Lindsey Graham organization, Pre-Campaign

Lindsey Graham Organization—Pre-Campaign
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(page updated May 5, 2015)

Security Through Strength
testing the waters committee (527 organization) launched Jan. 29, 2015
securitythroughstrength.com

President David Wilkins

Partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP. Chaired Nikki Haley's governnment transition team in 2010. Served as U.S. Ambassador to Canada from June 29, 2005 to Jan. 20, 2009. Served in the South Carolina House of Representatives for 25 years, first elected in 1980 through June 11, 2005, 11 years as speaker of the House; practiced law for 34 years in Greenville. South Carolina state chairman of the Bush-Cheney ’04 campaign and co-chair of the South Carolina Bush for President campaign in 2000. Undergraduate degree from Clemson University and his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Native of Greenville.

In line to be Campaign Manager if Graham runs Christian Ferry

A founding partner at The Trailblazer Group. Deputy campaign manager on McCain-Palin '08; started on the campaign in Jan. 2007 as national eCampaign director. Strategic consultant at Davis Manafort, Inc.. Deputy director for political affairs at the Union Pacific Corporation, 2000-03. Assistant campaign manager on the McCain 2000 campaign. Special assistant for the Virginia Department of Natural Resources in the late 1990s during the Jim Gilmore administration. Northwestern field director on the Gilmore for Governor campaign, 1997. Worked on the Bob Dole for President campaign and the 1996 Republican National Convention. B.A. in government and history from University of Virginia. twitter

Advisor Scott Farmer

Longtime Graham advisor. Owner of Farmer Strategies, LLC since Jan. 2009 and founder and partner of Lovell Investments LLC from Nov. 2008. Campaign manager at Team Graham, Inc., Sen. Graham's re-elect, from Jan. 2013. Campaign manager on Lindsey Graham for Senate, Jan. 2007-Dec. 2008. Finance director on Lindsey Graham's campaign, Jan. 2001-Dec. 2006. Finance director at the South Carolina Republican Party, 1998-2000. Campaign coordinator on Mike Fair for Congress, 1997-98. Polling division of the Dole-Kemp '96 campaign. twitter

Senior Political Advisor Jon Seaton

(March 7, 2015; reported by Politico on March 16) Managing partner of East Meridian Strategies, LLC. Political director on Pawlenty for President, 2011. In the 2008 cycle Seaton served as regional campaign manager for Ohio and Pennsyvlania for the McCain-Palin campaign; briefly Northwest regional political director at the RNC, state director on McCain's Iowa caucus campaign; and the McCain campaign's national field director prior to the July 2, 2007 restructuring. Associate director (West/Northern Plains) in the White House Office of Political Affairs. Executive director of Bush-Cheney '04 in Washington State, and in the last three weeks transferred to Iowa where he oversaw Election Day strategy and GOTV. Field representative at the National Association of Realtors®. Worked at the NRCC and in the first part of 2002 he managed John Redwine's primary campaign in Iowa's 5th CD. He worked on the field teams of the National Federation of Independent Business and Associated Builders and Contractors. Graduate of the University of Colorado. Native of Berkeley, CA. twitter

Communications Director Brittany Bramell

(reported by Politico on March 16, 2015) Deputy campaign manager on Neel Kashkari for Governor in California, Dec. 2013-Nov. 2014. Press secretary in House Speaker John Boehner's congressional office, Feb. 2011-Dec. 2013. Deputy communications director on Chris Dudley for Governor in Oregon, Dec. 2009-Nov. 2010. Spokesperson for Chris Christie's gubernatorial campaign in New Jersey, Jan.-Nov. 2009. Graduate of Santa Clara University, 2007. twitter

Finance Director Caroline O'Neal

(reported by The State on April 3, 2015) Deputy finance director on Sen. Graham's 2014 re-election campaign from Jan. 2013. Finance coordinator (May 2011-Dec. 2012) and finance assistant (May 2010-May 2011) at Farmer Strategies. Also served as a fellow in the Office of U.S. Rep. Henry Brown and in 2009 as an intern in Graham's Senate office and on his campaign. B.A. from University of South Carolina, Columbia, 2011.

