McAuliffee announces campaign leadership team

Terry McAuliffe, who will turn his campaign for governor from unofficial to official status on Wednesday, announced his campaign "leadership team" this morning.

Here's who they are and what he has to say about them:

Mike Henry, Campaign Manager

A veteran Virginia strategist, Mike Henry has been active in Virginia and national campaigns for over 15 years. He managed Mark Warner's 2008 campaign for U.S. Senate and Tim Kaine's 2005 campaign for Governor, ran the 2001 Virginia Democratic coordinated campaign, and worked for the House and Senate Democratic Caucuses in 1993, 1995, and 1999. In 2006, Henry served as the Director of Independent Expenditures for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, helping to elect Democratic Senators across the country. Henry also served as Deputy Campaign Manager for Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign and worked at the AFL-CIO as a Campaign Operations Analyst in 2004.

Mo Elleithee, Hilltop Public Solutions, Senior Strategist

With over a decade of experience in national and Virginia politics, Mo Elleithee served as Press Secretary for Mark Warner's 2001 campaign for Governor and Communications Director for Tim Kaine's 2005 campaign for Governor. In 2006, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee hired Elleithee to run its independent expenditure campaign against then-Senator George Allen, and in 2007 he was a communications strategist for the Democratic Party of Virginia in its successful effort to win back the Virginia Senate. Elleithee also served as Senior Spokesman and Traveling Press Secretary for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

GMMB, Media Consultants

David Smith, a Partner at GMMB, and Susan DiLiddo Michels, a Senior Vice President, created the advertising for Senator Jim Webb's 2006 win.  Smith also helped lead the advertising on Warner's 2008 Senate campaign while Michels worked on Warner's 2001 gubernatorial bid helping to widen Warner's appeal with rural and suburban voters. Jim Margolis, a senior partner at GMMB, will also be advising the campaign. Margolis served as a senior strategist to Barack Obama's presidential campaign, where he oversaw advertising and provided strategic and message guidance for the effort.  Margolis has also advised Mark Warner in his successful runs for governor and U.S. Senate.

Delacey Skinner, Communications Director

For the last three years, Delacey Skinner has served as Communications Director for Governor Tim Kaine. Prior to her tenure in the Governor's Office, Skinner served as Press Secretary on Kaine's 2005 campaign for governor. In 2004, she was Deputy Campaign Manager and Communications Director for America Coming Together's New Hampshire office, and helped New Hampshire become the only red-to-blue state in the 2004 presidential election.

G.C. Morse, Senior Advisor

For the past eighteen years, G.C. Morse has been an editorial consultant and contract writer for corporations and private foundations. Morse served as Speechwriter for Governor Gerald L. Baliles, and he has worked as an editorial writer with the Daily Press and the Virginian Pilot.

Pete Brodnitz, Benenson Strategy Group, Polling

In 2007, Pete Brodnitz was named "Pollster of the Year" by the American Association of Political Consultants, which represents the entire political consulting industry. Brodnitz won the award in part for his work helping to re-brand the Virginia Democratic Party and secure the victories of Governor Tim Kaine and Senator Jim Webb. In addition to his work for Kaine and Webb, Brodnitz has advised other successful Virginia candidates, including Tom Perriello in 2008 and helping win back the Virginia Senate for Democrats in 2007, advising two of the four Democratic candidates who won.  Brodnitz has also advised Congressman Rick Boucher for the past ten years. Brodnitz's firm, Benenson Strategy Group, served as pollsters for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Jackie Bray, Deputy Campaign Manager

In 2005, Jackie Bray served as Volunteer Coordinator for the Virginia Democratic coordinated campaign. Most recently, Bray served as the Field Director for Barack Obama's presidential campaign in Ohio. Prior to her work for Obama, Bray worked in field for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in a number of states across the country.

MSHC Partners, Direct Mail

Hal Malchow, President of MSHC, is one of the seminal figures in persuasion mail marketing. His firm handled direct mail for Governor Tim Kaine's 2005 campaign, Senator-elect Mark Warner's race for Senate in 2008, and for the Virginia House and Senate Caucuses, since 2003. Trish Hopey, a Partner in the firm, will also advise the campaign. Hopey has worked with many progressive political organizations and several high-profile statewide candidates, including Governors Jennifer Granholm, Christine Gregoire and Tom Vilsack.

Jenny Nadicksbernd, Finance Director

Jenny Nadicksbernd served as Tim Kaine's Northern Virginia Finance Director from 2002-2005 for his successful gubernatorial campaign. In 2006, she went to work for Mark Warner's leadership PAC, Forward Together, as his Virginia Finance Director, and then went on to serve as Warner's Virginia Finance Director for his successful 2008 Senate campaign. 

Keren Charles Dongo, Political Director

In 2008, Keren Charles Dongo served as the Outreach and Political Director for the Virginia coordinated campaign. In particular, she worked closely with Barack Obama's presidential campaign in Virginia, Mark Warner's U.S. Senate campaign, and the Congressional campaigns for Bobby Scott and Glen Nye. In 2006, Dongo served as Political Director for Congressman Bobby Scott.

Jennie Moline, Policy Director

For the past three years, Jennie Moline has served in Governor Tim Kaine's office as Special Assistant to the Governor for Policy, with a particular focus on education and workforce issues.  Prior to that, Moline served as a regional field organizer for central Virginia on Kaine's 2005 campaign.

Eli Kaplan, New Media Director

Eli Kaplan has worked as a new media strategist on various statewide Democratic campaigns in the mid-Atlantic.  Most recently, he served as New Media Director for Mark Warner's successful 2008 U.S. Senate campaign in Virginia.

John Rohrbach, Bullseye Interactive Media, New Media Consultant

John Rohrbach served as Tim Kaine's Internet Director on his successful 2005 gubernatorial campaign and has worked with Kaine's PAC, Moving Virginia Forward for the last three years. He was a senior internet consultant to Kay Hagan's successful 2008 U.S. Senate campaign in North Carolina and worked with Mark Warner's winning Senate campaign as a photographer and video producer.

Jennifer Parsons, Scheduling Director

Jennifer Parsons worked as the Scheduling Director for Scott Kleeb's 2008 U.S. Senate race in Nebraska. She also worked on Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in many states as a surrogate scheduler.

Tony Carrk, Research Director

Most recently, Tony Carrk worked at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as the Deputy Research Director, where he helped Senate Democrats pick up at least seven seats, including U.S. Senator-elect Mark Warner. Previously, he worked in the research department of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.