John at age 3
Surviving winters in Upstate NY gives someone that extra bit of backbone needed for campaign politics. At age 7, having mastered the art of shoveling Syracuse’s 125 inches of annual snowfall, John decided to put down his shovel, grab his bike and begin his political career putting up lawn signs for then-Governor Mario Cuomo. And he hasn’t slowed down since.
In 2001, tired of the three-month golf season and what was said to be a “down year” for his beloved Syracuse Orange, John packed his bags and moved to the sunny metropolis of Montgomery, Alabama where he mastered his short game, enjoyed the Auburn vs. Alabama rivalry (Roll Tide!) and served as a research and press aide for the Alabama Democratic Party. In 2003, John became a Research Associate for the Democratic National Committee and the Presidential Campaign of U.S. Senator John Kerry. After a disheartening loss, John returned to his New York roots, serving as the Deputy Political Director for SEIU Local 200, where he managed the union's lobbying effort, created a statewide member political program, and consulted dozens of municipal, county and state legislative campaigns.
In 2006, John was the Campaign Manager and Senior Aide to Dan Maffei for Congress (NY-25), a long-shot campaign that surprised many beltway insiders and political pundits by nearly defeating a well-established 18-year Republican incumbent. In 2007, John served as the Research Director to U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ). In 2010, John was named a Rising Star by Campaigns and Elections/Politics Magazine.
When not perfecting his political research skills or strategizing attacks on our clients’ opponents, John can be found on the golf course, practicing his Italian cooking, or cheering on Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals—the only DC-based team this New Yorker will admit to liking. John is a graduate of Ithaca College where he studied History and Politics.