Trump 2016 General Election Campaign Organization, Iowa
IOWA  |  Trump Main Page

(page updated May 26, 2016)
...for additions, corrections and other changes contact

Donald J. Trump for President  |  2775 86th St.  |  Urbandale   ...opened Aug. 2016
State Director  Eric Branstad

(reported by the Des Moines Register on June 15, 2016; announced July 18)  Owner and partner at Matchpoint Strategies in Des Moines from May 2011.  Iowa state director of America's Renewable Future from Dec. 2014.  Public affairs account executive at Lincoln Strategies Group, Nov. 2006-Nov. 2008.  Finance director for the Republican Party of Iowa, Feb. 2005-Dec. 2006.  SE Iowa regional field representative on Bush-Cheney 2004.  Attended Rockhurst University.  Son of Gov. Terry Branstad.  twitter

Senior Public Relations Advisor  Tana Goertz

Served as state co-chair on Trump's Iowa caucus campaign (announced July 15, 2015).  "Motivational speaker, an internationally-recognized TV personality, business coach & reality TV casting call coach, radio talk show host and author."  twitter

Senior Advisor  Jake Ketzner

(announced Aug. 12, 2016)  Vice president at LS2group from Aug. 2015.  Iowa senior advisor on Chris Christie for President, from Sept. 2015.  Legislative liaison to Gov. Branstad, Dec. 2014-Aug. 2015.  Campaign manager for Branstad-Reynolds' 2014 re-election.  Campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Steve King's 2012 re-election.  Worked in Gov. Branstad's office.  Organization director on the Branstad-Reynolds campaign in 2010.  Worked for the McCain campaign in Missouri in Fall 2008.  B.A in political science from University of Iowa, 2008.  twitter

Political Director  Alex Latcham

(announced Aug. 25, 2016)  Comes to the campaign from the Republican Party of Iowa; started there in Jan. 2015 as a regional political director.  Worked on the advance teams of Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Michelle Bachmann during their 2012 presidential campaigns.  Undergraduate degree in political science from Drake University.  Des Moines native.

Communications Director  James Rockas

(announced Sept. 1, 2016)  Legislative correspondent, legislative assistant and press assistant to U.S. Rep. John Mica (FL) from Feb. 2015.  Deputy communications director on Tisei for Congress (MA), April-Nov. 2014.  Bachelor's degree in government from Cornell University.  twitter

Coalitions Director  Jamie Johnson

(announced Aug. 12, 2016)  Senior director (national) on Perry for President from March 2015, started as Iowa state director from latter part of Aug. 2015.  Member of the Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committee, 2012-March 2015.  Vice President at World-Wide Missions, 2005-March 2015.  State coalitions director on Rick Santorum for President, 2011-12.  CEO/public affairs broadcaster for the Faith and Freedom Network, 2002-10.  Instructor at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, 2001-04; instructor at DMACC in West Des Moines, 2001-02.  M.A. in public policy from Regent University, 1997; B.A. in theology from Bethany Global University, 1987  Resident of Stratford, Iowa.  twitter

Events Director  Marshall Critchfield

(initially communications director)  Very briefly Iowa state director for Rick Perry's Opportunity and Freedom PAC (announced Aug. 31, 2015: Perry ended his campaign on Sept. 11).  Jasper County Republican Party chairman, Oct. 2013-Aug. 2015.  Critchfield has worked for U.S. consumer operations at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage from March 2009.  Development manager at K. Hovnanian Homes, July 2005-Sept. 2006.   Project manager at Osprey, Oct. 2000-July 2005.  Legislative assistant on Capitol Hill, June 1999-Oct. 2000.  M.B.A. from Palm Beach Atlantic University, 2008.  twitter

County Operations Director  Chris Hupke

4th CD director (NW Iowa) on Trump's Iowa caucus campaign.  President of the SD Family Policy Council.  Graduate of Iowa State University.  twitter

Operations Management Consultant  Debra Nagel


Congressional District Field Directors

1st CD  Alex Bagby, Frank Moran
2nd CD  Michael Kacmarynski, Dennis Rysdam
3rd CD  Joe Gilson, Sarah Albee, Nicole Grove
4th CD  Adam Pitts


County Co-Chairs  1,100 elected officials and community leaders in Iowa's 99 counties

(announced Sept. 8, 2016)

Iowa Women for Trump

(announced Sept. 14, 2016)

Iowa Christian Conservatives for Trump

(announced Sept. 28, 2016)

Iowa Veterans for Trump

(announced Oct. 13, 2016)

Iowa Agriculture for Trump

(announced Nov. 1, 2016)

Pro-Life Iowans for Trump

(announced Nov. 1, 2016)


Also note...

National Co-Chairman and Policy Advisor  Sam Clovis

(announced Aug. 25, 2015)  Clovis served as Iowa chair of Rick Perry's campaign (announced June 6, 2015 +; departure reported by AP on Aug. 25, 2015).  In the 2011-12 caucus campaign he endorsed Rick Santorum +.  Professor of economics at Morningside College and the director of the Col. Bud Day Center for Civic Engagement.   Republican nominee for Treasurer of Iowa in 2014, losing to incumbent Mike Fitzgerald; candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in the June 3, 2014 primary.  Radio talk show host in the Siouxland market on KSCJ 1360 AM.  Private sector experience including  division manager for the Logicon Corporation.  25-year Air Force veteran, achieving the rank of full colonel.  Doctorate in public administration from University of Alabama; M.B.A. from Golden Gate University; B.S. in political science from the Air Force Academy, 1971.


fb "Iowans for TRUMP"



