Steve Elmendorf
Encyclopedia
Steven A. Elmendorf, a lobbyist in Washington, D.C.
, was a senior advisor to House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt
for 12 years, serving as his chief of staff after 1997. Elmendorf was also deputy campaign manager for U.S. Senator John Kerry
, the 2004 Democratic nominee for president.
He, along with Republican Jack Oliver as his business partner, was previously president at Bryan Cave
Strategies L.L.C., a lobbying firm connected with the law firm, Bryan Cave LLP.
Elmendorf later formed and is president of Elmendorf Strategies LLC a government relations and strategic counseling firm serving corporations, trade associations and non profit organizations. Elmedorf Strategies employs an "all-star team of Democratic revolving-door
lobbyists . . . including former top aides to Democratic floor leaders Harry Reid
, Dick Gephardt
, Steny Hoyer
and Nancy Pelosi
."
He has been a frequent guest on television talk shows including Hardball with Chris Matthews
, CNBC
’s Capitol Report, Fox News and CNN
’s Crossfire
. He has lectured at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University
’s John F. Kennedy School of Government
and at his alma mater, Trinity College
in Hartford, Connecticut
. Elmendorf is openly gay
.
native hailing from Summit, Elmendorf graduated from Trinity College
in 1982 and began his career as a field organizer on the Mondale
for President campaign
. He was later chief of staff for U.S. Representative Dennis Eckart, and a staff aide to Senator Brock Adams
.
Elmendorf joined Gephardt's staff in 1992 and became chief of staff in 1997.
He managed the floor for House Democrats and designed the Democratic Caucus’ strategic response to issues including the impeachment of President Bill Clinton
, the Clinton 1993 economic program
, the Clinton effort to reform health care in 1994, NAFTA, the 1997 Balanced Budget Act
, McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform
and the Iraq war resolution
.
While in the leader’s office, he was named every year by Roll Call newspaper as one of the 50 most powerful staff people on Capitol Hill.
He managed four of Gephardt’s successful campaigns for Democratic leader and organized the congressman’s outside political activities at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
and at Gephardt's political action committee. Elmendorf was elected by the members of the House of Representatives as a minority officer of the House in the 105th, 106th and 107th Congress, entitling him to the same privileges as former members of the House.
He served as chief of staff and senior advisor for Gephardt’s 2004 Democratic presidential campaign
. In 2004, as deputy campaign manager for Kerry’s 2004 presidential bid
, Elmendorf was the primary campaign liaison to U.S. senators, members of Congress, governors and mayors. He also supervised the field operations in 21 states and was on the strategic team involved in overall campaign planning and worked in the campaign’s outreach to constituency groups and organized labor. In November of 2011, Elmendorf was included on The New Republic's list of Washington's most powerful, least famous people.
blog, replied: "Here's notice, any Democrat associated with Elmendorf will be outed. The netroots can then decide for itself whether it wants to provide some of that energy and money to that candidate. There's nothing 'extreme left' with demanding Democrats act like Democrats, no matter how much these out-of-touch and self-important beltway insiders think it is."
Also in 2006, Elmendorf gave his support to U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman's
independent re-election bid after Lieberman lost the Democratic primary. Elmendorf was listed on Lieberman's campaign Web site as part of the "national chapter" of "Dems for Joe"
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, was a senior advisor to House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt
Dick Gephardt
Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt is a lobbyist and former prominent American politician of the Democratic Party. Gephardt served as a U.S. Representative from Missouri from January 3, 1977, until January 3, 2005, serving as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995, and as Minority Leader from 1995 to...
for 12 years, serving as his chief of staff after 1997. Elmendorf was also deputy campaign manager for U.S. Senator John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
, the 2004 Democratic nominee for president.
He, along with Republican Jack Oliver as his business partner, was previously president at Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave LLP is an international law firm with twenty-one offices worldwide, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.- Overview :The international law firm Bryan Cave LLP dates back to 1873 in St. Louis. Founded in 1873 in St. Louis as King, Phillips and Stewart, the firm became Stewart, Bryan,...
Strategies L.L.C., a lobbying firm connected with the law firm, Bryan Cave LLP.
Elmendorf later formed and is president of Elmendorf Strategies LLC a government relations and strategic counseling firm serving corporations, trade associations and non profit organizations. Elmedorf Strategies employs an "all-star team of Democratic revolving-door
Revolving door (politics)
The revolving door is the movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulation and on within lobbying companies. In some cases the roles are performed in sequence but in certain circumstances may be performed at the same time...
lobbyists . . . including former top aides to Democratic floor leaders Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
, Dick Gephardt
Dick Gephardt
Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt is a lobbyist and former prominent American politician of the Democratic Party. Gephardt served as a U.S. Representative from Missouri from January 3, 1977, until January 3, 2005, serving as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995, and as Minority Leader from 1995 to...
, Steny Hoyer
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1981. The district includes a large swath of rural and suburban territory southeast of Washington, D.C.. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
and Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
."
