Marco Rubio presidential campaign key staff and advisors experience, 2016

This article details the experience of Marco Rubio's top-level staff for his 2016 presidential primary campaign

For a more comprehensive overview of Rubio's staff and advisors, see:
Marco Rubio presidential campaign key staff and advisors, 2016

For Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign, Ballotpedia identified the key, decision-making staff members, and the chart below details these staffers' histories up to the time they worked for Rubio. Included is the staffer's role and his or her previous experience advising in electoral campaigns. Linked campaigns indicate those to which other key staffers across the 2016 presidential campaigns have contributed. Hovering over a link for a specific campaign will show you which staffers from other campaigns also worked on that same campaign.

The staffers included are those who were on the campaign when it was suspended in March 2016.

| Name  | Previous Experience

|
|

Alex Conant
Communications director

* 2012: Tim Pawlenty presidential
* 2014: Joni Ernst U.S. Senate
* 2016: Marco Rubio presidential

J. Warren Tompkins
Super PAC manager

* 1978: Strom Thurmond U.S. Senate
* 1980: Ronald Reagan presidential
* 1984: Ronald Reagan presidential

Strom Thurmond U.S. Senate

* 1986: Carroll Campbell gubernatorial
* 1988: George H.W. Bush presidential
* 1990: Strom Thurmond U.S. Senate
* 1992: George H.W. Bush presidential
* 1994: David Beasley gubernatorial
* 1996: Bob Dole presidential

Strom Thurmond U.S. Senate

* 1998: David Beasley gubernatorial
* 2000: George W. Bush presidential
* 2002: Lindsey Graham U.S. Senate
* 2004: Jim DeMint U.S. Senate

George W. Bush presidential

* 2008: Mitt Romney presidential

Lindsey Graham U.S. Senate

* 2010: Jim DeMint U.S. Senate
* 2012: Mitt Romney presidential
* 2016: Marco Rubio presidential

Jessica Ennis
Political director

* 1998: Walter Jones U.S. House
* 2004: George W. Bush presidential

Bill Cobey gubernatorial

* 2012: Mitt Romney presidential
* 2016: Marco Rubio presidential

Jim Merrill
Senior New Hampshire advisor

* 2000: George W. Bush presidential
* 2004: George W. Bush presidential
* 2008: Mitt Romney presidential
* 2012: Mitt Romney presidential
* 2016: Marco Rubio presidential

Norman Braman
Donor

* 2016: Marco Rubio presidential

Rich Beeson
Deputy campaign manager

* 2012: Mitt Romney presidential
* 2016: Marco Rubio presidential

Terry Sullivan
Campaign manager

* 1996: Jesse Helms U.S. Senate
* 2004: Jim DeMint U.S. Senate
* 2005: Kay Bailey Hutchison U.S. Senate
* 2008: Mitt Romney presidential
* 2009: Kay Bailey Hutchison gubernatorial
* 2010: Marco Rubio U.S. Senate
* 2016: Marco Rubio presidential

Todd Harris
Strategist

* 2000: John Kasich presidential

John McCain presidential

* 2002: Jeb Bush gubernatorial
* 2003: Arnold Schwarzenegger gubernatorial
* 2010: Marco Rubio U.S. Senate
* 2014: Joni Ernst U.S. Senate
* 2016: Marco Rubio presidential

The following chart is organized by year, detailing when these high-level staffers worked in the same election cycle, either with one another or on separate campaigns.

The most notable overlapping experience among Rubio's top staff prior to 2016 was between J. Warren Tompkins and Jim Merrill. The two worked together on four straight presidential races, having spent time with Geroge W. Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns as well as Mitt Romney's 2008 and 2012 campaigns.

Year | Campaign | Staffer

|
|

1976–1977 |  |
1978 | Strom Thurmond U.S. Senate | J. Warren Tompkins
1979 |  |
1980 | Ronald Reagan presidential | J. Warren Tompkins
1981–1983 |  |
1984 | Strom Thurmond U.S. Senate | J. Warren Tompkins
Ronald Reagan presidential | J. Warren Tompkins
1985 |  |
1986 | Carroll Campbell gubernatorial | J. Warren Tompkins
1987 |  |
1988 | George H.W. Bush presidential | J. Warren Tompkins
1989 |  |
1990 | Strom Thurmond U.S. Senate | J. Warren Tompkins
1991 |  |
1992 | George H.W. Bush presidential | J. Warren Tompkins
1993 |  |
1994 | David Beasley gubernatorial | J. Warren Tompkins
1995 |  |
1996 | Strom Thurmond U.S. Senate | J. Warren Tompkins
Bob Dole presidential | J. Warren Tompkins
Jesse Helms U.S. Senate | Terry Sullivan
1997 |  |
1998 | Walter Jones U.S. House | Jessica Ennis
David Beasley gubernatorial | J. Warren Tompkins
1999 |  |
2000 | John Kasich presidential | Todd Harris
John McCain presidential | Todd Harris
George W. Bush presidential | J. Warren Tompkins
Jim Merrill
2001 |  |
2002 | Jeb Bush gubernatorial | Todd Harris
Lindsey Graham U.S. Senate | J. Warren Tompkins
2003 | Arnold Schwarzenegger gubernatorial | Todd Harris
2004 | Jim DeMint U.S. Senate | J. Warren Tompkins
Terry Sullivan
George W. Bush presidential | J. Warren Tompkins
Jim Merrill
Jessica Ennis
Bill Cobey gubernatorial | Jessica Ennis
2005 | Kay Bailey Hutchison U.S. Senate | Terry Sullivan
2006–2007 |  |
2008 | Lindsey Graham U.S. Senate | J. Warren Tompkins
Mitt Romney presidential | J. Warren Tompkins
Jim Merrill
Terry Sullivan
2009 | Kay Bailey Hutchison gubernatorial | Terry Sullivan
2010 | Marco Rubio U.S. Senate | Terry Sullivan
Todd Harris
Jim DeMint U.S. Senate | J. Warren Tompkins
2011 |  |
2012 | Mitt Romney presidential | J. Warren Tompkins
Jessica Ennis
Jim Merrill
Rich Beeson
Tim Pawlenty presidential | Alex Conant
2013 |  |
2014 | Joni Ernst U.S. Senate | Todd Harris
Alex Conant