The faces of the U.S. Senate race are Republican Roger Marshall and Democrat Barbara Bollier.
They’re the ones you see at events, in commercials and on postcards in your mailbox.
But each campaign is supported by a team of key aides and consultants who make the wheels turn.
They’re the ones who largely work out of the glare of the media spotlight, but are the life’s blood of the campaign.
It is these staffers whose work, as much as anything, could decide the fate of the 2020 Senate race.
Here is a look at the teams of each campaign as we start to move into the heart of the general election, based on interviews, campaign finance reports and independent research.
Bollier campaign
Max Glass, campaign manager: GOTV director for the AFL-CIO in Michigan. Campaign manager for Abdul El-Sayed’s unsuccessful campaign for Michigan governor in 2018. El-Sayed finished second in a three-person Democratic primary and is now a commentator for CNN. Glass also was the campaign manager for Lisa Blunt’s successful campaign for Congress in Delaware. In 2014, he was the state director for the North Carolina Voter Registration Project, where he helped register 20,000 new minority voters.
Ashley All, senior adviser: Veteran Kansas communications professional who worked as the communications director for Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration and on Kelly’s gubernatorial campaign. All also worked as the communications director for the Kansas attorney general’s office from 2007 to 2010. She is a University of Kansas graduate.
Haley Barbour, finance director: Worked as the political director for New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s presidential campaign in Iowa. She also worked as the deputy finance director of Fred Hubbell’s gubernatorial campaign in Iowa. Hubbell, a Democrat, lost to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2018. Barbour also was an organizer for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in Iowa in which she recruited, trained and managed five volunteer teams in northwest Des Moines. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Drake University.
Zach Helder, political director: Ran Democrat Tom Niermann’s unsuccessful campaign for Congress in the Kansas 3rd District in 2018. Helder worked for the state Democratic Party before becoming communications director for U.S. Rep. Harley Rouda of California. In 2016, Helder was traveling press lead for Hillary Clinton, managing the traveling press corps and local press presence at hundreds of media events across the country. He also was a national organizer of the Women’s March on Washington. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA.
Alexandra De Luca, communications: The Georgetown University graduate worked as a communications director and press secretary for U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s presidential campaign in South Carolina and New Hampshire. She also was national press secretary and deputy press secretary for Emily’s List.
Isaac Rappoport, digital director: The Northwestern University graduate worked as deputy digital director for former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp’s campaign in North Dakota. He also worked as a digital strategist for New Blue Interactive, a “boutique digital fundraising firm that helps Democratic candidates and causes.”
Will Moses, research director: A graduate of George Washington University, Moses most recently worked for U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s presidential campaign and for U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s reelection campaign in 2018. He also worked as an intern for the U.S. Senate banking committee and for Ohio U.S. Sen Sherrod Brown. Moses also worked as an organizing fellow for the Ohio Democratic Party in 2016.
Television & Advertising: SKDKnickerbocker. A public affairs and political consulting firm that specializes in Democratic Party politics. Clients have included Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. The firm’s CEO is Josh Isay, who managed Sen. Chuck Schumer’s 1998 upset of Al D’Amato and was the U.S. senator’s first chief of staff. Other executives include strategist Hillary Rosen, former chair and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, and Anita Dunn, who served as White House communications director under Obama. The firm has been paid $8.9 million overall this cycle, including more than $430,000 from the Bollier campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ database.
Pollster: GBAO Strategies. Firm’s clients have included Gov. Laura Kelly, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III and Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, who in 2018 became one of the first two women from that state elected to Congress. The firm includes three founding partners, Karl Agne, Michael Bocian and Jim Gerstein. Agne worked on Veronica Escobar’s campaign to become one of the first two Latinas to represent Texas in Congress. He also led polling efforts in 2018 for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the House Majority PAC in more than a dozen of the congressional districts that turned Democratic. Gerstein conducts research-based strategic counsel for candidates, nonprofit organizations, and arts and cultural institutions. In 1992, he worked on the field campaign for Carol Moseley Braun’s successful campaign for the U.S. Senate in Illinois. In 1996, he worked in the press office for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The firm has been paid $2.7 million this cycle, including about $92,000 from the Bollier campaign.
Direct mail: Deliver Strategies, an Arlington, Virginia-based firm that’s worked for President Barack Obama, Emily’s List, Hillary Clinton, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, among many other Democratic candidates and organizations. The firm’s senior partners are Kevin Mack and Dylan Sumner. Mack worked as the Virginia House and Senate caucus director, as a regional director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and as executive director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Sumner worked as the district manager and press secretary for former Florida Congressman Pete Peterson and as a senior field director and political Director for the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, now the Florida Justice Association The company has been paid $2.9 million this cycle, including $4,200 from the Bollier campaign.