He has been a frequent guest on television talk shows including Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews is a talk show on MSNBC, broadcast weekdays at 5 and 7 PM hosted by Chris Matthews. It originally aired on now-defunct America's Talking and later CNBC. The current title was derived from a book Matthews wrote in 1988, Hardball: How Politics Is Played Told by One Who...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
’s Capitol Report, Fox News and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
’s Crossfire
Crossfire (TV series)
Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN. Its format was designed to present and challenge the opinions of a politically liberal pundit and a conservative pundit.-Format:...
. He has lectured at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
’s John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
and at his alma mater, Trinity College
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. Elmendorf is openly gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
.
Career
A New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
native hailing from Summit, Elmendorf graduated from Trinity College
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
in 1982 and began his career as a field organizer on the Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
for President campaign
United States presidential election, 1984
The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate. Reagan was helped by a strong economic recovery from the deep recession of 1981–1982...
. He was later chief of staff for U.S. Representative Dennis Eckart, and a staff aide to Senator Brock Adams
Brock Adams
Brockman "Brock" Adams was an American politician and member of Congress. Adams was a Democrat from Washington and served as a U.S. Representative, Senator, and United States Secretary of Transportation before retiring in January 1993.Adams was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended the public...
.
Elmendorf joined Gephardt's staff in 1992 and became chief of staff in 1997.
He managed the floor for House Democrats and designed the Democratic Caucus’ strategic response to issues including the impeachment of President Bill Clinton
Impeachment of Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton, President of the United States, was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice on December 19, 1998, but acquitted by the Senate on February 12, 1999. Two other impeachment articles, a second perjury charge and a charge of abuse of...
, the Clinton 1993 economic program
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 was federal law that was enacted by the 103rd United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It has also been referred to, unofficially, as the Deficit Reduction Act of 1993...
, the Clinton effort to reform health care in 1994, NAFTA, the 1997 Balanced Budget Act
Balanced Budget Act of 1997
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997, , was signed into law on August 5, 1997. It was an omnibus legislative package enacted using the budget reconciliation process and designed to balance the federal budget by 2002....
, McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 is a United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. Its chief sponsors were Senators Russell Feingold and John McCain...
and the Iraq war resolution
Iraq Resolution
The Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing military action against Iraq.-Contents:The resolution cited many factors to justify the use of military force against...
.
While in the leader’s office, he was named every year by Roll Call newspaper as one of the 50 most powerful staff people on Capitol Hill.
He managed four of Gephardt’s successful campaigns for Democratic leader and organized the congressman’s outside political activities at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
and at Gephardt's political action committee. Elmendorf was elected by the members of the House of Representatives as a minority officer of the House in the 105th, 106th and 107th Congress, entitling him to the same privileges as former members of the House.
He served as chief of staff and senior advisor for Gephardt’s 2004 Democratic presidential campaign
Richard Gephardt presidential campaign, 2004
After the Democrats lost seats in the 2002 midterm Congressional election, he did not run for re-election as House Minority Leader. He announced his second run for President on January 5, 2003. His successor as Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, endorsed his bid for president...
. In 2004, as deputy campaign manager for Kerry’s 2004 presidential bid
John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004
The Presidential Campaign of John Kerry, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and the nominee of the Democratic Party challenged Republican incumbent President George W. Bush in the U.S. presidential election on November 2, 2004. Ultimately, Kerry conceded defeat in the race in a telephone call to Bush...
, Elmendorf was the primary campaign liaison to U.S. senators, members of Congress, governors and mayors. He also supervised the field operations in 21 states and was on the strategic team involved in overall campaign planning and worked in the campaign’s outreach to constituency groups and organized labor. In November of 2011, Elmendorf was included on The New Republic's list of Washington's most powerful, least famous people.
2006 elections
In January 2006, Elmendorf was criticized vehemently by some left-wing Democratic bloggers when he was quoted in a Washington Post story as saying, "The bloggers and online donors represent an important resource for the party, but they are not representative of the majority you need to win elections. The trick will be to harness their energy and their money without looking like you are a captive of the activist left." Markos Moulitsas, head of the Daily KosDaily Kos
Daily Kos is an American political blog that publishes news and opinions from a progressive point of view. It functions as a discussion forum and group blog for a variety of netroots activists, whose efforts are primarily directed toward influencing and strengthening the Democratic Party...
blog, replied: "Here's notice, any Democrat associated with Elmendorf will be outed. The netroots can then decide for itself whether it wants to provide some of that energy and money to that candidate. There's nothing 'extreme left' with demanding Democrats act like Democrats, no matter how much these out-of-touch and self-important beltway insiders think it is."
Also in 2006, Elmendorf gave his support to U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman's
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
independent re-election bid after Lieberman lost the Democratic primary. Elmendorf was listed on Lieberman's campaign Web site as part of the "national chapter" of "Dems for Joe"
See also
- David E. Rosenbaum, "A Gephardt Staff Member Finds a New Home", New York Times, January 25, 2004
External links
- http://www.elmendorfstrategies.com/ Elmendorf Strategies, LLC Web site
- http://www.bryancavestrategies.com Bryan Cave Strategies Web site