IOWA

Iowa Advisor Tracie Gibler

(reported by the Des Moines Register on March 12, 2015) Consultant to the Iowa Senate Republican Majority Fund and Miller-Meeks for Congress from June 2014. Chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Steve King, June 2013-March 2014. Worked in the Office of the Senate Republican Leader, Jan.-June 2013. Director of the Senate Republican Majority Fund, March-Dec. 2012. Iowa political director on Pawlenty for President. Campaign manager on Miller-Meeks for Congress, 2010. Director of development for Americans for Limited Government, 2009. Research analyst for Berman & Company, 2008. Southeast Iowa regional field director and also worked field in Florida for the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee, 2007-08. J.D. from Drake University Law School, 2007; undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, 2003. twitter

NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire Advisor Paul Young

(reported by WMUR on May 4, 2015) Currently founder (Jan. 1996) and president of Novus Public Affairs in Portsmouth and a principal at Hynes Communications since Jan. 2006. In the 2012 cycle Young served as NH senior advisor to Gov. Rick Perry, and earlier as a volunteer advisor to Gov. Haley Barbour. He was NH campaign manager for Jack Kemp, and a senior national campaign advisor to Bob Dole and Steve Forbes. Young founded and headed Calypso Communications, also in Portsmouth, from Jan. 2000-Dec. 2010, and before that he headed Paul Young and Associates. Director of community relations for Wheelabrator Technologies, April 1989-Dec. 1995. Young started his career as a legislative correspondent, legislative assistant and special assistant to U.S. Sen. Gordon Humphrey. B.A. in government from The American University, 1983, after studying two years at UNH. twitter

SOUTH CAROLINA

SC Political Director Shell Suber

(reported by The State on April 3, 2015) Comes to Security Through Strength after serving as vice president for public affairs and business development at The Felkel Group in Columbia, started there in April 2009. Co-campaign manager on Kevin Hall for SC GOP chairman Jan.-March 2009. Political director and Victory 72-hour director on Lindsey Graham for Senate and the SC GOP, June 2007-Dec. 2008. Director of legislative affairs for Capitol Consultants, Dec. 2005-May 2007. From 1993-2005 Suber worked in various non-political jobs as a marketing officer, vice president of operations, insurance agent and regional sales director. Staff assistant and deputy press secretary in the office of Sen. Strom Thurmond, 1990-93. Sports editor at The Messenger Newspaper in Clemson, 1989-90. Degree in English from The Citadel, 1989. twitter

Pre-Campaign Organization (to Nov. 4, 2014)

Team Graham, Inc. (2014 re-election)
twitter

Campaign Manager Scott Farmer

Owner of Farmer Strategies, LLC since Jan. 2009 and founder and partner of Lovell Investments LLC from Nov. 2008. Campaign manager at Team Graham, Inc., Sen. Graham's re-elect, from Jan. 2013. Campaign manager on Lindsey Graham for Senate, Jan. 2007-Dec. 2008. Finance director on Lindsey Graham's campaign, Jan. 2001-Dec. 2006. Finance director at the South Carolina Republican Party, 1998-2000. Campaign coordinator on Mike Fair for Congress, 1997-98. Polling division of the Dole-Kemp '96 campaign. twitter

Political Director Tyson Grinstead

J.D. from University of South Carolina School of Law, 2011; undergraduate degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil, Kenan-Flagler Business School, 2008.

Finance Director Caroline Wren

(from Feb. 2013)) National finance consultant at Holloway Consulting, Oct. 2011-Jan. 2013. Southeast finance director on Jon Huntsman for President, June-Oct. 2011. Associate director of major donors at GOPAC, Inc. May 2010-June 2011. Deputy director of accounts receivable on McCain-Palin 2008, May-Nov. 2008. B.A. in economics, political science from Auburn University, 2010; president of Auburn University College Republicans, March-Dec. 2009.