Marco Rubio presidential campaign key staff and advisors experience, 2016

From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 3 min

2016 Presidential Campaign Key Staffers Banner.png

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.png
Alex Conant
Communications director
  • 2012: Tim Pawlenty presidential
  • 2014: Joni Ernst U.S. Senate
  • 2016: Marco Rubio presidential
J Warren Tomkins.png
  • 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.png
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.png
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.png
  • 2016: Marco Rubio presidential
Rich Beeson.png
Rich Beeson
Deputy campaign manager
  • 2012: Mitt Romney presidential
  • 2016: Marco Rubio presidential
Terry Sullivan.png
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.png
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

Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Original source: https://ballotpedia.org/Marco_Rubio_presidential_campaign_key_staff_and_advisors_experience,_2016
Encyclosphere.org EncycloReader is supported by the EncyclosphereKSF