million in time in New Hampshire from November 16th to February 9th.

America Leads recently announced its senior leadership team. That press release is available here.

To see recent online videos released by the Super PAC, and learn more about America Leads, please visit our website.

America Leads will provide full disclosure of all contributions received when its next report is filed with the FEC later this month.

###