Direct Mail: CleanSweep Campaigns. Specializes in direct mail fundraising, persuasion mail, general consulting and communication services for Democratic campaigns, organizations, unions and independent expenditure committees. Clients have included U.S. Sen. Doug Jones in Alabama and U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff in Georgia. Other clients have included the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood and Democratic Parties in Oregon, Florida, Iowa and California. The firm has been paid about $1.7 million in the current election cycle, including more than $441,000 by the Bollier campaign.
Marshall campaign
Eric Pahls, campaign manager: The University of Kansas graduate returned to Team Marshall after working as a spokesman for former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina’s Unlocked Potential, which works with leaders of nonprofit organizations. He previously worked as a spokesman for the congressman as well.
P.J. Hopfinger, press secretary: Started as the northeast Kansas field coordinator and is now moving over to press secretary. He graduated this year from Kansas State University. He was an intern for the Republican National Committee last year. He also was the legislative director for the Student Government Association at Kansas State, representing the interests and concerns of the SGA to state officials.
Alexander Oakley, Wichita field director: Worked as political action committee administrator for Kansans for Life. Oakley received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kansas State University in 2015. In the summers of 2014 and 2015, he interned with the National Right to Life PAC, researching presidential and congressional candidates.
Tyler Coats, Salina field director: A graduate of Wichita State University, Coats has a background in fighting wildfires. At WSU, he was a founder and chapter president of Turning Point USA, which characterizes itself as the “community organizers of the right.” He also worked as a forestry technician for the city of Lawrence and worked as a firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Communications consultant: O’Donnell & Associates. The Alexandria, Virginia-based firm is led by Brett O’Donnell, who is the president. O’Donnell’s clients include the Senate Majority Fund and the Republican Majority Fund. They also have included Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and the House Republican Conference. O’Donnell prepped Mitt Romney for presidential primary debates in Florida. He was the director of messaging for John McCain’s presidential campaign in 2007 and 2008. He also has worked as consultant to evangelical pastor Rick Warren and the Saddleback Church. The firm has been paid about $696,000 this cycle, including about $18,000 from the Marshall campaign.
Television & Advertising: Strategic Media Services. The firm was founded in 1996 by David Neal, who worked in advertising sales, planning and media buying in New York, Boston and Washington. The firm describes itself as one of the largest media research, planning and buying firms in Washington, D.C. The company has been paid $5 million this year, including more than $880,000 from Marshall’s campaign. It’s clients include former Congressman Darrel Issa and Congressman Chris Jacobs of New York. It also has done work for the With Honor Fund, a political action committee that supports veterans.
Pollster: Public Opinion Strategies. Firm was co-founded by Kansas City native Neil Newhouse, who polled for four presidential campaigns: U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, President George W. Bush, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The Marshall campaign has trotted out partner Robert Blizzard at times to rebut unfavorable polling. Blizzard’s clients have included Congressman Steve Watkins and Congressman Andy Barr of Kentucky, among many others. The firm has been paid $4.1 million this cycle, including $68,000 from the Marshall campaign.
Fundraising consultant: Stanton Group. Clients include Congressman Andy Barr of Kentucky, Congressman Fred Upton in Michigan and Congressman Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio. Co-founder and partner is Anne E. Brady, who once worked in the office of U.S. Sen. Bob Smith of New Hampshire. She has a bachelor’s from the Catholic University of America. Another co-founder and partner is Amanda Hand, who was previously vice president of fundraising and political affairs at Bogart Associates. Hand began as an aide to Rep. Kenny Marchant of Texas. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. The firm has been paid $1.2 million this cycle, including more than $173,000 from the Marshall campaign.
Fundraising consultant: Doc Shop, which is led by Stacie Monroe. She also founded and chairs Physician and Dentist Candidate Workshop, which has trained more than 500 doctors on how to run for elective office. She also worked as the senior director of political affairs for the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons. She was also senior manager of political affairs for the organization.
Fundraising consultant: Graham Advisors of Wichita. The firm’s president is DiAnne Graham, who directed the Republican Governors Association Roundtable, a major donor program made up of business executives. Graham said on LinkedIn the program raised more than $50 million, which she said “led to record-breaking fundraising for the organization totaling over $170 million.” She also worked as a senior protocol officer in the State Department in President George W. Bush’s administration. Graham also was the chief of staff to Dina Habib Powell, the assistant secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and was the liaison to the Office of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs led by Karen Hughes. The company has been paid $68,000 this election cycle, including about $40,000 from Marshall’s campaign.
