Obama General Election Campaign Organization, North Dakota

Obama General Election Campaign Organization, North Dakota
revised April 14, 2009 disclaimer

Starting in July 2008 the campaign built up a substantial organization in North Dakota. However, on Sept. 22, 2008 the Associated Press reported that the campaign was shutting its 11 offices, some of them just opened a couple of weeks earlier, and moving the 50 or so staff mostly to the battleground states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Amy Brundage, Obama spokeswoman, provided this statement:

"The Obama campaign generated unprecedented enthusiasm and excitement in North Dakota, a state that hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since 1964. We always knew it would be an uphill battle, but because people across the country in red states and blue states are hungry for change, we built a grassroots movement we are proud of and an infrastructure that will help candidates up and down the ballot. With our nation facing serious challenges today, voters across this country can't afford four more years of the same disastrous economic policies that John McCain is offering, and Barack Obama will change our country and put our economy back on track."

Although the campaign shut down, a grassroots group emerged, including people such as Chad Nodland and Dina Baird, and they carried on the work.

Obama for America

State Director

Anita Decker

(announced July 9, 2008) Downstate director in Obama's Senate office from Feb.-June 2008 and from Oct. 2006-March 2007. In between she served as Illinois downstate director on Obama for America. Downstate field director on Rod Blagojevich's campaign for governor in 2002. Graduate of University of Arizona, 2000. Native of Kenilworth, IL. (Note: "downstate" is the 92 counties outside of Chicago)

New Media Lead

Becky Furgason

Campaign for Change

General Election Director

Mitch Wallace

During the primaries, Wallace served as caucus director on the Feb. 5 campaign in Kansas.

Field Director

Tim Fraser

Fraser started as a regional field director (Portsmouth) on Obama's NH primary campaign; he also served as Obama's Arkansas state director and Rhode Island field director. In 2006 he worked as regional field director on the Rhode Island Coordinated Campaign (major focus on the Sheldon Whitehouse U.S. Senate race). Prior to that, he worked for Sen. Tom Daschle. Native of Boston.

Deputy Field and Operations Director

Mike Griffin

Voter File Manager

Tim Allen

Youth Vote Director

Kate Fender

Regional Field Organization

Bismark - Kate Nowak
Field Organizers: Briahna Batiste, Donnie Bryant, Sean Grady, Seth Woods.

Fargo - Kiana Scott
Field Organizers: Aaron Quaday, Chris Thomas, Laura Melling, Margie Glick, Lual Lual, Sarah Fields, Lisa Schmitt.

Grand Forks - Bobby Hoffman
Field Organizers: Allegra Rupp, Brian O'Shea, Jake Gelermann, Robert Halder, Shannon O'Keefe.

Minot - Anna Humphrey
Field Organizers: Alisa Clements, Gavin Mylrea.

List of Offices
Bismarck - 3333 E Broadway Ave, Suite 1206, Bismarck, ND 58501   ...office opening July 17, 2008

Devils Lake - 303 5th Ave., Devils Lake, ND 58301   ...opened Sept. 5, 2008

Dickinson - 41 E Villard Street, Suite B, Dickinson, ND 58601   ...opened Sept. 5, 2008

Fargo - 107 Roberts St N, Fargo, ND 58102   ...office opening July 23, 2008

Fargo - 745 45th St S, Suite B, Fargo, ND 58103   ...opened Sept. 5, 2008

Grand Forks - 2750 Gateway Dr, Suite F, Grand Forks, ND 58203   ...office opening July 22, 2008

Jamestown - Buffalo Mall, Hwy 281 & 25th St SW, Jamestown, ND 58401   ...opened Sept. 5, 2008

Minot - 1602 4th Ave NW, Minot, ND 58703   ...office opening July 29, 2008

Rugby - 607 Hwy 2 SW, Rugby, ND 58368   ...opened in Sept. 2008

Valley City - 150 2nd St SW, Valley City, ND 58072   ...opened in Sept. 2008

Williston - 205 Main Street, Williston, ND 58801   ...opened Sept. 5, 2008

Coordinated Campaign

Director

Matt Pearce

(started in May 2008) Legislative correspondent for Congressman Earl Pomeroy in his Washington D.C. office. Worked at the North Dakota Dem-NPL State Party from 2004-06, including doing direct mail for candidates and fund raising.

Consultant: Chad Oban

North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party | 1902 East Divide Ave | Bismarck, ND 58501 701-255-0460 >

Chair

David Strauss

(elected chair on Feb. 5, 2005) Chairman of the 2002 and 2004 reelection campaigns for Congressman Earl Pomeroy. Appointed by President Bill Clinton to be executive director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Served nearly four years as deputy chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore. Served for 13 years in senior management positions in the U.S. Senate, including staff director for the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works and chief of staff for the late Sen. Quentin Burdick (D-ND). B.A. in political science and B.S. in secondary education and political science.from MSU Moorhead, 1973. Resident of Valley City, ND.

Executive Director

Jamie Selzler

(started in Feb. 2007) Ran for the State House of Representatives from District 43 in 2006. Operations manager at Amazon.com for almost seven years. Graduate of the University of North Dakota. From Minot. Former Republican.

Field Director

Geoff Greenwood

Staff assistant to House Minority Leader Merle Boucher in the 2007 legislative session. A Coordinated Campaign field staffer in Grand Forks in the 2006 general election.

Voter File Manager

Renee Cooper

Office Manager

Kathi Osteen

DNC Neighbor to Neighbor

Geoff Greenwood

Obama caucuses