Republican National Committee

State Director  Matt Dailer

Deputy director of political training at the RNC from Sept. 2015.  Executive director of the West Virginia Republican Party, Jan.-Oct. 2015.  RNC state director in West Virginia, July 2003-Dec. 2014.  Legislative analyst in the West Virginia Legislature, Jan.-April 2013.  West Virginia field coordinator on Victory 2012, July-Nov. 2012.  Research analyst in the West Virginia Legislature, Jan.-March 2012.  B.A. in political science from Marshall University, 2011.  twitter

Deputy Director  Adam Wachholz

(Aug. 2016)  A regional political director for the Republican Party of Iowa, Jan. 2015-Aug. 2016.  Political director on King for Congress, June-Nov. 2014.  A field director on Mark Jacobs' U.S. Senate primary campaign, Jan.-June 2014.  Field director in Virginia Beach for the Republican Party of Virginia, July-Nov. 2013.  Legislative assistant in the Iowa House of Representatives, Jan.-May 2013.  Field staffer on Victory 2012 in Dallas County and Cedar Rapids, Aug.-Nov. 2012.  B.A. in economics from Thomas Edison State College, 2012.

Data Director  Jessica LaBerge

(March 2016)  Deputy finance director on Carly for President, May 2015-Feb. 2016.  Finance for Fiorina's Unlocking Potential Project, starting Feb. 2015.  Major donor manager at the NRCC, Jan. 2013-Jan. 2015.  Finance assistant (May-Dec. 2012) and finance intern (Jan.-May 2012) on Ted Cruz for Senate.  B.A. in government, history from the University of Texas at Austin.  twitter


former
State Director  Michael Sullivan   ...to Aug. 2016

(Sept. 2015)  Deputy executive director (Dec. 2012-Sept. 2015) and political director (July 2011-Dec. 2012) at the Tennessee Republican Party.  Press secretary for Indiana House Republicans, Dec. 2010-Aug. 2011.  Statewide tour coordinator for Auditor Tim Berry and Treasurer RIchard Mourdock, Sept. 2010-Jan. 2011.  Campaign manager (May-Sept. 201) and political director (Feb.-May 2010) on Todd Rokita for Congress.  Campaign manager on Patrick Hughes for U.S. Senate (IL), Nov. 2009-Feb. 2010.  Local government and business coordinator for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Dec. 2008-Nov. 2009.  Mitch Daniels campaign/Indiana Republican Party, Aug. 2007-Dec. 2008.  B.S. in political science from Hanover College, 2007.  twitter

Iowa Republican Party  |  621 E. 9th Street  |  Des Moines, IA 50309
www.iowagop.org  |  fb/IowaGOP  |  @iowagop

Chairman  Jeff Kaufmann

(elected to partial term on June 28, 2014; elected to full term on Jan. 10, 2015)  Seventh-generation livestock farmer.  Department chair at Muscatine Community College, where he teaches history and government.  Member of the Cedar County Board of Supervisors.  Former state representative, served from 2005-13, including six years in leadership positions in the GOP caucus and two years as Speaker Pro Tem.  B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa.  twitter

Co-Chair  Cody Hoefert


Executive Director  Chad Olsen

(from June 28, 2014)  Olsen had been serving as RNC state director for Iowa (announced Nov. 13, 2013), and he served a previous stint as executive director in the 2012 cycle (hired Nov. 2010 and confirmed Jan. 2011, resigned effective May 15, 2012).  Iowa Victory director in 2010 (announced April 19) after working in the RPI's political department.  A key organizer of the 2008 Iowa GOP Caucuses.  Campaign manager on Tommy Thompson for President, Jan.-Aug. 2007.  Ran a small business in Panora with his wife.  Managed the Sukup for Governor primary campaign in 2002.  Political director on the Forbes 2000 Iowa caucus campaign.  Legislative liaison for State Auditor Dick Johnson.  Field staffer on Jim Ross Lightfoot's gubernatorial primary campaign in 1998.  Field staffer on Jim Ross Lightfoot's 1996 challenge to Sen. Tom Harkin.  Field staffer on Sen. Phil Gramm's 1996 Iowa caucus campaign.  Started on campaigns working on Pres. George H.W. Bush's 1992 re-election effort in Washington, DC.  B.A. in economics and political science from Boston University.

Communications Director  Taylor Mason
(March 2016)  Previously South Carolina state director on CARLY for America, started in May 2015 initially political director.  Third vice chair of the SC GOP.  Grassroots advocacy manager at Denny Public Affairs, LLC, Jan.-May 2015.  Earned media consultant, June-Sept. 2014.  Field director with Tean Graham in Columbia, Dec. 2013-June 2014.  Political director on Peter McCoy for Congress SC-01 special election, Jan.-March 2013.  Regional Victory director for RNC/Romney in Des Moines, July-Nov. 2012. As a junior, Mason served as Lowcountry regional field coordinator and national advance coordinator on Bachmann for President in 2011, and after she dropped out, as Lowcountry coordinator and national press assistant for Newt 2012.  B.S. in political science/public relations from USC-Beaufort, where he served as chairman of the College Republicans.  From Charleston.  twitter

Regional Political Directors 
Austin Harris
(started with the Party in Jan. 2015)  Field director on Miller-Meeks for Congress, April-Nov. 2014.  A.A. from Indian Hills Community College, 2015.

Kolby DeWitt
(from Dec. 2014)  RNC Victory field director in Sioux City,, July-Nov. 2014.  Political director on Iowans for Sam Clovis, July 2013-July 2014.  Filed director on King for Congress, July-Dec. 2012. Manager associate at Hertz, Feb.-July 2012.  Benefit analyst, sales and marketing at Brokers Alliance, ,Jan. 2011-Feb. 2012.  A.A. in political science from Western Iowa Tech Community College, 2010.  Born and raised in Sioux City.