The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairman Ben Ray Luján announced his first round of senior staff for the 2018 election cycle. Of the initial group, two are Hispanic, two are women and one is African-American. Three out of four of these individuals are brand new to these positions, and will strive to be as successful as their predecessors.
The new staff in the announcement includes Dan Sena, Executive Director; Aaron Trujillo, Chief of Staff; Jackie Forte-Mackay, Chief Financial Officer; and Meredith Kelly, Communications Director. Additional senior staff will be announced at a later date.
“There is incredible passion and commitment from every member of the DCCC team, from our interns to the Executive Director, driven by our Democratic values and principles,” said DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján. “Already, the DCCC has hit the ground running, in order to protect our incumbents, sharpen our strategy to connect with hardworking Americans, and maximize wins in 2018.
Luján continued, “In the 2016 cycle, the DCCC staff poured their blood, sweat and tears into their work in order to best serve the House Democratic Caucus, our candidates and the American people. I have been honored to work with the DCCC team each and every day. For those staffers that are departing, let it be known that I respect you, I learned from you, and I’m deeply grateful for your commitment to a stronger democracy.”
Background:
Dan Sena, Executive Director. Sena served as Deputy Executive Director and Director of the Data, Analytics and Field Department in the 2016 cycle. Previously, he served as the Political Director for the DGA, as campaign manager for Sen. Tom Udall’s reelection campaign in 2014, and as the Latino GOTV and Message Director for Patriot Majority’s Independent Expenditure efforts in Senator Harry Reid’s 2010 reelection campaign.
Aaron Trujillo, Chief of Staff. Trujillo is a veteran of New Mexico politics and Chairman Luján’s campaigns. Most recently, Trujillo served as a Senior Advisor to the DCCC Chairman and as an Associate Director for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Department of Commerce before that.
Jackie Forte-Mackay, Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Forte-Mackay served as CFO in the 2016 cycle and is charged with overseeing the Committee’s finances and compliance reporting with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). This will mark Ms. Forte-Mackay’s 12th cycle as the DCCC’s CFO.
Meredith Kelly, Communications Director. Kelly served as the National Press Secretary at the DCCC in the 2016 cycle, and helped lead the Committee through the fast-paced and constantly-evolving presidential cycle. She previously served for nearly five years in Senator Chuck Schumer’s communications department, most recently as his Press Secretary in New York City.