News · Press Release

DCCC CHAIRMAN BEN RAY LUJÁN NAMES KELLY WARD AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján announced today that DCCC Executive Director Kelly Ward will serve as Executive Director for the 2016 cycle, continuing to bring her savvy political instincts and organizational skills to the committee for another cycle. Ward, a DCCC veteran, House strategist and skilled political operative, is the first Executive Director in recent memory to serve for a second election cycle. Politico has called Ward a “quietly effective behind-the-scenes operator” and a “motivating force” at the DCCC. Under Ward’s leadership with outgoing Chairman Steve Israel, the DCCC outraised the NRCC by $41 million, despite being in the minority, and launched the largest ad buy from any group in the House or the Senate campaigns.

“Kelly Ward brings infectious energy, unrivaled determination and key strategic insights to her job, and I am so pleased that she has agreed to stay on at the DCCC,” DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján said. “After working with Kelly for the past two years, I’ve been so impressed with her ability to both develop the strategy and operationalize the day-to-day work needed to aggressively take the fight to Republicans, and we’re lucky to have her lead our team.”

In the tough climate of 2014, House Democrats held losses well below the historic average for the President’s midterm and even picked up three Republican-held seats. The DCCC won 46 percent of the “Toss Up” races from Rothenberg and 38 percent of the “Toss Up” races from the Cook Report.  Nearly half (47 percent) of the DCCC IE dollars were invested in races that House Democrats won. Democrats won 17 of the 26 races that were decided by less than 5 points.

Ward said: “I’m honored to be working with Chairman Luján and House Democrats, who are committed to expanding our ranks, holding Republicans accountable and strengthening the middle class. I’m lucky to have worked with Chairman Israel as we weathered a storm that could have been worse in 2014, and I look forward to building on the fundamentals we have in place for a successful election night in 2016.”

Ward has served as the DCCC’s Executive Director since November 2012. Before becoming Executive Director, Ward served as the DCCC’s Political Director, where she oversaw candidate redistricting, recruitment, campaign planning and strategy, leading to victory in 78 percent of the seats considered Toss Up by the Rothenberg Report and 69 percent of the seats considered Toss Up by the Cook Political Report.  She previously managed Alan Khazei’s U.S. Senate campaign, ran former Congressman Harry Mitchell’s first congressional campaign, ran several nonprofit advocacy campaigns and worked for former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and has her Master’s Degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.





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