When April 12, 2022 at 7:00pm 2 hrs
Where Old Capitol Senate Chambers OR Livestream 21 N Clinton St, Iowa City, IA 52240, United States
Contact University of Iowa Public Policy Center [email protected]

This event is part of the Policy Challenges for Iowa and the Nation series, conducted by the Iowa Board of Regents, the UI College of Law and the UI Public Policy Center.

The primary goals of the event are to explore the perspectives of national and state political consultants on the role they play in campaigns and how campaigns impact political discourse. The tone of campaigns has been criticized for contributing to the political polarization of the country. We will be delving into the complexities of how campaign strategies are developed and how these activities may influence both the dialogue during campaigns and political discourse beyond campaigns.

Panelists: A bipartisan panel with campaign experience will provide both a national and state perspective on campaign consulting:

  • Terry Nelson is a political consultant for the Republican Party and founding/managing partner at FP1 Strategies. He was the national political director for President George W Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign and has led successful media campaigns for governors, members of Congress, and ballot measures. Mr. Nelson is a UI alumni.
  • Joe Hansen is a consultant for Democratic Party candidates nationally, and is a partner in Ambrosino, Muir, Hansen and Crounse. Mr Hansen was the successful campaign manager for four U.S. Senate races, executive director of the DSCC, senior political advisor for the DSCC for 3 election cycles, and chief of staff for a member of Congress, field director. Mr Hansen is a UI alumni.
  • Steve Grubbs is an Iowa-based Republican campaign consultant and former state legislator. Mr Grubbs is CEO and co-founder of VictoryXR, a comprehensive political and corporate consulting and communications firm. Mr Grubbs is a UI alumni.
  • Ras Smith is a member of the Iowa House of Representatives (District 62) incorporating much of Waterloo. He also worked on President Obama’s campaign in Iowa.

Topics to be discussed include:

  • What are the various roles that political consultants play in a campaign?
  • What is the process that political consultants use to help define their candidate?
  • What is the process for how consultants help define their opponents, and how does negative campaigning enter into this process?
  • How does campaign rhetoric spill over into the political divide seen in the US today?

The event is free and open to the public, and the live stream will begin here at 7:00pm on April 12.